A round-up from the rest of York on day three of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival as Stradivarius won the Lonsdale for a third time.
Stradivarius the Lonsdale king
STRADIVARIUS bounced back to winning form as he edged out Spanish Mission in a thrilling renewal of the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup.
It was a third Lonsdale and 16th Group-race victory for the son of Sea The Stars who was on a retrieval mission following his fourth in the Gold Cup at Ascot.
With Trueshan taken out on account of the ground only four went to post with The Grand Visir handed a sizeable lead under Richard Kingscote.
His three rivals had the move covered though and moved up alongside him early in the straight, where Spanish Mission and Stradivarius began to dominate.
They got racing a long way out and William Buick edged Spanish Mission in front at the furlong pole.
The champion was not for beating, however, and one last late lunge under Frankie Dettori ensured victory following a fantastic battle on the Knavesmire.
Paddy Power went 7/2 from 5s about the winner for the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day.
Reaction
John Gosden, who trains Stradivarius with his son, Thady, said: “He used to sting like a butterfly and float like a bee, but he’s a little more rope a dope now!
“There was not the pace he likes. He likes a good pace to run at, so it was always going to be a fascinating race. Spanish Mission put it up to him, Frankie said he headed me, I got back, then he headed me and I got back.
“It was a proper race for everyone to watch. What a great race with Spanish Mission – two fabulous horses.
“He’s phenomenal to have won four Goodwood Cups, to win three Gold Cups, three Lonsdales now, two Yorkshire Cups and the Doncaster Cup. Full marks to him. A great performance and we’ll see what we want to do.
“He still enjoys his training and is enthusiastic about it all. A stronger race at his age suits him better.
“The horse will tell us, it’s not our decision. As long as he’s enjoying his training and racing then we keep on. When that starts fading then we’ll stop.”
Doncaster option
On immediate plans, Gosden said: “The Doncaster Cup is a possibility and there is Champions Day, I hope it’s decent ground but if it’s bottomless we might have to reroute.”
Anna Lisa Balding, assistant trainer to her husband Andrew, was proud of the runner-up.
She said: “He’s run a hell of a race and I actually thought we’d won when he went ahead. I thought we’d got him, but we didn’t.
“Someone just said to me to have a good race you need two good horses and he had it everywhere bar the line.
“We’ll stick to Plan A, Australia here we come (for the Melbourne Cup) and let’s hope he does his stuff out there.
“It will mean two weeks in a hotel probably so I’m not sure who’ll be putting their hand up for that trip!”
14:25 York Full result and free video replay
1 3 Stradivarius (IRE) 4/6f
Winning Trainer: J & T Gosden | Winning Jockey: L Dettori
Lusail too strong in the Gimcrack
LUSAIL defied a Group 2 penalty to win the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes in fine style.
The form of his July Stakes victory had been working out superbly well thanks to Asymmetric and Ebro River and Richard Hannon's horse put in a smooth performance on the Knavesmire.
Always travelling well just off the pace, he moved through under Pat Dobbs to hit the front inside the final furlong to win by a length and a quarter from Gis A Sub with Twilight Jet third.
Paddy Power went 6/1 from 10s about the winner for the Middle Park at Newmarket next month.
Hannon said: “He’s very uncomplicated. I bought him here for his maiden, I didn’t fancy him, that’s probably a bit shambolic (as he won) but he’s a horse that hides away and doesn’t show loads.
“I’m delighted with that. He’s won with a penalty and that’s a pretty tough target to put on a two-year-old, but he’s one of our two-year-olds that I think will be one for next year.
“He gets seven furlongs and I see him as a (2000) Guineas horse. We’ll put him in the Dewhurst and all those races. They are all on the table now and we can look forward to them.”
15:00 York Full result and free video replay
1 2 Lusail (IRE) 7/2
2 6 Gis A Sub (IRE) 8/1
3 10 Twilight Jet (IRE) 18/1
Winning Trainer: R Hannon | Winning Jockey: P J Dobbs
Cooke serves up a treat in opener
SAM COOKE landed the opening Sky Bet Stakes on day three of the Ebor Festival at York.
Ralph Beckett's horse showed tenacity to repel the challenge of Throne Hall on the fair rail under a determined ride from Rob Hornby.
Kevin Ryan's Throne Hall had to settle for second with Dark Jedi third and Johnny Drama fourth.
Hot favourite Wink Of An Eye looked like making a challenging run when the gap opened in front of him on the far rail but his effort petered out in the final furlong.
“The key with this horse is the early part of the race, forget whatever else happens,” said Hornby.
“If you can get the first half of the race right and he’s relaxed and settled, the rest will sort itself out and we were pretty confident going into it that would be the case.
“The team at home have done a great job getting him relaxed, he went to the start really well today and I was delighted being in (stall) two that I could jump off and not have to ask him for a position.
“I let other horses come across me and got a bit of protection that way, it worked out that way and you could see his class.”
13:50 York Full result and free video replay
1 13 Sam Cooke (IRE) 14/1
2 6 Throne Hall 9/1
3 9 Dark Jedi (IRE) 11/1
4 1 Johnny Drama (IRE)15/2
Sky Bet paid 4 places on this race
Winning Trainer: R M Beckett | Winning Jockey: Rob Hornby
Rest of the action
Hoo Ya Mal had run a promising race on his debut and made no mistake in the British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes.
With £70,000 up for grabs it is the most expensive race of its type run all season and always attracts a smart field.
Third at Sandown on heavy ground first time out, he was much more at home on a quicker surface and provided the red-hot duo of Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy with yet another winner, beating Dawn Of Liberation by two and a half lengths.
“I don’t think he’s that ground dependent, but he’d improved loads from his first start and I was thrilled today,” said Murphy.
“He could go a mile this year, but that’s up to Andrew. He’s a horse for next year and we’ve a lot in that category. I think he’s very smart.”
Roger Fell approached the Ebor meeting with high hopes for La Trinidad and while he failed to deliver The Flying Ginger was an all-the-way winner of the Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies’ Handicap.
The 33-1 chance has been chasing black type of late ,but Ben Curtis got his fractions spot on in front.
“I couldn’t believe that. She’s game isn’t she,” said Fell.
“We weren’t sure if she’d fully get the trip so while he was in front I think he was saving a bit and they didn’t come to her.
“We keep trying for black type but I don’t think we have to now, that was worth £70,000.”
Rifleman made amends for unshipping Ryan Moore the last time he rode him with victory in the Sky Bet Mile Handicap.
The three-year-old, trained by John and Thady Gosden, had got rid of Moore inside the final furlong when in second place at Sandown in April but there was no repeat as the 8-1 chance beat Isla Kai by half a length.
“After being dumped by him, Ryan said he’d ride him again. He said he liked the horse. The thing about Ryan there is still bit of the old jump jockey in him and if there’s a challenge, he likes a challenge,” said John Gosden.
“He’s a grand horse. He won that well, fair and square. He’s a nice scopey frame of a horse and I’ve always liked him. Obviously he disappointed me when he was naughty, but he’s done absolutely nothing wrong today.
“He’s got plenty of ability and he’s run as straight as an arrow.
“He is in the Cambridgeshire so that has to be a bit of a plan. We’ll see how we go.”