Rule lays down Law at York

The Godolphin colt had finished second in the Vodafone Derby and fourth in the Irish equivalent, and he was a general 10-1 chance this morning for the betfair.com-sponsored Classic at Doncaster next month.

But those odds collapsed after Rule Of Law's two-and-a-half-length call over Let The Lion Roar in yesterday's Group Two contest, with Coral and Paddy Power going 5-2, William Hill 3-1, and Victor Chandler and Ladbrokes both 7-2 for the St Leger.

Frankie Dettori was able to dictate the pace on Rule Of Law. He gradually stepped on the gas once in the straight and the 11-8 favourite always looked like holding the persistent challenge of Let The Lion Roar, and in the end was drawing away again.

Aidan O'Brien's Go For Gold was a length and a half back in third.

Afterwards Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said: ''This horse always had the class to win here. He has been improving and has been working very well.

''We talked to Frankie and said if there's no pace he could go to the front.

''Maybe it's the St Leger for him next. We'll see how he comes out of this race. I think the trip would be no problem to him.''

Explaining his decision to go straight into the lead, Dettori said: ''He has won from the front and there wasn't much pace in the race, so I did my own thing. The ground was soft, so we went quite slow.

''He was the best horse in the race and won like it.

''Bring on the St Leger now. He should be all right with the distance. He's relaxed and very versatile and very tough.

''He'll be a nice horse to have around next year.''

Sir Michael Stoute's five-year-old First Charter (7-1), on his first attempt at two miles in the Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup, gamely held off the sustained challenge of Dancing Bay by a neck, with three lengths back to Yorkshire Cup winner Millenary.

Winning jockey Kieren Fallon said: ''I didn't know for sure whether he'd get the trip, but the way he was travelling I thought he'd be hard to beat."

Local trainer Richard Fahey took the opening Ladbroke Knavesmire Stakes with the outsider Sualda.

The Malton-based handler also saddled Ski Jump in the £20,000 contest and stable jockey Paul Hanagan opted to ride that one, leaving title-chasing Seb Sanders to get the leg up on 33-1 chance Sualda, who was drawn wide in 19 of 22.

Court Of Appeal looked set to score when going on over two furlongs out, but Sanders produced Fahey's gelding with a powerful late challenge and after a brief tussle it was Sualda who emerged victorious by a neck.

Kristensen was three lengths back in third.

Fahey was saddling his ninth winner in the last 15 days and he said: ''I didn't envy Paul's job. There was a toss of a coin which one he rode and he left it down to the draw.

''I thought the handicapper had this horse, and I think Paul did as well.

''It was a great result, though, and it couldn't get any better at the moment.''

Fahey has his eyes on some of the big middle-distance handicaps in the autumn for Sualda.

He said: ''He's won off 74 today so he might get in those races like the November Handicap.

''He'll probably go jumping. He has schooled and he's all right.''

There was an incident over six furlongs out in the mile-and-a-half handicap when King Of Dreams broke down and cannoned into Sporting Gesture.

Stanley Chin, who rode King Of Dreams, and Sporting Gesture's jockey Terry Lucas were both unseated. They were none the worse for the incident, but King Of Dreams was put down.

* Luca Cumani has admitted to being concerned about the ground for Mephisto, a leading fancy for the totesport Ebor at York today.

The five-year-old is 5-1 joint-market leader with both Ladbrokes and William Hill after winning his last three starts.

''The ground is a worry for us, particularly as York soft ground is softer than soft ground elsewhere,'' said Cumani.

''He may love it, he may hate it. You just don't know. But he will take his chance and we will find out.