‘Naughty’ Skyline is a cut above for Elsworth
HAD he not been gelded, Desert Skyline might have been in today’s St Leger, but David Elsworth’s young stayer showed heaps of potential with success in yesterday’s Group Two Doncaster Cup.
Only colts and fillies are allowed to run in this afternoon’s final Classic of the year but Elsworth, who joked about considering an ambitious transplant operation for Desert Skyline, said: ‘As a twoyear-old he was naughty so he needed gelding, I’m sure he wouldn’t be as good if we hadn’t.’
Desert Skyline, who had been third to St Leger hope Stradivarius in the Goodwood Cup, was launched on a last-to-first run by Silvestre de Sousa before crossing the line a length and a half clear of Thomas Hobson.
Trainer Clive Cox is eyeing the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on September 30 for Heartache after she dug deep under Ryan Moore to beat Havana Grey half a length in the Flying Childers Stakes.
In-form Cox, with 13 wins in the last fortnight including Harry Angel in last Saturday’s Haydock Sprint Cup, nursed Heartache back to good health after she sustained a muscle injury when third in France’s Prix Robert Papin.