French raider Amade continues European success in Belmont Gold Cup

Amade continued the success of European raiders in the Belmont Gold Cup by digging deep to win the Grade 2, with Mootasadir fading late on to finish seventh for Hugo Palmer.

Despite drifting out four or five wide into the home straight, Amade had the right amount of heart and stamina to beat favourite Arklow to the line.

The Belmont Gold Cup, contested over two miles, is the longest of all races at Belmont Park during the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing festival and perhaps explains why the last three winners of the marathon contest have been European raiders.

"I whipped him left-handed and he ducked out," jockey Flavien Prat said. "But I had watched his replays and he likes to be on the outside, so I let him do it."

Trainer Alessandro Botti, who was victorious with his first US starter, was not surprised by the five-year-old's wayward behaviour.

"He got lost a little bit," Botti said. "That's why he has blinkers.

"He will prepare for the Melbourne Cup. This was a test he had to win to go to the Melbourne Cup."

Raa Atoll, trained by Luke Comer but formerly with John Gosden, finished sixth after helping set the pace with the Ben Curtis-ridden Mootasadir, with the pair fading in a relative sprint finish for the distance.

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