Endless Hall puts in Classic performance

Endless Hall, having his first run on British soil, put up a game performance to win a thrilling renewal of the Scottish Classic at Ayr yesterday.

Endless Hall, having his first run on British soil, put up a game performance to win a thrilling renewal of the Scottish Classic at Ayr yesterday.

Jamie Spencer sent the Luca Cumani-trained colt to the front after a furlong, but it looked all over for him when Beat All headed him inside the final furlong. However, Endless Hall fought back to get up again in the last stride to win by a short-head. He thus added this Group Three contest to the five successes he has gained in Italy.

Cumani, who won this event with Kefaah when it was first run as a Group race in 1988, said: "He was due to run in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket last week, but the ground was soft. He wants it fast, so we came here and he has put up a very good performance, giving 7lb to the second. He is a hell of a horse but really needs a mile and a half so the Breeders' Cup Turf is the long-term target and his next run over here will depend on the ground."

Bruce Raymond, representing Beat All's owner, Saeed Suhail, said: "The winner must be good to give our horse 7lb. He got in front only for the other to come back at him but it was a good effort and I think his owner would like to go for the King George at Ascot, though it will be up to Sir Michael [Stoute]."

Third-placed Port Vila was not disgraced and his rider Richard Hills said: "I was very pleased with him. It was a very good performance, it was a case of a three-year-old being beaten by two older horses. It was a true-run race."