DONCASTER THURSDAY

RALPH Beckett’s Simple Verse, winner of last year’s St Leger before being demoted and subsequently reinstated, returned to Town Moor on Thursday and triumphed in the Group 2 DFS Stakes over the same course and distance.

Held up by Oisin Murphy, the 3/1 chance stayed on all the way up the straight and finally nailed Aidan O’Brien’s Pretty Perfect, getting up by a head. It was five lengths back to California.

Beckett had shown commendable patience with the winner, who seemed to have lost her way this season. Given a rest, she was back on song here, showing plenty of grit as Pretty Perfect shrugged off long-time leader Mill Springs and went for home, opening up a three-length lead for Seamie Heffernan with just over a furlong to go. She did nothing wrong in a splendid finish and deserves compensation.

“I thought she was beat because she couldn’t get out and it didn’t look great with half a furlong to go,” Beckett said. “It’s great to get her back; it hasn’t been easy and maybe we haven’t finished yet.”

Some observers envisaged a repeat bid in the Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day, where Simple Verse followed up last year, but Beckett believes stamina may be her trump card.

“This is her optimum trip but she looks as if she could get two miles so I’d be keen to go that way next time with the Long Distance Cup the obvious race,” the trainer added.

That alternative seemed not to have occurred to the layers, who came up with some sharply contrasting prices, Simple Verse being offered at 14/1 by bet365 whereas Paddy Power quoted only 5/1.

BECKETT DOUBLE

It was very much Beckett’s day because the Hampshire handler also won the other Group 2 race, the Clugston Construction May Hill Stakes, with Rich Legacy, also ridden by Murphy.

A daughter of Holy Roman Emperor, Rich Legacy had taken the eye when keeping on well over an inadequate seven furlongs at Goodwood and this straight mile suited her much better.

Having tracked early leader Kilmah, who dropped out to finish last, Murphy kicked on over two furlongs from home. Rich Legacy was headed by Grecian Light in the closing stages but fought back gamely and prevailed by three-parts of a length with Urban Fox back in third.

Rich Legacy is out of the Galileo mare Borghesa, who was introduced over a distance of ground at Deauville on her only start. Clearly stamina will not be a problem and Beckett, who has a fine record with fillies, is sure to be thinking in terms of the Oaks, although it may worth taking in the Prix Marcel Boussac in three weeks’ time to round off her juvenile campaign.

Charlie Appleby, happy enough with Grecian Light, will probably suggest the Rockfel or the Fillies’ Mile for Godolphin’s runner-up. Interestingly, she finished last of seven behind Kilmah in the Prestige at Goodwood, where Rich Legacy was fourth.

Although the point about the contrast between that course and Doncaster is well made, Kilmah was very disappointing indeed this week. Like many of Mark Johnston’s inmates, she seems to have no ‘in between’ way of running.