Middle Earth entered the St Leger picture after a taking win in the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap at York.

The son of the sadly ill-fated Roaring Lion was unraced until June this year but is rapidly making up for lost time.

Second on his first two outings, he opened his account at Newmarket in July and the patience of his connections is now paying dividends.

Oisin Murphy brought the three-year-old with a strong run with a furlong to run and the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt held off Aidan O’Brien’s Denmark by a length and three-quarters.

“He’s a grand horse. He’s a big boy so he’s taken his time, but he’s done nothing but improve as a three-year-old,” said John Gosden.

“After he won a few people were trying to buy him but luckily Sheikh Fahad and David (Redvers, racing manager) thought they’d give him more of a chance.

“He’s won a Melrose well, the St Leger closed before he won so I think from that point of view he will be considered for supplementing.

“He’s a progressive horse, that’s the point. if you’d have asked me in May is he a Leger horse, I’d have said no.

“It (Doncaster) is a big open track, you need experience more on a tight, turning track but it’s a huge, galloping track. There’s usually no hard luck stories on that home straight, just like here.”

Frankie Dettori saluted the packed grandstands on what could be his final day riding at York as Kinross comfortably defended his crown in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.

The six-year-old was out to complete a quickfire big-race double for trainer Ralph Beckett and owner Marc Chan following Angel Bleu’s Celebration Mile success at Goodwood less than half an hour earlier and his supporters will have had few concerns.

Kinross was the 9-4 favourite to secure his 10th career victory and having travelled well in midfield for much of the seven-furlong contest, he picked up so well once popped the question by Dettori that the popular Italian was able to raise his fist in delight for the final few strides.

Audience was beaten three-quarters of a length into second, with Sandrine close up in third.

Paddy Power cut the winner to 3-1 from 4-1 to secure back-to-back wins in the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot. He is 7-2 from 5-1 for the Sprint Cup at Haydock and 8-1 from 10-1 for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“On my last day, boom, have that! It’s great, what a horse,” said Dettori.

“He is my favourite horse, I had Stradivarius last year, Enable the year before. I love him, he’s a great horse.

“I’ve got a pretty nice route – take him to Ascot, France, Hong Kong and be off, be gone.

“I thought this could be my last one so let me enjoy it. I rode right to the end, waved to everyone, bye!”

Beckett said: “He’s an extraordinary horse and we won’t have another like him. He’s a proven Group One horse and I very much hope we can go for the Breeders’ Cup again and the Prix de la Foret in between.

“He had a sore foot going into Goodwood and had a shoe off after a week. He’s done this off one piece of work and has an amazing constitution.

“What a horse he is. To have done what he keeps doing is extraordinary, but he’s happiest on a racecourse – that’s the bottom line.

“If he’s taking it well we’ll keep going, what’s the point in hanging around? He’s a gelding and what else are we going to do with him? He could go everywhere.”

Frankie Dettori saluted the packed grandstands on what could be his final day riding at York as Kinross comfortably defended his crown in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.

The six-year-old was out to complete a quickfire big-race double for trainer Ralph Beckett and owner Marc Chan following Angel Bleu’s Celebration Mile success at Goodwood less than half an hour earlier and his supporters will have had few concerns.

Kinross was the 9-4 favourite to secure his 10th career victory and having travelled well in midfield for much of the seven-furlong contest, he picked up so well once popped the question by Dettori that the popular Italian was able to raise his fist in delight for the final few strides.

Audience was beaten three-quarters of a length into second, with Sandrine close up in third.

Paddy Power cut the winner to 3-1 from 4-1 to secure back-to-back wins in the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot. He is 7-2 from 5-1 for the Sprint Cup at Haydock and 8-1 from 10-1 for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“On my last day, boom, have that! It’s great, what a horse,” said Dettori.

“He is my favourite horse, I had Stradivarius last year, Enable the year before. I love him, he’s a great horse.

“I’ve got a pretty nice route, take him to Ascot, France, Hong Kong and be off, be gone.

“I though this could be my last one so let me enjoy it, I rode right to the end, waved to everyone, bye!”

Hot favourite Nostrum trailed home last of six runners as Spirit Dancer completed his hat-trick in the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes at York.

Considered a Classic contender at the start of the year before injury intervened, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Nostrum made a spectacular reappearance at Newmarket in July before finding Epictetus too strong in a Group Three at Goodwood.

Back on a sounder surface, the son of Kingman was widely expected to get back on the winning trail, but the 5-6 shot checked out quickly halfway up the straight and was virtually pulled up by Ryan Moore.

Flight Plan took the field along for much of the nine-furlong contest and a daring move by Danny Tudhope to plough a lone furrow on the far side of the track after turning for home briefly looked like it might pay dividends.

