RICHARD HUGHES and trainer David Loder enjoyed their first-ever classic victory in Rome yesterday as Bahamian Knight defied generous odds to land the £209,536 Group One Derby Italiano.
However, the Italian classic was disappointing for the two Irish runners, Touch Judge and His Excellence, who both faded from prominent positions to fill the last two places.
Bahamian Knight, one of a British sextet in the race, made a mockery of his 15.1 to 1 odds by tackling the long-time leader, Coral Reef, two out and running on well for a length and three-quarters victory.
Backdrop, the least fancied of the Peter Chapple-Hyam duo, ran on strongly from the back of the field under John Carroll, to take second and complete a British 12, as the raiders mopped up for the eighth time in 12 years.
Clive Brittain's Luso (10-1 on) booked his Coronation Cup passage by making all under Brett Doyle to win the £40,600 Group Two Premio Ellington (l2f) by a cosy two and a half lengths in Rome on Saturday.
English-trained runners also dominated at Deauville yesterday when Sean Woods' grey Mistle Cat, spearheaded a 1-2-3 for the visitors in the £28,986 Group Three Prix du Palais-Royal (7f).
Mistle Cat made all under Wendyll Woods to beat Myself (David Harrison) two lengths, with Young Ern (Willie Ryan) a further half length back.
