Westerner in Cruise control

Westerner’s status as Europe’s top stayer was confirmed at Longchamp today with a second successive win in the Prix Royal-Oak, the race known as the French St Leger.

The Elie Lellouche-trained five-year-old cruised along in midfield before cutting his rivals down with his trademark turn of foot to score by two and a half lengths.

The Aga Khan’s Behkara finished strongly to edge out the Hughie Morrison-trained Alcazar for second, reversing the positions in which they finished last year.

The field was depleted by the defection of Cut Quartz, arguably the odds-on Westerner’s main danger.

Jimmy Fortune cut out much of the running on the holding ground on John Gosden’s Percussionist, wearing blinkers for the first time, with Darryll Holland tracking on the Mark Tompkins-trained Franklins Gardens.

The latter hit the front turning into the straight, but his surge for glory was short-lived as Stephane Pasquier loomed up on the outside on Westerner to take over with two furlongs to run.

From then on it was merely a fight for the minor placings in the extended one-mile-seven-furlong contest.

Percussionist faded to finish fifth, one place ahead of Franklins Gardens, with Willie Mullins’ Holy Orders, who never threatened, next to last in seventh.

“I had a dream run and the holding ground didn’t bother him at all,” said Pasquier, who was winning his first Group One race on the Ecurie Wildenstein-owned star.