BBC SPORT | Other Sports | Horse Racing | Grandera on top in Ireland

Frankie Dettori urged Grandera to the narrowest of wins over Hawk Wing in the Group One Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Grandera (5-2), the leader of the World Series standings, beat Aiden O'Brien's star (8-11f) by a short head on the line in the mile and a quarter contest.

Best of the Bests (12-1) was third with O'Brien's pacemaker Sholokhov (8-1), the long-time leader, in fourth.

Sholokhov stormed to the front and stretched the lead to over 10 lengths from Best of the Bests with Hawk Wing a length further back.

Grandera is peculiar but at least he's a superstar

Frankie Dettori

Paul Scallan's mount, second in both the Irish Derby and the Eclipse, was eventually swallowed up with a furlong left to travel.

Jamie Spencer on Godolphin's second-string Best of the Bests thundered past with Mick Kinane on Hawk Wing and Grandera a neck behind.

But on the line Grandera thrust a nostril in front and took the honours after a photograph.

A jubilant Dettori said: "He is a very peculiar character but he is enormously talented and everything has to go right. He didn't want to go, then he did, then he didn't and then he went.

"I thought I'd got up just on the line.

"He is peculiar but at least he's a super star."

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford added: "It was very nerve-wracking and very tense, but what a brilliant performance and all credit to Jamie (Spencer) for not getting sucked into following Sholokhov.

"He was going a little bit too quick for us and Best Of The Bests has run really well too.

"Grandera on his day is a really great horse.

Mick Kinane and Hawk Wing are edged out by Grandera (left)
Hawk Wing is outpaced by Grandera (left)

"The races he has won this year - Singapore, Royal Ascot, here - are top notch races.

"And he's not finished with yet. Maybe the Cox Plate in Australia."

O'Brien's Ballydoyle yard has been afflicted by a bout of coughing, which could have contributed to the repeat of last year's result.

Twelve months ago Godolphin's Fantastic Light edged out great rival Galileo, a former stablemate of Hawk Wing, by a head.

Hawk Wing, which suffered near misses in the Sagitta 2,000 Guineas and Vodafone Derby, finally broke his Group One duck with success in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown in July.

Derby winner High Chaparral, whose preferred target is the Prix Niel at Longchamp next week, was a non-runner.

The Irish Champion Stakes is the seventh leg of the World Series Racing Championship, which is a world championship for Flat horses.

Latest World Series standings

The next leg takes place in Canada at the end of the month.


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