HAWKBILL saw off stablemate Frontiersman to emerge victorious in the Group 2 Princess Of Wales's Arqana Racing Club Stakes at Newmarket.

Frontiersman was the 5/4 favourite having chased home Highland Reel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom on his previous start, with last year's Coral-Eclipse hero and Coronation Cup third Hawkbill sent off at 7/2 to bounce back from a disappointing run in France.

Hawkbill raced enthusiastically out in front throughout the mile-and-a-half journey under James Doyle, with Frontiersman ridden more patiently by William Buick.

Frontiersman was angled out to make his challenge racing inside the final two furlongs, but wandered under pressure and Hawkbill galloped on straight and true to claim victory. The Charlie Appleby-trained pair were clear of Algometer in third place.

Doyle said: "It was a great training performance by Charlie. You have to serve it up to him a bit. He takes life so well and gets so fresh. He ran well in the Coronation Cup and went out to France. He's turned up on his A game now and, on his best form, that race was well within his compass.

"He enjoyed himself out in front. I went out with a game plan just to let him enjoy himself at a speed he was comfortable at and let him roll along and give him plenty of time to hit top stride.

"He was very tough. I think he's best at a mile and a half with ease in the ground – the softer the better for him. We got away with the ground today. The drop of rain we had definitely helped him. He's had plenty of races and takes them so well."

Appleby said: "I'm delighted with Hawkbill. People thought we were putting him in there as a pacesetter. We knew he would set a decent gallop, but he was in there in his own right.

"He's dangerous when he gets an uncontested lead. We've seen that time and time again with him. His antics before the race, we've seen before. He was awash with sweat and that's him.

"Frontiersman was still wandering around but the more experience he gets under his belt, the penny will drop. He is a good horse and has proved it with two solid performances. To finish second to Hawkbill is no disgrace. He's a horse that's learning on the game.

"Ideally, at some stage, I've got to give Hawkbill a break. With Frontiersman we'll look to Ascot and the King George. He won't be out of place. Hopefully he'll come on again."

All roads lead to the Group 1 William Hill St Leger for Raheen House following his determined triumph in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy.

Brian Meehan's charge had performed admirably in defeat on each of his three previous outings this season, including a fourth-placed finish in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He was a 7/2 chance for this 13-furlong assignment and showed a willing attitude in the hands of Jamie Spencer to run down the front-running Sofia's Rock and score by a length. Desert Skyline finished strongly to beat Sofia's Rock to the runner-up spot.

Paddy Power cut Raheen House to 10/1 from 20/1 for the Leger at Doncaster on 16th September.

Meehan said: "He wanted that extra furlong. He has always been progressive and really deserved this especially after his last run at Ascot. I was really pleased with that, it was top drawer.

"He looked around him a little bit and Jamie said when he hit the front he was just pricking his ears. He possibly hit the front a bit soon and could have won it a little bit easier. I think he's a proper horse.

"All the horses were wrong when he won at Goodwood. We thought we would give him a break after Ascot and come back for this. I am pleased for the boys back home as it is a big week with a lot of racing.

"I would be quite happy to leave him for the St Leger. I imagine we will go straight there as that will suit the horse. That's the sensible place to go."

GOOD GALLOP

Spencer said: "We went a good even gallop and we got racing quite a bit out. I was concerned four down, but I was hoping his stamina would kick in, which it did.

"Physically he's a horse who is going to improve as the year goes on. He was a bit unlucky at Ascot. I thought he should have been second. He was entitled to win today. He's a son of Sea The Stars out of a German family so he's going to improve and be an even better horse next year."

David Elsworth was pleased with Desert Skyline's effort in second and is eyeing the Ebor at York next month for the gelding.

He said: "I think it was a sound run. He didn't have a lot of luck at Ascot. He fell out the stalls and got in behind and it didn't work out for him.

"When he appears to be beaten he does keep finding. The winner was a good horse.

"Without getting carried away it was a very strong race and there was a fair bit of depth to it. I did put him in the Ebor and it always used to be a good race for three-year-olds. He is rated 100 and they might put him up a bit."

Mark Johnston felt long-time leader Sofia's Rock gave his all in third place.

"He ran a fantastic race. He was keen and this trip is the upper limit of him. His enthusiasm is almost his downfall as he is always on the cusp of doing too much," said the Middleham handler. "The family get better with age and if he matures from three to four we have got a black-type middle-distance horse on our hands."

U S Navy Flag filled the runner-up berth as the Mark Johnston-trained Cardsharp claimed top honours in the Group 2 Arqana July Stakes. The Aidan O'Brien-trained youngster was always towards the front end along with Invincible Army, but neither could fend off the charge of 8/1 shot Cardsharp down the centre of the track.

U S Navy Flag did his best to make a race of it, but Johnston's charge passed the post a length and three-quarters to the good in the hands of James Doyle. Coventry Stakes hero Rajasinghe was under pressure from the halfway stage, but boxed on well and beat Invincible Army to third place.

Kevin Buckley, Coolmore's UK representative, said of U S Navy Flag: "He is laid back and he travelled over really well. We were very happy with that run. Ryan Moore planned to jump out and make plenty of use with him. He lost an off-fore shoe and we are not making excuses, that is just a fact of what happened.

"He only won his maiden 12 days ago so you can see he is a durable animal. Hopefully his full-sister Roly Poly can keep the good run up for the family tomorrow (in the Falmouth Stakes)."

Johnston said of the winner: "We've been umming and ahhing and chopped and changed with him. Watching him at Beverley he showed so much speed he just looked like he was tiring at the end.

"He was going to go for the Coventry then we switched him to the Norfolk and clearly we were wrong in doing that. As we've seen today he is better for the six furlongs and he was certainly not stopping at the end.

"That looked perfect despite a few antics beforehand. When I was putting the jockey on I thought what a tall rangy horse this is and that he doesn't look like a sprinter. We will get him home and have a think about it."

Doyle said: "He showed his well-being before the race. He was a bit of a handful. I rode him in the Norfolk at Ascot and he ran a hell of a race. The American horse there on the lead kept edging left and bumped him a bit.

"It took a while to get him organised and he finished really well. I just thought back up to six would be ideal and he's shown that."

SUSPENSION

Doyle was in the news earlier in the afternoon after being handed a 15-day suspension by the British Horseracing Authority.

The leading jockey was referred to the ruling body after using his whip above the permitted level aboard runner-up Barney Roy in last Saturday's Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. As it was his fifth offence within a six-month period, he will sit out 15 days, five of which will be deferred for 42 days.