THE Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes has long had a reputation as the foremost trial for the St Leger, but the victory of the gelded Yibir (Charlie Appleby/James Doyle) rather throws a spanner in the works as far as that theory goes.

Sent off a well-backed 6/1 shot despite having finished behind three of his rivals in the Gordon Stakes, Yibir proved that form wrong by pouncing late to snatch the lead from pace-setting The Mediterranean (Aidan O’Brien/Wayne Lordan) with just over a furlong to go, and he kept on willingly to record a length-and-a-quarter win, with Youth Spirit (Andrew Balding/Tom Marquand) nosing out Sir Lucan for third in a bob of heads.