Features / Timeform / 13 September 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet View Market

Timeform looks back at the weekend racing action...

"Arctic Cosmos is now under consideration for a trip to America for the Breeders Cup Turf"

The John Gosden-trained Arctic Cosmos took his career to a new level on Saturday when comfortably winning the St Leger, the flat season's final classic. He had apparently been campaigned with the Leger in mind from an early stage, and he delivered the goods on Saturday, travelling easily in first-time blinkers, and responding well to William Buick's urgings to win by almost two lengths from Midas Touch. Arctic Cosmos is now under consideration for a trip to America for the Breeders Cup Turf. Godolphin's Rewilding was strong favourite for the Leger on the back of a highly impressive win in the Voltigeur, the premier trial for the race, but he was soon in trouble as the field reached the top of the straight, and eventually finished a disappointing sixth. Midas Touch again ran with credit, while Rewilding's pacemaker Corsica produced an excellent performance to finish third.

The Portland handicap went to favourite Poet's Place, who finished with a flourish to run down Bajan Tryst in the dying strides of the five-and-a-half-furlong thriller. He is reportedly an intended runner in this weekend's Ayr Gold Cup, for which he is now [6.8] favourite. Also at Doncaster, the mercurial Balthazaar's Gift gained another pattern success when taking the Group 2 Park Stakes, coming with his customary late run to hold off Premio Loco by half-a-length.

At the Curragh on Saturday, British raider Sans Frontieres landed his first Group 1 when taking the Irish St Leger. Both Sans Frontieres and Irish Leger runner-up Profound Beauty are in line for a tilt at the Melbourne Cup in November. Also at the Curragh, Ireland's leading two-year-old-colt Pathfork continued his ascent when narrowly defeating Casamento in the Group 1 National Stakes. There is a possibility that Pathfork will head to the Breeders' Cup in November.

On Sunday, Longchamp hosted the Arc trials, with the Group 1 Prix Vermeille taking centre stage. Sariska had caused a shock when refusing to race in the Yorkshire Oaks last month, but she repeated the trick when the stalls opened for the Vermeille, and was promptly retired by her connections. Sariska's refusal again eased the task of star filly Midday, who notched up the fifth Group 1 success of her career, beating Plumania by three-quarters-of-a-length. Midday will not get the opportunity to take on her male counterparts in the Arc, however, instead heading to Churchill Downs in November to attempt back-to-back wins in the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Arc favourite Behkabad narrowly got the better of Planteur in the Prix Niel at Longchamp, with the pair reaffirming themselves as leading contenders for France's premier race.

Tags: Curragh, Doncaster, Longchamp, Timeform