Signs Of Blessing best in incident packed Maurice de Gheest
A close third to Twilight Son in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot, the Francois Rohaut-trained five-year-old enjoyed his day in the sun with a game all-the-way success after a good 10-minute delay to the race.
Stephane Pasquier had Signs Of Blessing smartly away and was soon travelling comfortably in front with Gordon Lord Byron and Gifted Master close up.
The leader held a handy lead entering the final furlong and kept up the gallop to hold on from the Richard Fahey-trained Donjuan Triumphant.
Jimmy Two Times was third with other British raiders Suedois and Dutch Connection close behind.
There was drama inside the final furlong when the well-fancied Hong Kong ace Gold-Fun came down, appearing to suffer a serious injury and leading to a crashing fall for Christophe Soumillon, who got up and limped back.
The delay was caused by Jimmy Two Times, who caused a false start when charging his stall open. It triggered the auxiliary gate resulting in the next-door stalls occupied by Love Spirit and Suedois opening.
The other runners were housed in another set of stalls.
Signs Of Blessing was cut to 14-1 from 20-1 for the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot with Paddy Power.
It was later confirmed the fall of the Richard Gibson-trained Gold-Fun had been a fatal one. Runner-up in the Diamond Jubilee, the seven-year-old won 11 of his 32 starts, earning not far short of £4,000,000 in prize-money.
Soumillon was stood down for the rest of the day.
Architecture was placed in a Classic for a third time when taking minor honours behind Serienholde in the 158 Henkel-Preis der Diana - German Oaks at Dusseldorf.
Runner-up in the English and Irish Oaks, the Hugo Palmer-trained filly had to settle for third to Serienholde and Sarandia after being supplemented for the 11-furlong feature.
The Andreas Wohler-trained winner prevailed by half a length from Peter Schiergen’s Sarandia, with the Frankie Dettori-partnered Architecture a further length and three-quarters back in third.
Palmer will now give Architecture a break, before bringing her back in the autumn with the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October a possible target.
“She’s been placed in three Classics, but unfortunately the Classics are over now and we haven’t won one,” he said.
“She’s had quite a hard season for a filly that started off having just won a maiden.
“She had the Oaks Trial and three Oaks, travelling to Germany and to Ireland, so we’ll give her a break now and freshen her up for something at the end of the season - possibly the Fillies & Mares race on Champions Day or something similar.”
