Kingston Hill scores in St. Leger Stakes

English Derby runner-up Kingston Hill stormed home from the back of the field and won the Group 1 St. Leger Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over Romsdal on Saturday at Doncaster in England.

Kingston Hill drifted left while making his winning move, and the stewards conducted an inquiry into the incident but left the order of finish unchanged. Kingston Hill appeared to be going much the best as he herded Romsdal, who was not cost a placing. Snow Sky, who also rallied from well back, finished third.

Kingston Hill’s trainer, Roger Varian, twice took the colt out of races this summer on courses he deemed too firm for his charge’s liking, and with dry weather prevailing this week at Doncaster, it was questionable up until Friday whether Kingston Hill even would start. But Varian and owner Paul Smith left Kingston Hill in the race and were rewarded with a win in the last classic race of the European season.

Kingston Hill, a son of Mastercraftsman ridden by Andrea Atzeni, was uncertain to stay the marathon 1 13/16-mile trip of the St. Leger. His Derby second was his only try as far as 1 1/2 miles, and four of Kingston Hill’s six previous starts had come at one mile or less. But after being buried near the back of a 12-horse field for about the first 11 furlongs, Kingston Hill came with a long, sustained, and serious run that propelled him to a solid victory.

The win was his first this season and his second in a Group 1, his previous success at the highest level also having come at Doncaster in the Racing Post Trophy last fall.

Kingston Hill, who won for the fourth time in seven starts, is a possible runner in the Prix de l’Arc d’Triomphe.