Desert Skyline showed his staying power as he charged home to land the Group 2 Doncaster Cup. David Elsworth’s three-year-old is not eligible to run in Saturday’s William Hill St Leger as he is gelded, so he instead took on his elders and emerged triumphant.
Last year’s winner Sheikhzayedroad hit the front two furlongs out but Thomas Hobson and Clever Cookie were following behind.
However, Silvestre De Sousa and Desert Skyline (2-1f) swooped late to claim top honors and foil Ryan Moore and Thomas Hobson (4-1). Sheikhzayedroad (5-1) was third.
Elsworth said: “I was pleased with him because he’s only a three-year-old and he’s got a weight concession. But it’s tough out there. People don’t realise. “It’s not like driving a car around the M25 where you just pull out and go! It looked like that but they’ve got to dig deep and work hard. For a horse that is still immature, he’s tough and went by them well.
