Cacique Lands Thrilling Manhattan

Cacique, owned by Khalid Abdulla's Juddmonte Farms, came out on top in a thrilling finish to the 400,000 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park.

The ex-French-trained five-year-old, now with Bobby Frankel and ridden by Edgar Prado, held Relaxed Gesture by a head in the Grade One contest over a mile and a quarter.

Dermot Weld's Irish raider Grey Swallow was a neck back in third on the yielding ground with English Channel, who cut out most of the running with Cacique, just behind in fourth.

Frankel, celebrating his third win in the race, said: 'He's the kind of horse that waits on horses. He's a real fighter. I don't know that he ever saw Relaxed Gesture.

'I was okay with him on the lead. If you look at his form, he went wire to wire with some good horses in Europe.

'We'll probably look at the Arlington Million now.'

Prado said: 'We wanted for him to be placed where he was comfortable. Once he took the lead, he relaxed pretty good. I didn't have pressure, so that helped a lot.

'I know the horse had been training well in the mornings ? I had worked him a couple of times.

'Bobby has done a great job in getting this horse to go a mile and quarter.'

Relaxed Gesture trainer's Christophe Clement said: 'It's always upsetting to just get beat in a Grade One race.

'I wish the jockey hadn't lose his whip, but there is nothing that can be done. We finished ahead of the Irish Derby winner (Grey Swallow) and we beat English Channel, which may be the best grass horse in New York.'

Alex Solis, who rode Grey Swallow, said: 'He broke a step slow and I had to be patient with him. He ran a brilliant race. He came running and did everything I hoped he would do.'

(C) PA Sport