Paco Boy, Tartan Bearer prove best at Sandown

There were a pair of classy winners at Sandown Park on Saturday as Paco Boy landed the Group 2 Sandown Mile, while Tartan Bearer was a narrow winner of the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes.

Paco Boy erased any doubts about his ability to stay a mile with his three-quarter-length victory in the $147,000 Sandown Mile, holding off both Dream Eater and third-place Virtual through the long uphill stretch to record his first victory at the distance following four group race successes at seven furlongs.

Ridden by Richard Hughes as the 9-5 favorite, Paco Boy covered the distance in 1:43.04 on ground labeled good, good to firm in places. Trainer Richard Hannon will now point his 4-year-old son of Desert Style to the one-mile, Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 16.

Tartan Bearer gave his 11-10 backers some anxious moments in the $95,000 Gordon Richards, as he just got up to defeat Pipedreamer by a short head with Buccellati 2 1/4 lengths away in third. A son of Spectrum trained by Michael Stoute, he got the job done in the end, however, clocking 2:08.65 for the 1 1/4 miles under Ryan Moore.

Second in last year's Epsom Derby, Tartan Bearer had not run since being moved up to third in the Irish Derby on June 29. His next start could be the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup going 1 5/16 miles at the Curragh on May 24.