Ryan upbeat over The Grey Gatsby’s future prospects

This was the second successive defeat for Ryan’s top two-year-old after he lost to Treaty Of Paris in the Acomb Stakes at York’s Ebor Festival.

However Treaty Of Paris was last of the four runners in Saturday’s race that was won 12 months ago by Toronado, now one of Europe’s top milers, and Hambleton-based Ryan still has The Grey Gatsby entered in next month’s prestigious Racing Post Trophy back at Doncaster.

“We’re delighted with that given the fact that he’s still a little inexperienced,” said Ryan.

“He’s improving with every run and it looked like he was going to get beaten for second at one point but he keeps sticking his neck out. He’s very genuine and was going on again at the end.

“He’s in the Dewhurst (at Newmarket) and the Racing Post Trophy back here at Doncaster so we’ll take a look at those two races and see how they pan out.

“There were no excuses with the ground as he needs a bit of juice in it which should mean he has his conditions later on in the year. Time will tell whether he’ll be a miler but I suspect he may end up over a mile and a quarter as a three-year-old. We’ve got plenty to look forward to.”

Outstrip was the most significant win in the training career of Charlie Appleby, the man drafted in by Sheikh Mohammed to replace the disgraced Mahmood Al Zarooni.

The two-year-old colt was ridden tenderly by Mikael Barzalona, the 2011 Epsom Derby-winning jockey, who told the Yorkshire Post: “I wanted to give him the best experience that I could – drop him in, make him relax and quicken well in the end.

“He’s a nice horse – he has improved plenty since his last run. It was maybe my fault last time that he didn’t win but today I gave him a good experience and he will improve again. I think he has the potential to win a Group One and he will be a serious horse for next year.”

Kizuna just edged out Ruler Of The World in a tremendous finale involving two Derby winners in the Qatar Prix Niel, a key Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe trial, at Longchamp.

It was Japanese Derby hero Kizuna who got the verdict on the nod over Epsom victor Ruler Of The World in a tight finish.

Kizuna is now 5-1 to win the Arc back at Longchamp on October 6.

Twenty four hours after his Leading Light won the Ladbrokes St Leger, Ruler Of The World’s trainer Aidan O’Brien was not unduly disappointed. “He ran really well and I thought he’d won,” said the Ballydoyle trainer.

Meanwhile, Treve could be a major Arc player for Frankie Dettori after taking the Qatar Prix Vermeille.