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Kings Apostle lands Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Being drawn on the correct side at Deauville this afternoon, Ryan Moore drove William Haggas's Kings Apostle through a gap between Lesson In Humility and Sayif to take the lead at around the 200 metre mark, and then he stayed on well to hold the late thrust of Mariol.

It was Kings Apostle's biggest ever sprint win, and a delighted trainer confirmed his charge would now head to Haydock for the course's Group 1 Sprint Cup in September.

Murtagh trip pays off with success for Viscount Nelson.

Johnnie Murtagh's quick rush back from Chicago, where he rode Black Bear Island into second place in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park, paid off handsomely as he rode Aidan O'Brien's Viscount Nelson to victory in this afternoon's Listed Hurrican Run Stakes at Tipperary.

Described by O'Brien after the race as, "a horse who does the bare minimum", Viscount Nelson needed a few reminders in the closing stages to go about his business and land the race as would be expected of an odds on favourite.

O'Brien confirmed the well regarded colt would now move up to Group 3 class for his next outing.

In the other Listed race on the Tipperary card - The Abergwaun Stakes - Fran Berry got a good tune out of second favourite Perfect Polly to deny 7/4 favourite Snaefel in the closing stages of today's sprint.

Ground the key to Kite Wood next outing.

According to connections, Bahrain Trophy winner Kite Wood is in fine form, and his next outing prior to an attempt at the St Leger could be in Saturday's Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes over a mile and five furlongs.

Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford said today, "Frankie Dettori was very happy with Kite Wood after he completed some work yesterday, and he is certainly in rude health, and we will now look at next Saturday's Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury."

"But he needs good ground, and if the ground at Newbury is on the firm side, we will have to look at the Great Voltigeur at York as a possible alternative."

Hills favouring Sun Chariot option for Ghanaati.

With owner Hamdan al Maktoum hoping 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes heroinne Ghanaati can bounce back from her slightly disappointing run in the Sussex Stakes, trainer Barry Hills is said to favour an autumn return in the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, rather than facing the colts in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. But as the 'piper plays the tune', it will be interesting to see if owner and trainer see eye to eye over the final decision on which race is the best move for the dual Group 1 winner.

Slight injury changes options for The Cheka.

Having only recently returned to the track with a win at Newbury after eleven months off with injury, Eve Johnson Houghton has reported The Cheka lost a few days of training with a slight injury, and instead of a planned run in either the Celebration Mile or CGA Hungerford Stakes, the trainer is now looking at either the Prix Quincy Lucien Barriere over eleven furlongs at Deauville on 30 August, or the Group 2 Park Stakes over seven furlongs at Doncaster on 12 September.

Gladiatorus now has two potential targets.

Once rated as the best horse in the world after his Dubai Duty Free facile win at Nad al Sheeba, Gladiatorus was less than impressive behind Paco Boy in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, and then he was pulled out of this weekend's Arlington Million in Chicago due to a set-back.

However, Godolphin are confident they have him back to full fitness, and he is now to be aimed at either the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on 16 August, or the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp on 06 September.

Jockeys give positive reaction to new Ayr bend.

The re-aligned bend at Ayr Racecourse was given its first test this morning when a racecourse gallop was staged round the bend into the home straight.

This was the first time horses had galloped into the straight since the incident at the track on 13 July when seven horses came down in an accident which saw jockey Joe Fanning break his collar bone and trainer Linda Perratt’s horse Balwearie suffered a broken jaw.

Perratt had three horses in the work out at the course and two more came from Ian Semple’s yard. Jockeys Phillip Makin, Tom Eaves, Danny Tudhope and Gary Bartley all took part and BHA Course Inspector Chris Dennis accompanied Clerk of the Course Hazel Peplinski to watch the early morning gallop.
Phillip Makin said afterwards : “The bend rode well and was sweeter than before. We went around it flat out, and we didn’t need to take a tug.”

Danny Tudhope added : “It was fine and there were no problems.”

When asked to comment, Hazel Peplinski said : “It was a good gallop and the bend appeared to ride safely and very well. Tom, Phillip, Danny and Gary were all very positive and we are all looking forward to racing taking place around it on 26 and 27 August.”

Following the 13 July incident the Ayr Executive called on experts in cambers, rail alignment and turf husbandry to assess the condition of the track. The rails on the bend into the home straight have been re-aligned to give a larger bend.

Hazel Peplinski added : “It has been a worrying time but I am much happier now. The survey showed that there are subtle changes to the rail alignment which will make the bend sweeter and there is plenty of room at Ayr to save ground in the future by moving rail without compromising the optimum alignment.”

Madden becomes a very unfortunate substitute.

Niall 'Slippers' Madden took the ride on Carlesimo in the Hackett's Bookmakers Handicap Chase because Paul Carberry had been injured in a previous fall at Yesterday's Kilbeggan meeting, but his substitute appearance only got as far as the first fence, where he took a tumbling fall, which now appears to have broken two bones in his forearm.

His agent Andrew Kelly has indicated the Grand National winning jockey will have an operation to pin the broken bones, but he could be out of action for up to two months.

Leicester to go ahead.

Today's card at Leicester has been given the go- ahead after a precautionary 7.30 am inspection. The course had been left in a waterlogged condition after heavy rain on Friday morning, but drying conditions over the last 48 hours have ensured the straight course and main circuit are safe for racing.

Scoop Sicx rolls-over.

With two long priced winners scuppering all the bets in yesterday's Scoop Six, a Win Fund of £245,448 and a Bonus Fund of £105,192 will now roll-over to Saturday 15 August.

Cima unlucky as Gio Ponti scores in Chicago.

Gio Ponti collected his fourth successive Group 1 victory when landing yesterday's Arlington Million in Chicago. Given a precise ride by Ramon Dominguez, the Christophe Clement trained four year old ran down Alan Kirby on Walter Swinburn's Stotsfold, and then stayed on well to score by a length and a quarter from Just As Well, with the gallant Stotsfold back in third place.

A former assistant trainer to Luca Cumani, Christophe Clement was delighted with the biggest win of his racing career, but with Gio Ponti showing such consistancy at the highest level, the handler admitted he was now considering the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe or one of several races at the Breeders Cup meeting at Santa Anita as possible future big pay-days.

As for Luca Cumani, he was left rueing a racing incident at the end of the back straight where Cima de Triomphe lost his position, and then had to take the outside route on the last bend, and although he was finishing the fastest of all the runners, due to lost ground, he could only get himself into fourth place on the home run.

Black Bear Island loses out in final strides.

Taking it up at the four furlong point, Johnnie Murtagh tried to control the pace on Black Bear Island in yesterday's Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park, but having done all the hard work, the Dante Stakes winner just ran out of puff in the last one hundred yards, and had to settle for second place behind the fast finishing race favourite Take The Points.

This was the three year old's last race for his Ballydoyle connections, as he has now been sold into American ownership, and will run for the rest of his racing career in North America.

However, when he eventually goes to stud, his former Ballydoyle owners will have a stake in his stud fees.

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