Perfect pipped as Verse returns to form Pretty Perfect was nailed on the line by Simple Verse in the DFS Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster. Ralph Beckett's winner was controversially demoted after the passing the post in front in the St Leger 12 months ago, but was later reinstated 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 and the Coronation Cup, but failed to fire in the Hardwicke Stakes. With the Aidan O'Brien-trained 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 make rapid inroads and the post did not come in time for Pretty Perfect, with Beckett's 3-1 chance getting up by a neck. Coolmore's UK representative Kevin Buckley said of Pretty Perfect: "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." Simple Verse's 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 a 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."
