Racing: Snurge is second again

SNURGE finished runner-up for the third successive race when second to Sheikh Mohammed's Modhish in the Grand Prix de Deauville yesterday. Attempting to repeat last season's success in the race, Paul Cole's five-year-old was collared in the closing stages and went down by one and a half lengths to Modhish, who was ridden by Thierry Jarnet as Steve Cauthen could not make the weight of 8st 7lb.

Snurge, the 1990 St Leger winner, had been beaten by a head in his last two races and has now failed to win in six outings this season. The Mohammed Moubarak- trained Fast Manouvre could not cope with the combination of hock-deep ground and high-class opposition and finished fifth. John Dunlop's Oumaldaaya was fourth to River Nymph in the Prix de la Nonette on the same programme after leading for much of the way.