Horse racing: Excelebration confirms class

With Frankel tucked up in his box at home in preparation for his final run of the season at Ascot in October, Excelebration staked his claim to being the second best three-year-old of his type.

Marco Botti's stable star had performed with credit behind Frankel in both the Greenham Stakes and the St James's Palace, and in between had won a Classic of his own by seven lengths. Because that victory had come in Germany some had still been slow to admit to his qualities, but after putting a solid Group Two field to the sword on Saturday in the CGA Hungerford Stakes at Newbury by six lengths there are no more doubters.

A Group One race now beckons, with the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp on 11 September or the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on 15 October the two obvious options, and he could quite possibly take in both, with Frankel standing in the way in the latter.

"He's already proved that he's a good horse. He's run twice against Frankel, and today he was very impressive," said Botti. "We left a little bit to work on, so I expect him to come on a lot for the run.

"There is a big gap between now and Ascot (QEII] so he might go to France, but it all depends how he comes out of this. It could be the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp next month and maybe the QEII. We'll see how he goes from now on."

Richard Hannon's Census turned Royal Ascot tables on Michael Owen's Brown Panther in the CGA Geoffrey Freer Stakes. Beaten six lengths by Owen's pride and joy in June, he was subsequently narrowly beaten in the Bahrain Trophy and relished the longer trip at Newbury. The St Leger now beckons for both.

"The Leger is the plan. I thought about going to York (for the Great Voltigeur], but I didn't want the travelling for him," said Hannon. "He'd have needed a gallop, probably here, so I thought why not run him and earn a few quid."

Brown Panther's trainer Tom Dascombe said: "I think the Leger is in four weeks' time and we'll take him on again.

"We've gone back to basics to try to get him to settle and relax. Obviously we'd have rather won, but we haven't and there will be a certain amount of improvement in the next few weeks."

Stan James.com make Census a 6-1 chance from 10s for the final Classic of the season at Doncaster on 10 September. The same firm also cut Brown Panther to 8s from 10s.

Fencing (5-4 favourite) staked an early claim for Classic honours with an emphatic victory in the Denford Stud Stakes, better known as the Washington Singer.

"He's very progressive. We'll probably stay at seven. He's a horse on an upward curve and we've always liked him," said trainer John Gosden.

Kieren Fallon was in red-hot form at Newmarket as the former champion jockey fired in four winners.Fallon sits third in the title race on 87 winners, behind Paul Hanagan (104) and Silvestre de Sousa (93).