Robert Scarborough

Saturday's G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown may have been short on quantity, but was certainly not lacking in quality as Coolmore's St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) maintained his winning streak at the highest level with a fifth such triumph in a thrilling finale to the €1,000,000 10-furlong contest. Backing up a juvenile high in Newmarket's G1 Dewhurst S., the 3-year-old bay has carried all before him during a banner sophomore campaign,  which has also witnessed victories in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, G1 Prix du Jockey Club...

There were only four runners, but what Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse lacked in numbers it more than made up for in sheer buzz as the 3-year-old St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was in scintillating form in Sandown's prestige contest. Heavily-backed into even-money favouritism beforehand, Ballydoyle's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero tracked Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) throughout and when launched by Ryan Moore passing the two-furlong pole quickly subdued his elders en route to an emphatic 3 1/2-length...