Mastery edged out Kite Wood in the final strides

Godolphin outsider Mastery edged out stablemate Kite Wood, the favourite ridden by Frankie Dettori, in the St Leger at Doncaster.

The 14-1 chance, under Ted Durcan, beat the 9-4 market leader by three-quarters of a length to give Godolphin their first British Classic win since 2004.

Monitor Closely (7-2) finished third for trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam.

Meanwhile, Mick Kinane steered Alandi (3-1) to victory for John Oxx in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh.

Saeed bin Suroor's second string Mastery was giving Godolphin a first domestic Group One win of the season and their first British Classic since Rule Of Law won the Leger five years ago.

Dettori had been seeking his sixth victory in the race, but was quick to congratulate Durcan after a race enjoyed by a sell-out crowd of nearly 30,000.

And Sheikh Mohammed, head of the Godolphin operation, said: "Everyone at Godolphin is a team player. I'm very proud of them."

Speaking of his his long wait for another major British winner, he added: "These are horses, not machines.

"They're flesh and blood and sometimes you have problems with them."

Kite Wood went off favourite despite concerns about the firm going, and Dettori went clear of the pacemaking Von Jawlensky approaching the two-furlong marker.

But as a mighty tussle developed, the Italian Derby winner Mastery mastered his better-fancied stablemate.

606: DEBATE I hope Godolphin continue to improve as its great for racing jbgb007uk

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien, chasing his fourth win in the race, could do no better than sixth of the eight runners with 3-1 second favourite Changingoftheguard.

O'Brien was also out of luck 20 minutes later in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh when his popular stayer Yeats, four-time winner of the Ascot Gold Cup, finished down the field.

Alandi outmuscled 25-1 shot Clowance, with Godolphin's Schiaparelli (7-2) in third, as Oxx and Kinane teamed up for another success.

The pair have enjoyed a fruitful campaign with Sea The Stars, winner of the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, Eclipse, Juddmonte International and Irish Champion Stakes.

Kinane said of his Irish Leger winner: "It a real slog and he had to be very tough. I think he could be very good going two miles-plus."

Ladbrokes St Leger 1m 6f, Doncaster
1 Mastery (Ted Durcan) 14-1
2 Kite Wood 9-4f
3 Monitor Closely 7-2
8 ran. ¾, 1¾

Irish Field St Leger 1m 6f, Curragh
1 Alandi (Mick Kinane) 3-1
2 Clowance 25-1
3 Schiaparelli 2-1f
8 ran. ½, 5

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