THE two British challengers for Germany’s Group 1 Preis von Europa in Cologne last Saturday shared favouritism but neither Barney Roy nor Dame Malliot played a great hand in what was a local finish.

The four-year-old filly Donjah, trained by champion trainer Henk Grewe, got the better of the three-year-old Kaspar with Dame Malliot and Hollie Doyle faring best of the visitors in third.

Doyle’s mount was prominent throughout and battled on well when challenged by the second, as the winner then came on her outside.

Donjah, a filly by Teofilo, had seemed well fairly well exposed though she did win the Group 2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club in San Siro last October of the mile and a half in heavy ground. She had been beaten three lengths by Aspetar in this race last season when it was held in September.

Donjah was held up towards rear and taken wide entering home straight. Asked to make headway over two out by jockey Clement Lecoeuvre, it took her a while to hit top stride and after a battle for a few strides with Kaspar she ran on strongly to lead in the final strides and win by a neck.

As feared, the mile and a half and soft ground was too much for Barney Roy and he never got on terms, finding little when he came under pressure.

Czech challenger Nagano Gold also improved into a challenging position but it was a short lived effort and he weakened in the final two furlongs.