Kite Wood proves best at Newbury

Godolphin, which won six races in England on Friday, remained hot on Saturday as Kite Wood emerged as a leading candidate for the St. Leger Stakes with a 3 1/2-length victory in the Group 3, $107,000 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.

The only 3-year-old in the field of eight, the 11-10 son of Galileo prevailed under Frankie Dettori over the veteran Halicarnassus, clocking 2:48.87 on good to firm ground for the 1 5/8-miles, 61 yards.

At Deauville, Armure led a one-two punch for trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre and the stallion Dalakhani in the Group 2, $184,000 Prix de Pomone as he rallied to defeat Shemima by three-quarters of a length. Winning her third straight race, the 7.10-1 Armure and rider Gerald Mosse covered the 1 9/16 miles on good ground in 2:40 flat. Both she and Shemina will go next in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on Sept. 13 when they will meet the undefeated Stacelita in that key filly and mare Arc prep.

Crossharbour didn't let a mere 10-month absence get in the way of winning the Group 3, $113,000 Prix Gontaut-Biron. Away form the races since taking the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris on Oct. 19, the Andre Fabre-trained 5-year-old son of Zamindar held off German invader Adelar by a neck, getting the 1 1/4 miles in 2:04 flat under Stephane Pasquier for owner Khalid Abdullah. Crossharbour will make his next start at Longchamp on Sept. 13 in the Prix Foy, the Arc trial for older horses.