Main Sequence emerged as a possible rival to Camelot in the English St Leger following his unlucky run in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on Saturday.
David Lanigan’s stable star took runner-up honours behind Aidan O’Brien’s colt in the English Derby and could try to prevent the 2000 Guineas and Irish Derby hero capturing the Triple Crown in the final Classic of the season at Doncaster on September 15.
While Camelot’s stable companion Imperial Monarch made most of the running to claim the French Group One over a mile and a half, Main Sequence just could not get a clear passage through.
Wherever Ted Durcan tried to go, he was blocked and Main Sequence had to settle for fourth place, a length and a half behind the Irish-trained winner.
Lanigan has taken defeat on the chin and is looking for positives to take from the race.
“He’s come out of the race fine and is on his way back home,” said the Lambourn trainer.
“That kind of thing can happen and it’s happened to a lot more people than you can name.
“It was just one of those things. They probably didn’t go a great enough pace early on, which can generate its own problems at that stage of the race.
“The important thing is that he has improved since the Derby and was unlucky in his run yesterday, but mentally he’s grown up an awful lot since Epsom.
“We still know we’ve got a nice horse for the future.
“He’s got one or two options. It’ll just take a day or two to digest things and I’ll talk to the owners.”
