HENRY Cecil’s decision to skip the St Leger with Manifest can pay dividends in Thursday’s Directa Signs Noel Murless Stakes at Newmarket.

The lightly-raced Rainbow Quest colt only made his debut at Headquarters in July when going down narrowly to lesser-fancied stablemate Blizzard Blues.

Nevertheless, it was a performance full of promise as he stayed on relentlessly through the field in the closing stages under relatively tender handling.

Cecil waited a month before unleashing him again and stepped him up to a mile and a half, a fair ask for a young horse having only his second run.

Related to top-class sorts such as Reams Of Verse and Elmaamul though, stamina was never going to be an issue.

He was a warm order for his second start but could not have been more impressive as he drew further and further clear close home to win by an astonishing 19 lengths without hitting top gear.

SELECTIONS

AYR: 1.50 Kellys Eye, 2.20 Powerful Pierre, 2.55 Lost In Paris, 3.30 Battle Royal, 4.05 Quai D’Orsay, 4.40 The Bear, 5.15 Soto, 5.50 Imperial Echo.

GOODWOOD: 2.10 Morana, 2.45 Sana Abel, 3.20 Pose, 3.55 Acquisition, 4.30 Tahkeem, 5.05 Wilbury Star, 5.40 Lithaam.

NEWMARKET: 2.00 Protaras, 2.35 Brannagh, 3.10 MANIFEST (NAP), 3.45 Audacity Of Hope, 4.20 Noble Storm, 4.55 Bounty Box, 5.30 Dingaan.

SLIGO: 3.05 Limekiln, 3.35 Mojito Royale, 4.05 Stretch The Truth, 4.35 Majestic Concorde, 5.05 Rustic Gold, 5.35 High Skies, 6.05 King Ali.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.45 Spirit Child, 6.15 Gold Fix, 6.45 Baan, 7.15 Battimoore, 7.45 Lochan Mor, 8.15 Ordoney, 8.45 Arte Viva, 9.15 Valfurva.

Double: Manifest and Audacity Of Hope.

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