UK stayer Brown Panther made his rivals, including three Melbourne Cup nominations, look second rate as he made a one-act affair of the Irish St Leger early on Monday (AEST).
While Brown Panther, who finished a respectable eighth behind Fiorente in last year’s Melbourne Cup, strolled to an effortless six-and-a-half-length win, Willing Foe, Pale Mimosa and Royal Diamond, who all hold Cup entries, were toiling in his wake.
Godolphin’s Willing Foe was best of the trio as he finished fourth, eight lengths behind Brown Panther.
Dermot Weld’s mare Pale Mimosa, winner of the Lonsdale Cup at her previous start, finished fifth, more than 10 lengths from the winner.
Weld aired pre-race concerns about the track, which was rated good to firm, affecting Pale Mimosa’s prospects.
There were no indications post race whether Pale Mimosa would come to Melbourne for the Cup.
Johnny Murtagh’s Royal Diamond finished sixth, more than 12 lengths from Brown Panther, and plans to bring him to Melbourne are uncertain.
But, Godolphin, which also has Cavalryman in the Cup, plans to press ahead with a Cup tilt with Willing Foe.
Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor was pleased with the run of Willing Foe, who copped a squeeze inside the final 300 metres, not affecting his winning chances.
"Willing Foe ran well and he will now go into quarantine ahead of travelling to Australia for the Emirates Melbourne Cup,” Suroor said on the Godolphin website.
Brown Panther, raced by former English soccer star Michael Owen, was not entered for the Melbourne Cup.
Trainer Tom Dascombe said he would take the seven-year-old to the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day at Ascot next month.