Hurricane Run back on top

Hurricane Run, seemingly a beaten favorite on the turn for home, rallied along the rail to defeat Electrocutionist and Heart's Cry in a memorable renewal of the $1.38 million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

Shuffled back to fourth and floundering at the three-eighths pole, Hurricane Run was in trouble as Electrocutionist cruised past him and took off after Heart's Cry, the Japanese invader who looked like a winner after taking command approaching the eighth pole. Somehow Christophe Soumillon managed to get Hurricane Run back on track, and he skimmed the rail to prevail by a half-length over Electrocutionist, 4-1, with Heart's Cry, 3-1, another half-length back in third.

Sent off at just under even-money, Hurricane Run now returns to the top of the international standings, a position he was in danger of losing after a lackluster win in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and a neck loss to Pride in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Hurricane Run's King George victory is the first for a French-trained horse since Hurricane Run's sire, Montjeu, won the race in 1999, and is only the second time a French horse has won the King George in the last 30 years.

The winning time for the 1 1/2 miles on ground that was termed good to firm was 2:30.29.

In the final analysis, there was little to choose between the first three, all of whom acquitted themselves admirably. Earlier in the morning there had been a scare in the Godolphin camp when Electro-cutionist emerged from his New-market barn with stiffness. Electro-cutionist ran as well as ever, however, and remains on course for a late season start in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Heart's Cry, who was running for the first time since March 25, when he won the Dubai Sheema Classic, lost nothing in defeat and may have gone one or two better had trainer Kojiro Hashiguchi provided him with a prep race. He will now return home to prepare for the Japan Cup, a race he lost last year by a nose.

Andre Fabre, who trains Hurricane Run, was quick to give credit for the victory to Kieren Fallon, the colt's rider in the Arc and in his two races this year, saying that Fallon "taught the horse how to race." Fallon was recently banned from race-riding in Britain.

Fabre and principle owner Michael Tabor must now decide whether they will send Hurricane Run directly to Longchamp on Oct. 1 for a defense of his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe title, or first give him a prep race in something like the Sept. 10 Prix Foy over the Arc course and distance.