3 minute read

The unexposed son of the late Roaring Lion was sent off the 9/2 joint-favourite and ran out a commanding winner of the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap.

Middle Earth always travelled kindly amongst the thirteen-strong field and displayed a nice turn of foot to take himself clear down the nearside rail entering the final two furlongs.

In all truth, the race was in control from there on in and although the Aidan O'Brien-trained Denmark stayed on nicely under Ryan Moore, he never looked like reeling in the winner and could only get within a length at the line.

Fox Journey (11/1) just grabbed the third spot ahead of Lordship, who was sent off the 9/2 joint-favourite alongside winner Middle Earth.

Oisin Murphy told ITV Racing: "Sheikh Fahad always had a very high opinion of this horse, he was highly-rated as a foal and a yearling, that's why we held onto him, and I'm delighted he's coming good now,"

"He's bred to be a good horse and I really hope he'll go on into better races than this. The Melrose is obviously one of the hardest handicaps to win. I won it on Coltrane in the past and I hope that's the sort of level of horse we're dealing with here."

It was a first start in handicap company for Middle Earth, who got off the mark at the third attempt when winning a mile-and-a-half novice event at Newmarket (July) last time.

Success in the Melrose Stakes guarantees the winner a run in next year's Ebor.