Published: Aug 07, 2010, 14:56
POET grabbed his first victory for trainer Clive Cox when fending off the threatening Class Is Class in a slow-motion finish down the Haydock straight.
The ex-Aidan O'Brien-trained Poet took up the running from Les Fazzani with just over three furlongs to run and started to rumble for home under jockey Adam Kirby.And with a quarter of a mile remaining he had nearly the whole field off the bridle, the exception being Class Is Class with a menacing Ryan Moore in the saddle.
Class Is Class drew up to challenge Poet as the pair approached the furlong marker but the Sir Michael Stoute-trained runner just could not get past the leader.
A length and three quarter separated the horses at the line with a yawning gap back to favourite Distant Memories in third.
Kirby, who rode the winner for owner Shiekh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, said: "He is a good horse on that ground and really thrived on it. He oozes a lot of ability and is a class act.
"On that sort of ground he is a relentless grinder, and although he was pulling up in front he had a lot more to give. I like him."