CAPRI kicked in the fuel injection to lift the William Hill St Leger – and give Ryan Moore a full house of British Classic victories.

Punters who made Aidan O’brien’s Irish Derby hero the 3-1 favourite began to sweat as Crystal Ocean delivered a sweeping challenge on the run to the last of the oldest Classic’s 14 furlongs.

But as his rival’s petrol gauge began to blink, Capri still had a full tank, responding to Moore’s calls to gain the day by half a length, with Stradivarius a short head back in third.

“He was very brave,” said Moore. “The second came to me with a good run and my horse showed plenty of heart to fend him off.

“I think it was a very good Leger – in normal years the first three would have been worthy winners.

“This horse is an Irish Derby winner – that form looked very good – and he put up a really good performance today.”

Moore seldom looks at ease in the limelight – but acceded to photographers’ requests to don the oversized silk cap given to the final Classic’s victorious jockey.

“I was delighted to wear the hat!” added the 33-year-old, who numbers two Derby triumphs among his 10 domestic Classics.

O’brien, landing the Leger for the fifth time, smiled: “He has a lot of class, but he has great courage and stamina – when Ryan wanted him, he gave it to him.”

Now the master of

Ballydoyle is considering keeping Capri’s engine running for a tilt at the Qatar Prix de l’arc de Triomphe at Chantilly a fortnight today.

“We thought that, if we came here and everything was well, we’d have a look at the Arc,” added O’brien, whose grey is now as short as 8-1 for Europe’s middledistance championship.

Enable is 4-5 favourite, but Moore opined: “There is one exceptional filly but, taking her out, it’s an open Arc.”

Crystal Ocean’s trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, was in no doubt a lack of stamina had cost the runner-up.

“He was outstayed,” said Stoute. “It was always a danger, you saw him in those mile-and-a-half races and that’s his trip.

“We won’t run him beyond a mile and a half again.”

O’brien’s Seahenge will now lock swords with next year’s 2,000 Guineas favourite, Expert Eye, after his neck success under the trainer’s son Donnacha in the Group 2 Howcroft Industrial Supplies Champagne Stakes.

“He’s a big, powerful horse and if he was going to be a Dewhurst horse, he needed to run here,” said O’brien snr.