Kiyoshi bounces back to her best Last season's high-class juvenile Kiyoshi was belatedly off the mark for the year in the Japan Racing Association Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster. Jamie Spencer, who is to retire at the end of the campaign, rode Charlie Hills' filly with real confidence as Muteela blazed a trail in this competitive Group Three. Kiyoshi (11-1), who was third in the Cheveley Park Stakes and had gradually been returning to form, burst through to lead inside the final furlong and repelled 15-8 favourite Bragging by a length and a quarter. "That's the way she is. She always wants to be held up," said Spencer. "She has taken time to come right but George Baker rode her work last week and said however you want to ride her, she'll win. She gets a mile but when you have had a setback you're playing catch-up. I'm sure she'll stay in training next year." Hills said: "I'm sure she was back to her best in a really competitive field. Jamie gave her a great ride but it was satisfying to see her back to her best. She did a piece of work last week with the cheekpieces on, it was quite breathtaking. "The ground was perfect and she showed a really good turn of foot. We just wanted to get that spark back into her at home, she'd got a bit lazy and lethargic." Kiyoshi could next be sighted in a Group One at Newmarket on October 4. The Lambourn handler said: "It's not a definite, but the obvious place to go with her would be the Sun Chariot. Going back up to a mile shouldn't be a problem." Jockey James Doyle said of the runner-up: "I was very pleased with her. She quickened nicely when the gaps came." Al Thakhira was third, another short head back, and trainer Marco Botti said: "It was a good run as I was worried about her being drawn against the stands' rail. We have been keeping her fresh for softer ground and hoped we would get that. The ground is drying out, but she has still run very well, even though she would prefer softer ground. "Seven furlongs is her trip. I wouldn't even mind dropping her back to six furlongs if the right opportunity came along. There are a few races we could look at for her, so we'll see."
