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The Ladbrokes St Leger was won in decisive style by the favourite SIXTIES ICON (rated 126), who emulated his sire and dam by winning a classic. Galileo (who was responsible for the first three home in the St Leger) and Love Divine won theirs at Epsom, whereas Sixties Icon's success was gained at York while Doncaster undergoes alterations. Sixties Icon has come on a fair amount since finishing seventh in the Derby on his third outing and he confirmed the impression he made when winning the BGC Stakes (Gordon) at Goodwood in August by beating THE LAST DROP (118) smoothly by two and a half lengths at York. A feature of his performance was the way he travelled through the race, enabling him to be confidently ridden. Looking behind him two furlongs out, Frankie Dettori clearly had those ahead of him covered, and once shaken up Sixties Icon duly sprinted clear in the final furlong, not needing to show his full superiority. It established the winner as among the best middle-distance three-year-olds of the season, and whether or not he goes for the Arc (he would have to be supplemented), or indeed his other stated option, the Woodbine International in Canada, in which European-trained horses have a good record, he's sure to be a force in top company next year. It was a first domestic classic for trainer Jeremy Noseda, who'd won the Irish 2000 Guineas earlier in the season with Araafa and is in charge of next year's 1000 Guineas favourite Sander Camillo.

Other notable performances at the rearranged Doncaster meeting were put up by IFFRAAJ (128), who didn't need to be at his best to win the GNER Park Stakes from Somnus, while SERGEANT CECIL (118) gained a second successive pattern-race victory when beating Alcazar by a length in the GNER Doncaster Cup, looking in control a fair way out, despite having gone more freely as the race went on, and asserting a furlong out. He probably now heads for the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp, but that's run over the trip which appeared to stretch him in the Gold Cup.
The final Irish classic of the year, the Irish Field St Leger run at the Curragh, saw the favourite, the Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup winner YEATS (129) fail to land the odds, going down by half a length to the five-year-old mare KASTORIA (124), the pair ten lengths clear of last year's runner-up The Whistling Teal. Yeats took over the running around six furlongs out, but was never able to shake off Kastoria when ridden along in the straight and was headed inside the last. He'd been strongly supported in Australia for the Melbourne Cup, but that trip is now in doubt as he was reportedly a bit stiff the following day. Kastoria has been in good form this year, winning the Curragh Cup (narrowly from Collier Hill) and two listed races, but this represented a career high for her. Out of the first two only once in eleven races (in the Yorkshire Cup on soft ground), she could go for the Canadian International next month.

Staying in Ireland, the previous weekend had seen a memorable clash in the Baileys Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, with the Irish Derby winner DYLAN THOMAS (129) striking a blow for the three-year-olds over the five-year-old mares OUIJA BOARD (125) and ALEXANDER GOLDRUN (124) in a race that strangely failed to attract any four-year-olds. In the Juddmonte International at York Dylan Thomas had disappointed behind NOTNOWCATO (126), taking a good hold, but supplied with a pacemaker in Ace at Leopardstown, he fully confirmed his impressive classic win with another high-class success, though this one was much harder earned, leading briefly before Ouija Board went on in the straight, and then battling back on her inner to lead again near the line. He looks set to go for the Breeders' Cup Classic, a race in which the same connections' Giant's Causeway finished second (also at this year's venue Churchill Downs) in 2000. Ouija Board is proving to be a tough mare this campaign, as well as a most reliable one, running up to her best in another thrilling finish, being sent on by Jamie Spencer (her fifth different jockey in seven races this season) over a furlong out, but she couldn't contain the winner's rally close home, though she finished clear of Alexander Goldrun this time, having had just a short head to spare over that mare in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. Ouija Board could make a final appearance in Europe before a third crack at the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November.

The other Group 1 that day was the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes over a mile, and it featured a rematch between three of the first four home in the Coronation Stakes, though it was RED EVIE (124), who'd won in handicap company at the Royal meeting, who progressed again to remain unbeaten in seven races during the year. Held up as usual, she led a furlong out, but only just held on as the runner-up PEERESS (124) flashed home. The principals could well clash again in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.

The French authorities, having succeeded in developing a Breeders' Cup-style weekend in early October with six Group 1 races including the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, seem to be on their way to developing a whole card of Arc trials at Longchamp in September. In addition to the traditional Prix Foy, Vermeille and Niel the meeting now contains the Prix Gladiateur and the Prix du Petit Couvert, the last-named race being added for the first time this year. That three of the first four home in the Couvert were trained in Britain augurs well for the Prix de l'Abbaye itself, a race in which overseas raiders tend to dominate anyway, Britain having won eleven of the last fifteen runnings, with France successful in just two of the others. This year's Petit Couvert was won by MAJESTIC MISSILE (117), who returned to form, nailing the runner-up Peace Offering inside the final furlong. More will be needed of Majestic Missile if he is to complete the double in the Abbaye itself, a race in which he finished only ninth last year.

The main trail for the Arc itself, the Prix Foy, saw a clash between three of the best horses in training, HURRICANE RUN (134), SHIROCCO (133) and PRIDE (125), the first two trained by Andre Fabre. With matters developing into a sprint, none of the protagonists were subjected to maximum assistance, despite a driving finish, and all three shaped well. Two necks separated them at the line with Shirocco getting the better of Hurricane Run as Pride ran on well in third. All should be in prime condition for the Arc itself, Hurricane Run having had the other two back in fourth and seventh respectively when winning last year. However, within their midst lies a dark unknown, at least in European terms, in the shape of DEEP IMPACT (135), who has won ten of his eleven starts in Japan, including all three this year by at least three and a half lengths. His jockey, Yutaka Take, has had mixed reviews when riding at Longchamp. He has two Prix de l'Abbaye victories under his belt, on Agnes World in 1999 and Imperial Beauty two years later, but received much criticism for his ride aboard White Muzzle when the pair were sixth to Carnegie in the 1994 Arc. Since then Take has ridden only once in the race, finishing third on Sagacity in 2001. Deep Impact's running style - he comes from well off the pace - could cause problems around Longchamp, with its 'false straight', but his form suggests he is more than good enough to win an average Arc, and he has claims of going one better than his compatriot El Condor Pasa, who was just touched off by Montjeu seven years ago.

MANDESHA (120p), who gained one Group 1 success in the Prix d'Astarte over a mile at Deauville at the end of July, stepped up half a mile to secure a second win at the highest level in the Prix Vermeille, in which she comfortably beat a bunch of four-year-olds headed by Montare. Held up in touch, she quickened smartly without needing firm pressure to sweep past her rivals, winning eased down. She needs to be supplemented if running in the Arc, the alternative being a clash with Ouija Board and the triple Oaks winner Alexandrova in the Prix de l'Opera that would make for a terrific supporting race to the Arc itself.

The other major trial, the Prix Niel, has a good record of providing the winner of the Arc in recent years, six colts in the last ten years completing the double, with Peintre Celebre (an unlucky second) and Bago (third) improving on their placings in the Niel to win their Arcs. Any decisive winner of the Prix Niel clearly deserves respect, and this year's victor RAIL LINK (121p) will go to post with plenty of support, though he'll need to find a fair amount of improvement on his bare form so far to trouble his elders. Very laid-back in the preliminaries, Rail Link livened up once in action, travelling powerfully in touch and finding enough when the time came to beat the Great Voltigeur winner YOUMZAIN (119) by half a length, with Derby runner-up Dragon Dancer, now looking flattered by his Epsom performance, back in fourth. Rail Link, who just stayed on as opposed to quickening, has come a long way in a short space of time and, whatever his fate in the Arc, looks the type to make a better four-year-old.