Rivet Lands Racing Post Trophy
The colt, who also took out the Champagne Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) at Doncaster last month, failed to fire when fifth behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained Churchill (Galileo) in the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) at Newmarket at his last start, but he relished the step up to a mile last weekend.
With a lack of early pace, jockey Andrea Atzeni sent the enthusiastic Rivet straight into the lead and set steady fractions in the early stages of the final Group One of the British season.
Atzeni began to increase the tempo approaching the final three furlongs and never looked like being caught as Rivet galloped on strongly to beat O’Brien’s Yucatan (Galileo) by a length and three quarters, with Salouen (Canford Cliffs) a further neck away in a never-nearer third.
Pleaseletmewin (2 g Power – Jacaranda Ridge by Indian Ridge) ran out a ready winner of the Horris Hill Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Newbury on Saturday.
The Ralph Beckett-trained gelding, whose racing career will continue in Qatar after he sold for 425,000gns to Gassim Mohammad Ghazali at the Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale on Wednesday, was always travelling strongly just off the pace in hands of Fran Berry.
Pleaseletmewin moved up smoothly to challenge approaching the final furlong and, despite hanging left-handed across the track in the closing stages, he had enough in hand to beat King’s Gift (Casamento) by two and a quarter lengths, with Law And Order (Lawman) a further head away in third.
Dermot Weld’s Making Light (2 f Tamayuz – Instant Sparkle by Danehill) ran out an impressive winner of the Killavullan Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Leopardstown on Sunday.
The filly broke her maiden by eight lengths at Limerick at her previous start and was always travelling well in midfield under Irish champion jockey Pat Smullen.
She moved up to contest the lead approaching the final furlong and quickened clear in taking fashion to beat the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair Spirit Of Valor (War Front) and Taj Mahal (Galileo) by a length and a neck respectively.
Well Spoken (2 f Soldier Hollow – Well American by Bertrando) took out the Preis Der Winterkonigin (Gr 3, 1600m) at Baden-Baden on Sunday.
Trained by Markus Klug at Röttgen near Cologne, the filly set an even tempo on the front-end under Adrie de Vries who quickened the pace approaching the final 300 metres.
Pemina (Soldier Hollow) came with a strong late challenge in the closing stages, but Well Spoken turned her away to win by a head, with a break of four lengths to Arazza (Areion) in third.
Newmarket trainer William Haggas enjoyed further stakes success on Saturday when Cristal Fizz (2 f Power – Effervesce by Galileo) came from off the pace to win the Radley Stakes (Listed, 7f) at Newbury on Saturday.
Ridden confidently by Frankie Dettori, the filly cut through the field inside the final furlong to beat her stablemate Glitter Girl (Invincible Spirit) by a neck, with Pichola Dance (Distorted Humor) a further two and a quarter lengths adrift in third.
Three-year-olds
German raider Dschingis Secret (3 c Soldier Hollow – Divya by Platini) ran out a taking winner of the St Leger Italiano (Gr 3, 2800m) at San Siro in Milan on Saturday.
The Markus Klug-trained colt, who had run a close third to Isfahan (Lord Of England) in the Deutsches Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) at Hamburg in July, took a keen hold in the early stages off a steady gallop under jockey Martin Seidl.
Seidl produced the colt to lead approaching the final 500 metres and he readily quickened clear, galloping on strongly close home to beat Troublemaker (Vita Rosa) by seven lengths, with Berghain (Medicean) a further length and a quarter behind in third place.
The victory of Dschingis Secret means German-trained runners have now won six of the last eight renewals of the St Leger Italiano.
Older horses
The Stefano Botti-trained Sound Of Freedom (4 f Duke Of Marmalade – Paint In Green by Invincible Spirit) ran out a decisive winner of the Premio Lydia Tesio (Gr 1, 2000m) at Capannelle in Rome on Sunday.
The filly, who was beaten a neck into second in the race last year, was restrained in behind the leaders by jockey Fabio Branca.
As the pace-setting Plein Air (Manduro) tried to steal the race from the front-end, Sound Of Freedom moved up strongly and stretched clear in good style inside the final 200 metres to beat the running-on Zghorta Dance (Le Havre) by a length and a quarter, with Irish challenger Laganore (Fastnet Rock) a further length and a half adrift in third.
Duretto (4 g Manduro – Landinium by Lando) caused an upset in the St Simon Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) at Newbury on Saturday.
The Andrew Balding-trained gelding, who was sent off a 20/1 chance, was held up in midfield by Graham Lee as the front-running Kings Fete (King’s Best) set a solid early tempo.
Kings Fete still led entering the final furlong, but Duretto came through late to score by half a length from the fast-finishing Mountain Bell (Mount Nelson), with Kings Fete three quarters of a length away in third.
Palace Prince (4 c Areion – Palace Princess by Tiger Hill) took out the Baden-Wurttemberg Trophy (Gr 3, 2000m) in impressive fashion at Baden-Baden on Sunday.
The Andreas Lowe-trained colt came from off the pace to lead approaching the final 500 metres and stretched clear under hands and heels riding to beat Devastar (Areion) by three lengths, with a break of six lengths back to Star Victory (Tot Ou Tard) in third place.
Greg Pass (4 g Raven’s Pass – Baranja by St Jovite) secured his second Group Three victory in the Premio Ribot (Gr 3, 1600m) at Capannelle on Sunday.
The gelding led 400 metres out and had to show a determined attitude under Dario Vargiu close home to fend off the challenge of Basileus (Dream Ahead) by a short-head, with Clockwinder (Intikhab) a further two lengths behind in third.