Thomas Hobson 2nd in Doncaster Cup Desert Skyline came home best to claim top honours in the Doncaster Cup. Not eligible for Saturday's William Hill St Leger having been gelded, David Elsworth's three-year-old instead took on his elders in the Group Two marathon. Following excellent placed efforts behind Leger contenders Raheen House in the Bahrain Trophy and Stradivarius in the Goodwood Cup, Desert Skyline was narrowly beaten by Marmelo in France last month and was the 2-1 favourite to get back on the winning trail on Town Moor under Silvestre de Sousa. High Jinx and the giant Pallasator led the nine-strong field into the straight, but both eventually faltered. Last year's winner Sheikhzayedroad hit the front with two furlongs to run, but was soon followed through by Willie Mullins' Thomas Hobson and the veteran Clever Cookie. However, none of that trio had any answers when Desert Skyline arrived on the scene late in the day and he powered clear to score by a length and a half. Thomas Hobson beat Sheikhzayedroad to the runner-up spot by a head, with Clever Cookie clear of the rest in fourth. De Sousa said: "David told me to ride him as I found him, he didn't jump (from the stalls) so well, but I was quite happy as he switched off lovely for me. "He took a bit of time to get going. I was following Ryan (Moore, on Thomas Hobson) and I felt I always had a bit up my sleeve to play with. "He needs to get stronger and he's still a big baby, but he's lightly raced and he could be a Gold Cup horse." Elsworth, who won the Doncaster Cup with the hugely popular Persian Punch in 2003, said: "I was pleased with him, of course, as he's only a three-year-old. He had a weight-for-age concession, but it's tough out there. "It's not like driving a car around the M25 and you just pull out and go! It looked like that, but they've got to dig deep and work hard. "There's not a lot of him and it's quite a big call to run a three-year-old over two and a quarter miles, but he's tough. He's run consistently well at a high level and you'll hear more of him next year." On the ruling that prevents geldings from running in Classics, the trainer added: "I don't know why geldings can't run in the Derby. Basically we want to know what the best three-year-old is and if he happens to be a gelding, then he's the best. "I realise the breeding implications. You want the Derby winner to reproduce, but that's not the point. If he isn't the best three-year-old he isn't the best three-year-old. I'm not going to change the rules, but it's a thought, I suppose. "I had no idea he was going to be a stayer. As a two-year-old he was naughty so he needed cutting (gelding), I'm sure he wouldn't be as good if we hadn't." Elsworth suggested a trip to Australia could be in the offing in the future. "I didn't enter him for Melbourne this year but one day maybe. There has been interest from the southern hemisphere," said the Newmarket handler. Thomas Hobson has been talked up as a possible contender for this year's Melbourne Cup, but owner Rich Ricci is not committing to a trip to Australia just yet. He said: "He ran very well. It was always going to be tough giving Desert Skyline 12lb, but it was a good run. He certainly ran better than the last day, which is good. "I don't know about Melbourne, I'll talk to Ryan and Willie. He qualifies now, he's in the ballot proper. We'd have to see, we'll have Max Dynamite (2015 Melbourne Cup runner-up) come out (in a Listed race at Naas on Sunday week). "It's a big punt, Melbourne, because, rightly so, there's no help with the Melbourne Cup. It's all self-funded and it's expensive, so you want to make sure you go there with a fighting chance. "There's plenty of stuff for him at home as well but we'll have to see, he's in the mix for Melbourne anyway."
