Simple Verse back to form
Ralph Beckett's filly managed to find trouble throughout the race but her class saw her through as she snatched the race on the line from Pretty Perfect
LAST year's St Leger heroine Simple Verse made a triumphant return to Doncaster with a last-gasp victory in the DFS Park Hill Stakes.
Ralph Beckett's star filly was controversially demoted after the passing the post in front in the world's oldest Classic 12 months ago, but was later reinstated as the winner on appeal.
Having rounded off last season with another Group One success on Champions Day at Ascot, she made a promising start to the current campaign with solid efforts in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket and the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
But having failed to fire in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, she returned to Town Moor with something to prove.
With Pretty Perfect and Mill Springs setting a scorching gallop, the field was strung out from an early stage and Oisin Murphy was content to bide his time aboard Simple Verse.
The pack closed up on the leaders early in the home straight, but while Simple Verse travelled powerfully, she was caught in a pocket and Pretty Perfect found another gear and looked to have flown.
However, once in the clear, Simple Verse started to making rapid inroads and the post did not come in time for Pretty Perfect, with Beckett's 3-1 chance getting up by a neck.
The victory completed a big-race double on the card for Beckett, Murphy and owners Qatar Racing following the May Hill success of Rich Legacy.
Murphy said: "Unfortunately, sometimes when they race up the rail they just fall back into your lap. I had to be patient and bide my time and I had very willing partner.
"There's no pressure on me. If it was to happen, then great, if not, we rode her like the best horse in the race and it wasn't to be.
"I had to ride her for luck, but down at the start I knew they had her back. She was different to how she's been all year and fair play to Ralph and her team, they've done an unbelievable job with her."
Beckett said: "I thought she was beat because she couldn't get out and it didn't look good at the half-furlong pole. I didn't think she had a snowball's chance of getting there.
"This is her optimum trip, possibly even two miles, I would be keen to go that way next time - the Long Distance Cup would look an obvious race for her on Champions Day.
"It's great to get her back because it hasn't been easy. She had a nice long break after Ascot, she came back and had a few issues and we just struggled to get her back on-song again.
"But she did a lovely piece of work on Sunday morning on the grass and showed all her old zip.
"If she ran like she worked on Sunday we were going to be in business and that's how it's proved, so I'm thrilled to bits."
Connections of the Aidan O'Brien-trained Pretty Perfect were thrilled with her performance in finishing second.
Coolmore's UK representative Kevin Buckley said: "She ran an absolute blinder. We were going into the unknown, stepping up to a mile and six and a strong headwind.
"She was beaten by a Classic winner. Seamie (Heffernan) was happy with her.
"This has opened up a few more avenues for her now. They will be discussed when we get her back home."
California was third for John Gosden, who said: "She ran a great race. We're very happy with her. She ran a lovely race but was beaten by two very smart fillies.
"It was great to see the Leger winner come back and win the Park Hill. That's what it's all about. It's great."
Also at Doncaster, Mubtasim ran out an authoritative winner of the Weatherbys Hamilton £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes.
The William Haggas-trained juvenile looked an exciting prospect after winning his first two starts at Yarmouth and Haydock, but came up short when well-fancied for the Gimcrack Stakes at York.
Sent off the 4-1 favourite for this valuable contest, Mubtasim travelled well in the middle of the pack before being angled towards the stands side to throw down his challenge inside the final two furlongs.
Pat Cosgrave's mount picked up well to run the lead and galloped all the way to the line to prevail by a length and three-quarters.
Mazyoun was best of the rest in second, ahead of Firefright in third.
Spiritual Lady, who had headed the market, was withdrawn shortly before the start.
Cosgrave said: "He's a very good horse. I don't know what happened last time, he was never really going from the word go. Today he felt like a different horse.
"I'm glad he's back to where I thought he was - he's definitely a Group horse.
"Fair play to the Haggas team for getting him back today."
Haggas said: "He travelled very well today and was always going smoothly.
"Pat said he felt different today, I don't know what happened at York.
"He's by Arcano, who is not very fashionable, but he's always looked a very nice horse from the start.
"We like to have a crack at the Gimcrack occasionally, we thought he was the one. I don't know why he misfired, but he's made up for it today.
"I suspect we'll have a go at the Middle Park. We won't go for the Mill Reef, it's too close.
"He is in the Redcar race (totepool Two-Year-Old Trophy), but I don't see much point in going for that."
