THE German-trained Borna ran out a comfortable winner of the Group 2 Derby Italiano in Rome last Sunday.

By Irish stallion Saxon Warrior, Borna is trained by Markus Klug for owners Darius Racing, and the same connections won this race two year ago with Ardakan.

A total of 15 runners went to post for the 11-furlong race, and they included Andrew Balding’s Royal Supremacy, who had previously finished a close third in the one-mile Esher Cup at Sandown off a mark of 86.

Ridden by David Probert, the English raider held every chance two furlongs out but Andrasch Starke was travelling much the best on the winner and they scampered clear a furlong out and were not too troubled to win by two and a half lengths.

Borna is now likely to try his luck in the Deutsches Derby at Hamburg on July 7th. Darius Racing have won that race twice in recent years with Sisfahan and his sire Isfahan.

Bred in France, Borna cost just €19,000 as a yearling at the Arqana October Yearling Sales. He is out of a maiden mare, a half-sister to Top Trip, a Group 2 winner for Francois Doumen and later a National Hunt sire.

That son of Dubai Destination is best known here as the sire of Sa Majeste, a talented hurdler trainer by Willie Mullins for J.P. McManus.