"DUKE" WINS THE BATTLE.

DUKE OF MARMALADE made it a magnificent nap hand of Group 1 triumphs this year when getting the better of a memorable battle with Phoenix Tower in the Juddmonte International Stakes.

The 4-6 favourite was allowed through on the rail approaching three furlongs out and looked poised to score easily, only for Ted Durcan to launcha dangerous challenge on Henry Cecil's Phoenix Tower.

There wasn't much between the pair with half a furlong to go, but The Duke pulled out extra close home to prevail by three-quarters of a length. Derby hero New Approach ruined his chance by fighting for his head and finished a never-dangerous third, a further two and half lengths back.

Aidan O'Brien paid tribute to a horse he called "the special one". He said: "He's an amazing horse, the special one. If good horses are made of stone, this one is made of something harder.

"He's a great horse, one of the real greats, and his speed is getting stronger through his races. All credit to the lads in the team and to Johnny (Murtagh), who did a great job."

O'Brien, referring to Duke Of Marmalade's tough constitution, added: "He's had a messy week. He came to England, the plane touched down and his was on the runway for two hours, then he went back.
"He was on the go from 5am and only got back to Ballydoyle at 3pm. He mustbe tough to cope with all that and then do what he's done here."

O'Brien nominated the Irish Champion Stakes in a fortnight's time as the next port of call.

Duke Of Marmalade returned to a hero's welcome in the packed unsaddling enclosure, where the appreciative crowd greeted Henry Cecil, Ted Durcan and Phoenix Tower as if they had won.

Owner John Magnier was quick to commiserate with Cecil, and as the pair shook hands Cecil pointed out that his charge was notching a fourth runner-up slot in as many starts and hadn't had much luck.

Jim Bolger is keen to take on the winner again at Leopardstown and said: "He ran a very good race and is obviously on the way back, but if he'd been a little bit sharper he might have finished closer.

"Hopefully you will see a different horse in a couple of weeks. There are no excuses over the ground, he saw it out to the line."

William Hill cut the winner to 4-5 from evens for the Irish Champion and to 4 from 5 for the Arc. Stan James and Paddy Power have left him unchanged at 5 for Longchamp.

What a super horse - brave brave brave

DUKE OF MARMALADE and Derby hero New Approach are set to meet once again in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes next month after the former ruled supreme in the Juddmonte Internationalat Newmarket.

The rescheduled clash of the generations spiced up what may have otherwise been a low-key afternoon at the course, and Duke Of Marmalade was brilliant as he scooped up his fifth Group 1 win of the season.

The King George winner was dropping back to a mile and a quarter under Johnny Murtagh, and there was no doubt of the regard in which he is held after his three-quarter-length success over the luckless Phoenix Tower.
His stablemate Red Rock Canyon towed the field through the early stages as Duke Of Marmalade sat handy, with New Approach pulling hard on his return from injury.

Jim Bolger's Classic winner was never in a position to challenge once the race began in earnest and had to settle for third.

O'Brien, winning his 18th Group 1 of the summer, said: "He is so special that you wonder if he is flesh and blood. If horses were made out of concrete and stone he would be made out of something harder.

"He had a very messy week as he came to England, spent a couple of hours here and then flew back.

"I was nervous as I wasn't sure what would happen, but it is a credit to those people who made it happen and it just shows what can happen when people get together.

"He is just one of those very special horses, and you can see that yourself.

"He will never win too far, which is probably to his advantage.

"If all is well with him the plan will be to go Leopardstown with him in two weeks for the Irish Champion Stakes." Murtagh added: "I had to wait an extra couple of days for it but it turned out to be a great race.

"He is so solid, so genuine and always turns up the same.

"His work is good, his temperament is good and when he turns up at the races you can guarantee he is going to put upa performance like that.

"I got a lovely run up the inside and got there sooner than I wanted to be. But I knew that when I asked for maximum effort that he would pull it out for me up the hill."

Bolger said of New Approach: "He's beaten but definitely not battered. He ran a good race and is obviously on the way back.

"We'll regroup and I'm sure you'll see a different horse in two weeks' time, I'm not using the ground as an excuse.

"It will be Leopardstown next for the Irish Champion Stakes."

William Hill trimmed Duke Of Marmalade into 4-5 from even money for the rematch, while New Approach is out to 100-30.