But the 6-1 chance Spirit Dancer, stepping up in class in the colours of part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson following handicap wins at York and Windsor, came home strongest on the opposite side of the track to get up and score by a length from El Drama under Oisin Orr.

“He’s enjoying life and I’m enjoying watching him – he’s done well,” aid Fahey.

“I was a little bit worried they wouldn’t go much of a gallop but there was plenty of pace to aim at and we get the trip well so we were keen to head for home soon enough.

“In the back of my mind, before today, I was thinking about the Bahrain Trophy, the million dollar race there in November time. That’s more or less confirmed, we’ll go there if they invite us. I’m sure he’s earned his ticket there.”

Epsom trainer Adam West enjoyed a breakthrough big-race victory as Live In The Dream blazed his way to a shock Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes success at York.

The progressive four-year-old was steadily improving through the ranks this term, having started the season by winning a pair of handicaps, but he was lining up in Group One company for the very first time on the Knavesmire.

Pinging the gates and sent straight to the front in the hands of Sean Kirrane, the son of Prince Of Lir surged his way up the five-furlong track and was not for catching as defending champion and 7-5 favourite Highfield Princess tried in vein to hunt down the surprise 28-1 scorer.

It was not only a first Group One triumph, but a first Group-level victory of any kind for both West and Kirrane as they enjoyed their finest hour in one of the season’s fastest-run contests.

West said: “I never thought it was possible to win. We were laughing about there being six places and how his odds were so skinny. We should have backed him to win!

“I’ve had a Group One winner, it’s amazing. I think we’ll go to the Breeders’ Cup as I think he’s 10lb better on a turning track. That’s a big statement, but I do. He can get a breather round a bend whereas on these straight courses he usually can’t, but he just nicked enough today.

“We were going to take him for a race at Del Mar but we costed it, we’re not a big yard and it was too expensive to go.”

Pace has always been Live In The Dream’s number one asset and following placed efforts when getting a taste of Group action earlier in the season in both the Palace House Stakes and Temple Stakes, York was tailor-made for the Epsom-based speedster.

West added: “In the Temple Stakes we think the ground might have been a touch too quick for him and he hung a little bit away from the rail. Today with that tiny bit of rain he has been able to fully let himself down and keep straight.

“This is incredible I never thought anything like this would happen. Seven years I’ve been training and we’ve had him from a yearling and the journey has been incredible.

“I have to do what I have to do and if a horse shows the ability I will stick them in the races. That’s what I have always done. It’s a really tough game at the moment and you look at how things are and you think ‘is this a future’ and then you get something like this and it changes everything.

“I’ve always joked that we had the fastest horse in the south of England and we’ve just gone and proved it I think.”

The Nunthorpe serves as a ‘win and you’re in’ for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and West is now relishing a trip to Santa Anita in early November.

“I can’t wait, let’s take them on,” he said. “It is an amazing opportunity and something we never ever thought we would get.

“Trying to make ends meet to try to get that money together and both get him over there and get him back is just all taken care of and it’s some rollercoaster.”

Although securing a first top-level success, West does not envisage it causing a massive upturn in his fortunes and he is more than content to continue plying his trade on the smaller scale in Epsom.

He explained: “Epsom is the perfect mix of town and country for me, I can be out with my ferrets in 20 minutes one way and out in town with my owners 20 minutes the other.

“It’s the perfect place for me and I’m very happy. The owners in that tight-knit community have been fantastic. All this week and the last six months Epsom has been quoted saying it needs a Group One winner and they have just had one.

He went on: “It’s not viable (training), it is simply not viable. The BHA do their best to govern and mind us as trainers, but realistically unless you are on the top, top scale, training is not a viable option.

“But money is not why any of us do it, we do it because we love the animals and we love the whole sport. Ultimately grassroots will always be there because of the passion, but we are under serious strain and any help we would be grateful of.

“But we will take this as one of the peaks.”

John Quinn was making no excuses for Highfield Princess after the superstar mare had to make do with minor honours in her bid for back-to-back victories in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe at York.

Success in the five-furlong contest was the middle leg of a Group One treble for the the six-year-old last summer, with her Knavesmire triumph sandwiched by two other top-level wins in the Prix Maurice de Gheest in France and the Flying Five in Ireland.

Having twice run well in defeat at Royal Ascot in June, Highfield Princess enjoyed a confidence-boosting win at Goodwood three weeks ago and hopes were high that she could successfully her crown – but in Live In The Dream she faced a rival who had failed to read to script.

With her regular partner Jason Hart in the saddle, Quinn’s ace looked to be perfectly positioned throughout as she tracked a fierce pace set by the Adam West-trained outsider.

