YIBIR RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS
by Tom Frary
Back at the July Festival at which he first showed his hand 12 months ago, Godolphin's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) benefitted from an ultra-cool William Buick ride to arrest a brief recent decline in Friday=s G2 Princess Of Wales's Close Brothers S. at Newmarket. Upset by Living Legend (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) when second in the G2 Jockey Club S. on the Rowley Mile here Apr. 29 before finishing a deflating third in the May 14 GI Man o'War S., the reigning Breeders= Cup Turf hero had it to prove returned to the scene of his G3 Bahrain Trophy win at last year's meeting. Sent off the 11-8 joint-favourite alongside the ultimately disappointing Mostahdaf (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the Charlie Appleby stable stalwart made his customary move from rear under the exaggerated hold-up tactics that suit him so well to pick up Living Legend a furlong out and register a 2 1/4-length success.
NEWMARKET FEELS THE FORCE
by Sean Cronin
Amo Racing's i225,000 Goffs Orby yearling Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Vida Amorosa {Ire}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}) ran second to >TDN Rising Star' Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry S. last month and, in the absence of late scratching Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never), justified odds-on favouritism to claim a first stakes success in Thursday's G2 Close Brothers July S. at Newmarket.
DEAUVILLE LEGEND ON TOP IN THE BAHRAIN TROPHY
by Sean Cronin
James Ferguson trainee Deauville Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Soho Rose {Ire}, by Hernando {Fr}), who followed up a breakthrough score at Windsor in April with a second in Royal Ascot=s King George V H. last month, stepped forward to claim a career high on stakes bow in a thrilling renewal of Newmarket=s G3 Bahrain Trophy. Racing in third until inching into second with three furlongs remaining, the 11-2 chance was sent to the front approaching the final furlong and driven out up the hill to prevail by a head and a short head from Al Qareem (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) and Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in a thrilling three-way photo finish.
