Weld’s tactics pay off
The three-year-old son of Machiavellian was making his American debut for Weld, who had previously took this race with Pine Dance in 2000 and finished second with Jazz Beat last year.
Evolving Tactics was sat in second by Pat Smullen as Gato Gato Gato set the early pace before kicking on and finding a little bit more to deny Californian by a neck with Scottago in third.
"It went perfectly," said Smullen. "I delivered my challenge as soon as we straightened up in the stretch, and he went away and won quite well.
"This horse has got a good turn of foot. We used that to our advantage, got away from the second horse and held on to win."
Weld is now planning to return to America with Evolving Tactics next month to tackle the Grade One Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park on August 16.
Meanwhile, Refuse To Bend could be back in action at Deauville next month.
The Sagitta 2000 Guineas winner will be dropping back to a mile after failing to stay the extra four furlongs in the Vodafone Derby, finishing 13th of 20 behind Kris Kin when sent off the 11-4 favourite.
"We'll probably make decision in the next 10 days," said Weld. "The Jacques Le Marois (at Deauville on August 17) could possibly be his next run."
The Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita on October 25 is Refuse To Bend's long-term target.
Impressive Tipperary winner Magritte has earned a 16-1 quote from Ladbrokes for the Vodafone Derby following his five-length trouncing of Asanine on Sunday.
Aidan O'Brien's newcomer, a full-brother to this year's Derby second The Great Gatsby, was sent off at 8-11 for the seven-furlong maiden and did not let his supporters down as he won easing up in the hands of Michael Kinane.
"This is a very serious racehorse," said Balthazar Fabricius of Ladbrokes.
"It is admittedly early for Derby quotes but a win of that nature merits a genuine quote and 16-1 says Magritte can go one better than his full-brother The Great Gatsby in next year's Vodafone Derby."
Meanwhile, Kieren Fallon gained his third win in the Group Two Daily Record Scottish Derby on Michael Stoute's Princely Venture at Ayr yesterday, but the five-times champion controversially picked up a two-day suspension for careless riding.
As it is only a two-day ban it can be deferred if there is a Group One race on any of those days so he will be sidelined on July 31 and August 1 and will therefore be able to ride in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on July 30, the day the ban would have normally started.
The stewards decided that Princely Venture had interfered with fourth-placed Private Charter (beaten a length and a half) as a result of Fallon being careless, but he felt he was hard done by and after initially leaving the impression he would not be taking the matter any further he had a change of heart.
He reasoned: "I am going to appeal I have done nothing wrong."
Elsewhere, England soccer boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has been appointed manager of the Dubai Duty Free Rest of the World team in horseracing's Blue Square Shergar Cup at Ascot.
The Swede's captain for the jockeys' challenge against the Sodexho Great Britain and Ireland team at Ascot on Saturday, August 9, will be the popular Italian rider Frankie Dettori, a keen Arsenal fan.
Eriksson will have some of the world's leading riders in his six-strong team.
As well as Dettori, they include Germany's Andreas Suborics, Australian Shane Dye, Japan's Yutake Take and Frenchman Olivier Peslier.
David Platt, now in charge of the England U21 team, will be Eriksson's opposite number as manager of the Great Britain and Ireland team.
Champion jockey Kieren Fallon will captain the home side the winners last year with Michael Kinane, Johnny Murtagh and Kevin Darley likely to be among his teammates.
