Racing: Way win clue to Enrique

John Cobb
Sunday 11 October 1998 23:02 BST
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THE VICTORY of Way Of Light in yesterday's Grand Criterium at Longchamp, France's premier two-year-old contest, merely reinforced the notion that it will be next Saturday's Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket that will define Europe's champion two-year-old of 1998.

Way Of Light certainly strengthened the hand of the Niarchos family for next year's Classics when demolishing yesterday's challenge from Britain and Ireland, but the blue and white Niarchos silks will carry more import when they are sported by Enrique's rider when the colt takes on Lujain and Stravinsky next Saturday

Always travelling better than his six rivals, the Pascal Bary-trained Way Of Light led over a furlong out under Cash Asmussen to beat Paul Cole's Red Sea, ridden by Dominique Boeuf, by one and a half lengths.

Frankie Dettori recovered from flu in time to partner the John Gosden- trained Glamis, but the combination managed no better than third, a further length and a half away. Aidan O'Brien's Coliseum, with Michael Kinane on board, was a disappointing fourth for the stable that had taken the race in such spectacular style last year with the much-vaunted Second Empire.

The going at Longchamp had turned heavy after torrential rain fell before the start of racing. "The ground was very sticky out there and Coliseum was never really travelling on it," O'Brien said.

Alan Cooper, racing manager to Maria Niarchos, said: "Pascal Bary has always liked this horse. He is getting to know Longchamp now and will be back here next spring."

The winning trainer added: "That was a great consolation for Dream Well's defeat in the Arc a week ago."

Paul Cole described the run of second placed Red Sea as "excellent", while John Gosden said that the third-placed Glamis was "beaten by better horses on the day".

The winner paid 2.2-1 on the pari-mutuel, while Andre Fabre's Indian Danehill, who would have been attempting to give Olivier Peslier a remarkable sequence of wins in Group One races, was a late withdrawal.

The William Hill organisation were not overwhelmed with Way Of Light and quote him at 25-1 for next year's 2000 Guineas, though the Prix d'Essai des Poulains looks a more likely target with Enrique heading for Newmarket.

The Epsom trainer, Philip Mitchell, was surprisingly disappointed with the performance of his Running Stag who earned $60,000 (pounds 35,000) for finishing fourth in the Grade One Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Saturday night. "I don't think he cared for the track," Mitchell said. "We'll wait and see what we are going to do with him."

The race went to Wagon Limit, a 34-1 longshot, who denied Skip Away an all-time record for prize-money won.

The winner of 18 of his 37 starts, including his previous nine in a row, Skip Away has won $9,506,360 but his failure to take this $600,000 prize means that he remains behind Cigar's total of $9,999,815. A leg injury sustained in the race means that he may now miss the Breeders' Cup Classic.

RICHARD EDMONDSON

Nap: Brownes Hill Lad

(Newton Abbot 4.10)

NB: Kettlesing

(Ayr 4.50)

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