Assisi gains impressive Flemington verdict Francis Of Assisi ran out an impressive winner of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington in Australia. The Charlie Appleby-trained runner won the Bendigo Cup last month at Bendigo and added a second Group Three win in style as he powered home by 10 lengths from Vengeur Masque. "The horses have all done well and have all backed up well, but this horse you could just see, mentally, he was thriving," Appleby told www.godolphin.com. While Francis Of Assisi has scored twice in Australia, he has also played a part in victories for stablemates Qewy and Oceanographer. "He's been a great lead-out horse on the training track, helping us get the others fit," Appleby said. "When you're doing the sort of work he does at home, having those decent horses looming up alongside you every morning, once he got his own head in front and won his own race in the Bendigo Cup he thought he was King Kong."
