Alpinista justifies her class in Darley Yorkshire Oaks

Alpinista

Alpinista in action during Group One Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Photo credit: Pool

Baaeed is certified as unbackable after his Judmonte International swipe, and Alpinista, might be under the same canopy after her Darley Yorkshire Oaks demolition. Luke Morris was in the driver's seat, cleverly asking Alpinista to start motorising two furlongs out.

This put pressure on Tuesday (Ryan Moore 7-2), to change tactics. Didn't help.

Owned and bred by Kirsten Rausing, Alpinista shook off an overly keen, Tuesday, by a length. La Petite coco (W. Lee 4-1), ran a game race for third, but 2,400m was a little too far. Lilac Road (Tom Marquand 12-1), never got on terms. Alpinista's time of 2:29:9/10, was average, but still good enough.

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The Ebor and Debutante Stakes at the Curragh, were certainly magnets for international audiences, but a European debut of Australia's darling, Verry Elleegant (Frankie Dettori 4-5), made it particularly compelling viewing. Not just for the impact it could have on the Arc picture, but because the very idea of taking last year's Melbourne Cup heroine miles away, rather than entertain her adoring public at the Melbourne Spring, Carnival filled endless media inches.

Trainer, Francis Graffard, was really upbeat about the seven-year-old's progress since she arrived in Chantilly for the Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville. However, a combination of being ring-rusty and the prevailing nifty pace, did not auger well for the punter's darling. Slowly into her stride, the champion gradually worked a bit on to the back of a sturdy group, but when Aristia set her wheels clacking, Verry Elleegant was caught for speed by 4.75 lengths into last place.

Aristia (Sean Levey 7-4), got the better of Rosscarbery in a ding-donger up the straight, providing testament as to how virtuous patience can be. For trainer, Richard Hannon, it was pretty consolation after Persian Force missed by tiny fractions in the Darley Prix Morny earlier.

Blackbeard (Ryan Moore 4-1), tipped Persian Force in the style of a routine canter. This actually gave Ryan his 100th associative Group I success with Aiden O'Brien. Blackbeard is a larger horse than Persian Force, and very precocious.

Ryan had to hang on tightly as similar to the Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly, he once again showed a few dance moves and even bucked a couple of times behind the stalls. At least he then walked into the stalls like a gentleman, grabbed the rail, controlling matters immediately.