But try as she might, Highfield Princess was unable to reel in the all-the-way winner, with a length separating them at the line.

“She ran a great race, well done to the winner – that’s racing,” Quinn said.

“The winner got away and well done to them. She’s run a fantastic race and she’s a horse of two lifetimes.

“As long as she’s all right we’ll go to the Curragh (Flying Five), that’s the plan.”

Three-quarters of a length behind Highfield Princess in third was her Royal Ascot conqueror Bradsell, who had been kept fresh by Archie Watson since that victory in the King’s Stand.

There is every chance the pair will lock horns again before the season is out.

Watson said: “Probably the draw has probably worked against us, because the winner has blazed a trail and stuck on really well and that has probably favoured Highfield Princess in our battle for second.

“Hollie (Doyle) was very happy when the two-year-old has gone quick on our side, Big Evs, but she’s had to tack across to try and latch on to the other two.

“He’s rUn a huge race and I would imagine the Flying Five and possibly the Abbaye, but we will see and the Flying Five will be next.”

On the possibility of encountering more testing conditions in France, the trainer added: “The Abbaye would probably be my less favoured race, I would prefer to go Ireland and then America (Breeders’ Cup), but we’ll see.

“Ground-wise, until he runs on it we don’t really know, but when I was at William Haggas’ we had Tasleet (SIRE) and he loved it heavy so until he runs in it and tells us he doesn’t like it we don’t know.”

Andrea Atzeni has a fantastic chance of signing off with a farewell winner when he links up with Group One scorer Lezoo at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Classic-winning jockey will put a halt on his 16-year riding career in the UK after the meeting on the July course ahead of an initial six-month switch to Hong Kong where the new season kicks off at Sha Tin on September 10.

The Italian was granted a part-season licence in the Far East which will last until February 12, and fresh from Group One glory aboard Vandeek in Deauville’s Prix Morny, he can say goodbye in style having picked up the spare ride aboard last year’s Cheveley Park Stakes heroine as his final mount.

The Zoustar filly was last seen finishing down the field in the Commonwealth Cup, but has won four of her seven career starts and connections are delighted to have Atzeni aboard as the three-year-old attempts to bounce back to her very best in the Jenningsbet Hopeful Stakes over a course and distance she has previously thrived.

“Andrea is a great guy and the way he’s ridden over the last couple of months is as well as he’s ever ridden. We’re very happy to have him riding on Saturday,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Marc Chan, who owns Lezoo together with Andrew Rosen.

“It’s an exciting day Saturday. There’s a couple of days we’ve wanted to run her but we didn’t want to run her back on soft ground again, we’ve just been waiting for the ground really.

“This is a good stepping stone back, she loves the course, we get her ground and she’s fine over the distance, so fingers crossed.”

Epsom trainer Adam West enjoyed a breakthrough big-race victory as Live In The Dream blazed his way to a shock Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes success at York.

The progressive four-year-old was steadily improving through the ranks this term, having started the season by winning a pair of handicaps, but he was lining up in Group One company for the very first time on the Knavesmire.

Pinging the gates and sent straight to the front in the hands of Sean Kirrane, the son of Prince Of Lir surged his way up the five-furlong track and was not for catching as defending champion and 7-5 favourite Highfield Princess tried in vein to hunt down the surprise 28-1 scorer.

It was not only a first Group One triumph, but a first Group-level victory of any kind for both West and Kirrane as they enjoyed their finest hour in one of the season’s fastest-run contests.

Kinross will go toe-to-toe with Isaac Shelby once again as he defends his Sky Bet City of York Stakes at York on Saturday.

Ralph Beckett’s six-year-old began a four-race winning run in this contest 12 months ago, and arrives at the Knavesmire in rude health having got back to winning ways in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood.

He had to knuckle down to repel the challenge laid down by Isaac Shelby on the Sussex Downs and things will be far from straightforward here as a strong cast of opponents have assembled to attempt to knock Kinross off his perch.

The Group Two event has a hefty £500,000 prize fund and Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Kinross’ owner Marc Chan, believes York racecourse should be rewarded for providing such a valuable opportunity to participants.

He said: “It’s amazing that York can put up that much prize-money for a Group Two race. They deserve the race to get upgraded to a Group One when they can come up with that sort of money.

“It’s a competitive race for sure, but the win at Goodwood will have given him some confidence.

“He certainly doesn’t owe us anything right now, but as Frankie says, he’s like an ATM machine so let’s hope that will continue.

“It’s a very exciting day for Marc to have three horses (Kinross, Lezoo and Angel Bleu) of that quality running at three different meetings.”

