over the same distance at Leopardstown and defeated the Beresford Stakes winner Whistling Deer by a length. Meneval was then moved up in distance for the Group 2 Gallinule Stakes over one and half miles at the Curragh on 29 May and justified odds of 1/3 as he beat the British-trained Lost Chord by a length and a half. The O'Brien stable was badly affected by a "virus infection" is the summer of 1976 and Meneval was off the track for well over three months. On 18 September Meneval returned in the Irish St. Leger over one and three quarter miles at the Curragh and started the 5/6 favourite in an eleven-runner field. The best fancied of his opponents were Lost Chord, the Queen's Vase winner General Ironside and the improving handicapper Red Invader. Piggott restrained the favourite in the early stages as General Ironside built up a clear lead. Meneval overtook the leader in the straight, drew right away from the field and "hacked up" by eight lengths from General Ironside with the filly Countess Eileen three lengths back in third. At the end of the season Timeform gave him a rating of 128, sven pounds behind their Horse of the Year Youth but only a pound behind their best stayer Sagaro. 1977: four-year-old season Meneval remained in training as a four-year-old with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as his main objective. On his first appearance of the year he sustained his first defeat for over eighteen months when he finished fifth of the seven runners behind his stablemate Alleged (a 33/1 outsider) in the Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh. In June Meneval raced outside Ireland for the first time when he was sent to Royal Ascot and started 2/1 favourite for the Hardwicke Stakes. Ridden as usual by Piggott he has held up towards the rear before finishing strongly and won by one and a half lengths from the French filly Ranimer (winner of the Sun Chariot Stakes), with Quiet Fling the same distance away in third. In July he was sent to France and finished fifth to Exceller in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud with Piggott reporting that the colt needed softer ground to show his best form. In the Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot in September he was held up by Piggott for a late run but was never able to get on terms