Royal Diamond triumphs in thrilling Irish St Leger
Report: The Curragh, Saturday
Gain Horse Feeds Irish St Leger (Group 1) 3yo+, 1m6f
ROYAL DIAMOND won the Irish St Leger in an exhilarating four-way finish.
The Thomas Carmody-trained six-year-old, a 16-1 shot, edged out Massiyn, Brown Panther and Aiken in a blistering finish.
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But Aidan O'Brien's day continued to disappoint following Camelot's unsuccessful bid to capture the Triple Crown at Doncaster as 2011 Ascot Gold Cup winner Fame And Glory flopped in the Irish St Leger for the second year running.
The six-year-old, ridden by Jamie Spencer, made the running for much of the race but folded tamely in the straight when challenged.
Aiken, for the same connections as St Leger disappointment Thought Worthy, came through with a strong challenge, as did the Michael Owen-owned Brother Panther and the Aga Khan's Massiyn.
But it was the lunging finish of Ebor runner-up Royal Diamond that secured victory under Niall McCullagh, who said: "That means a lot.
"I've had a very good career with some dark days thrown in and this is the icing on the cake.
"We didn't go that fast and my horse, as you saw in the Ebor, has a good change of gear."
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