Lambourn trainer Brian Meehan enjoyed a bumper pay-day when he saddled Johnny The Fish to win the £300,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes at Doncaster, writes TATTENHAM.

Not only did he land the first prize of £174,350 for owners the Second Pheasant Inn Partnership, but he was also responsible for fourth-home Coburn, who picked up £17,435 for his effort.

Prospects of victory in Europe's richest two-year-old race for Johnny The Fish looked remote as he was stuck behind a wall of horses at halfway in the six-furlong dash.

But Frankie Dettori is a good man to have on your side in such circumstances and the champion jockey got the breaks and brought the 20-1 shot with a powerful late surge to land the money by a neck from Mr Sandicliffe.

The win gave Meehan his second success in the race following Cape Fear two years ago.

He said: ''This was always the right race for Johnny The Fish and we knew he was always going to get a little bit outpaced because he's a better horse over seven, but Frankie always had plenty of confidence.

''He's a lovely horse and he'll go on and I'm sure we'll step him up in class.''

Dettori said: ''Brian said the horse stays well. They went very fast and I dropped him in, but I was in trouble at halfway and I thought I'd do well if I picked up a little money.

''But as the leaders slowed down he got full of life again and then it was a matter of getting the gaps. I got the splits at the right time and then he's gone and done it.''