pulled hard, held up in touch, headway over 2f out, led over 1f out, pressed and rider hit rival on head with whip inside final furlong, stayed on, finished 1st, disqualified and placed
held up last, ridden and lost touch final 3f
led after 3f, headed 4f out, stayed on same pace final 2f
tracked leaders, went 2nd over 3f out, led over 2f out to well over 1f out, not quicken final furlong
led 3f, settled behind leaders, weakened over 2f out
held up in touch, headway on outside and hung right over 2f out, driven and rider dropped whip 2f out, stayed on to press winner when struck by whip inside final furlong, just held,
took keen hold, tracked leader after 3f, led 4f out to over 2f out, weakened inside final furlong
The lightly-raced Spanish John is taken to land an intriguing renewal of Ascot's Group 3 Sagaro Stakes. Fourth in last year's Chester Vase, he ended the season with a very good third behind Persian Punch in the Jockey Club Stakes and a repeat of that should make him very competitive here. Hughie Morrison worked wonders to produce Alcazar to win at Nottingham after a long absence, but this is tougher. The 2001 Cesarewitch winner Distant Prospect is taking a step up in class. First Ballot comes here fit after a Kempton fourth and, with his stable going well, can't be ignored. Savannah Bay also has scope to do well this year. A Group 3 winner in France, he is, however, four pounds worse off with Spanish for having finished one-and-a-quarter lengths behind him at Newmarket last July. John Dunlop runs two here. Firstly, the 2000 winner of this race, Orchestra Hall, who has not raced for 725 days and the progressive Taffrail, who finished behind Taffrail at Kempton and is now three pounds worse off at the weights. Pole Star will have to improve on his Doncaster win, which came on heavy going.
