A decent field, although two of the market leaders had never run over the minimum trip before. Connections feared the drying ground had gone against last year's Cornwallis winner CAPTAIN GERRARD, who was the only three-year-old in the line-up, but heshowed terrific speed from stall one up the stands' rail and fought off challenges from Enticing and then Sakhee's Secret to win narrowly in a cracking finish, despite edging to the right under pressure. He was a bit colty in the preliminaries, but racedmost genuinely and looks a sprinter who can go places.

The Duke Of York is a possibility for the winner, but the Temple Stakes, which is due to be run at Haydock for the first time, is the main target prior to the King's Stand, in which he would reportedly only run if there was some give.

Sakhee's Secret had a Group 1 penalty for his July Cup win and was reportedly not as forward as when impressing in a handicap win here on his reappearance a year ago, on top of which it was his first run at 5f. He had his ground, though, and made a most pleasing reappearance, only just losing out after emerging from the Dip with an effort which took him bang upsides, if not narrowly ahead, in the final furlong.

Hughie Morrison reckons he could win a Group1 at this trip, although 6f probably suits him better. The Golden Jubilee, for which he is now 5-1 joint favourite with Paddy Power, is a more likely Royal Ascot target than the King's Stand, and he will then presumably go for the July Cup again.

Matsunosuke started last year rated 77, but he made vast improvement afterwards and had excelled himself again on his reappearance, so his proximity, having been held up as always, is not necessarily too much of a negative. It will not have done his handicap mark any good, but he was running out of opportunities in that sphere in any case.

Zidane patently found 5f too sharp and did not run too badly in the circumstances. A return to 6f looks in order, and he still looks capable of making his mark at this sort of level.

Hoh Hoh Hoh started slowly and ran all right in sixth, ahead of Reverence, who could have done with softer ground, and Judd Street, who showed bags of speed towards the middle of the track, Rowe Park and the heavily eased Conquest. Rowe Park will be all the better for the race, but Conquest has disappointed twice now since his Listed win on the all-weather.

Jimmy Fortune reported that Conquest was moving poorly. (GD)

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