Meanwhile Kinross’ vanquished Goodwood rival is reported to have bounced out of the Lennox Stakes in peak condition and although Isaac Shelby has already achieved a great deal in his short career to date, trainer Brian Meehan thinks the best is still to come.

He said: “He came out of Goodwood in tremendous shape and we’re very much looking forward to it.

“I guess Kinross will be the one to beat, but Sacred is in the race as well and Al Suhail, there are a number with chances and it’s quite rightly a well-supported race as it’s very valuable.

“He is in great shape, he came out of Goodwood the best he has come out any race so far and he’s really starting to mature now. Whatever ground turns up on the day isn’t going to inconvenience him and we’re very happy.”

Sacred failed to land a blow when sent off favourite for this race 12 months ago, but William Haggas’ five-year-old produced a fine effort in defeat when second in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, having elected to head here over last week’s Hungerford Stakes on account of ground conditions, connections could be left frustrated once again if forecast showers alter the state of things underfoot.

“I’m a little bit worried by the forecast of rain which wouldn’t suit her because the last time she ran at York she didn’t act on the loose surface. It would be frustrating as we had to miss Newbury,” explained Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“She’s in great form but we’re getting a little bit of a kick in the teeth every time we try to get her conditions.

“Her track record here isn’t ideal. She’s a very talented and maybe a year older she may handle things a bit better. She seems in good heart and the intention is to run, but if we had a deluge we may review it.”

Further down the field behind Sacred at Royal Ascot was Charlie Appleby’s Al Suhail who is a Group Two winner at this distance and will be suited by the return to further, while Charlie Hills’ Mutasaabeq drops back in trip having failed to sparkle in two runs since landing the Group Two bet 365 Mile earlier this term.

Olivia Maralda (fifth) and Covey (ninth) have both been on the sidelines since running in the Jersey Stakes at Ascot, with the later one of two in the race for John and Thady Gosden alongside Audience.

The son of Frankel was sent off favourite when flopping in that Group Three event at the Royal meeting, but Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte, is hoping for a different outcome this time.

He said: “He’s had a nice break from Ascot, it just didn’t pan out for him that day. He went too quick, he went too free on the front end. It’s a big step into a Group Two but John and Thady are happy with him and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do over a fast seven (furlongs).

“He got too warm beforehand and Frankie (Dettori) said he just hit the gate and was running too free, hopefully we’ll be able to be a little bit more patient with him on Saturday and he’ll show up a bit better.”

Lake Forest highlighted his potential star quality when storming to Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York.

William Haggas’ charge was sent off 16-1 for the Group Two contest, but he arrived at the Knavesmire with some smart form in the book having finished second to Jasour in the July Stakes earlier in the season.

Archie Watson’s Action Point had led the field along for the majority of the six-furlong event, but it was those on the near side that came to the fore in the closing stages with the son of No Nay Never and Aidan O’Brien’s Windsor Castle second Johannes Brahms bursting clear to dispute the outcome.

It was Tom Marquand’s mount who pulled out extra and powered home to score by a length from the Ballydoyle challenger, with Ralph Beckett’s King’s Gamble a further length back in third. Kylian was the strong-travelling 9-4 favourite, and while ultimately disappointing he twice found trouble in running.

It was the Somerville Lodge handler’s second juvenile winner of the week following Relief Rally’s Lowther success on Thursday and Lake Forest was cut to 10-1 by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket next month.

Coltrane gained Royal Ascot revenge on Courage Mon Ami as he delivered a decisive blow in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes.

A standing dish in the top staying contests, Andrew Balding’s Sagaro Stakes winner had to play second fiddle to John and Thady Gosden’s new staying star in the Gold Cup at Ascot, but came home strongest this time around to go one better than last year.

Both Coltrane and Courage Mon Ami had no answer to front-running Quickthorn in the Goodwood Cup most recently and the defending Lonsdale Cup champion found himself in his customary position at the head of affairs as the runners rounded the first bend.

Although Frankie Dettori had Courage Mon Ami anchored in rear, the field as a whole were keen not to give Hughie Morrison’s charge too much rope on this occasion and Oisin Murphy in particular took up a stalking position travelling smoothly in mid-division.

Tom Marquand upped the tempo aboard Quickthorn swinging the turn for home but the pack were wise to the move and soon a whole host of contenders emerged to lay down their challenge.

Murphy hit the front abroad Coltrane (11-4) passing the two-furlong pole and although Yorkshire Cup winner Giavellotto and Courage Mon Ami refused dug deep in the closing stages, Coltrane finished full of running to register a one-and-a-half-length success over the staying-on Gold Cup winner, who edged out Marco Botti’s four-year-old for the runner-up spot.