Yeats scores in Prix Royal-Oak

Yeats ended his Longchamp jinx on Sunday by winning the Group 1, $310,000 Prix Royal-Oak, the French equivalent of the St. Leger Stakes. After losses in the last two runnings of the Prix du Cadran at the Parisian track, Yeats swept clear in the stretch with Johnny Murtagh riding for a 1 1/2-length victory over Allegretto at 9-2.

In providing trainer Aidan O'Brien with his 22nd Group 1 winner of the year, Yeats covered the 1 15/16 miles on good ground in 3:19.30.

* At Doncaster on Saturday, the Brian Meehan-trained Crowded House scored a 7-1 upset over 2-1 favorite Jukebox Jury in the Group 1, $307,000 Racing Post Trophy for 2-year-olds. In prevailing by 3 1/2 lengths, a son of Rainbow Quest, Crowded House was timed in 1:39.17 for the straight mile on good ground.

* In Australia on Saturday, Maldivian took the Group 1, $1.8 million Cox Plate by a length from Zipping, with the 7-2 favorite, Samantha Miss, third. The winner clocked 2:06.92 for the 1 1/4 miles, 44 yards on good ground.

* Two more group races were lost at the Capannelle in Rome on Sunday as the Italian horsemen's strike continues. Officials will try to make up the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio and the Group 3 Premio Guido Berardelli next week in the hope that a Tuesday meeting between the aggrieved horsemen and the Italian government will be successful in ending a strike that has canceled all racing in Italy since Oct. 7.