Royal Ascot hero Enceladus cut to 10-1 for St Leger after straightforward success for Joseph O'Brien

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Joseph O'Brien could have a second Betfred St Leger in his sights with Enceladus, who graduated to Group 3 company with a seamless victory in the Maison Perrier Gordon Stakes. 

The trainer won the Doncaster Classic with Galileo Chrome in 2020 and his latest candidate was cut to 10-1 (from 25) for the staying showpiece on September 12 after staying on powerfully to beat Geryon.

It was the colt's second major festival win in as many starts this season as he showed a good attitude to land the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, following his maiden success at Cork.

As he has been so often this season, Dylan Browne McMonagle was in the right place at the right time on Enceladus as he hemmed in Geryon before striking for home a furlong and a half out.

While Colin Keane made inroads into his lead in the final furlong, he was unable to claw back the deficit he gave up by relinquishing first run and had to yield by a length and a quarter. 

"He's a lovely, big straightforward horse," said Browne McMonagle. "He's done nothing but improve; each run he's getting better, he's sharpening up with experience and I think he's going to be a very nice horse going forward. 

"I think he's going to be well up to the St Leger with a bit of time. He's still a big baby; when he's getting there, he's just doing enough. He was a good winner. It was a straightforward race, we went nice and even all the way and he picked up well when I needed to go.

"I think he's got a bit of class. He's a horse to look forward to and one to keep an eye on." 

Enceladus also holds entries in the Great Voltigeur, Irish St Leger Trial and Irish St Leger.

Ciarrai Abu leads the field home in the 1m2f handicap at Glorious GoodwoodCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Abu overcomes start drama

For the second consecutive day, the opener at Glorious Goodwood was full of drama as Ciarrai Abu prompted a nine-minute delay after getting loose before winning in style.

The 100-30 favourite unshipped jockey George Wood on the way to the start before enjoying a pick of grass, but showed no ill effects of his adventures in the race as he travelled supremely well on his way to a length victory over Bourbon Blues.

Winning trainer Harry Eustace is familiar with the three-year-old's quirks and said: "He doesn't make it easy for any of us, before or after, but he's obviously got plenty of ability if we can direct it in the right direction.

"I thought George gave him an absolute peach. It was a big step up today, but he had a light weight, so we're still very much in handicap areas at the moment."

Wood received a three-day ban for careless riding as, after initially correcting Ciarrai Abu, he was found to have allowed his mount to drift left-handed without sufficient correction in the closing stages.

There was heated action earlier in the home straight as Wednesday's Sussex Stakes hero Billy Loughnane parted ways with Savvy Disko, who was squeezed in between runners when mounting his challenge.  

Hector Crouch, who himself was dislodged from Amiloc at the start of the Goodwood Cup on Tuesday, was one of the jockeys involved in the incident on the ninth-placed Gonna Fly, but the stewards found the interference to be accidental.

Fortunately, both Savvy Disko and Loughnane emerged unscathed, with the rider going on to partner Where Love Lives to finish fourth in the following Richmond Stakes for Donnacha O'Brien.

Like Eustace's stable star Docklands, who finished eighth in the Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, Ciarrai Abu is owned by Australian-based syndicate OTI Racing, and he could be set for a move down under in the future.

The trainer added: "Tom Charlton and John O'Shea are due to receive him at some point. I suppose I could give them a call and see if we can hang on to him while there's some summer ground around."

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