Godolphin strike with Yibir
Godolphin landed the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes with supposed second string Yibir (6/1)
In what turned into a war of attrition down the straight, James Doyle's mount was in front at the furlong pole and battled on tenaciously to see off the rallying pacemaker The Mediterranean and Youth Spirit by one-and-a-quarter lengths and half-a-length.
High Definition again proved a major disappointment, racing closer to the pace than normal but off the bridle and beaten three furlongs out. He eventually finished sixth with Kemari, in the first Godolphin silks, last of the eight runners.
"The reason we keep running him is because he just shows us so much potential in the morning,” winning trainer Charlie Appleby said.
“Full credit to everyone, it was a great ride by James. He might go to America now. He’ll go to Belmont for the Jockey Club Stakes there – it’s the middle of September, (so) we’ll probably look forward to that.
“He’s a big, scopey individual – and he’s going to be around for the next year. He’s a gelding now, so he’s hopefully around for a few years, and we’ll have a bit of fun with him.”
Royal winner for Value Bet
Value Bet selection Royal Patronage sprang a 25/1 surprise in the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes.
There was no hint of a fluke about it either as Mark Johnston's horse made every yard of the running and dented several tall reputations in the process.
He was in command from the furlong pole and try as he might, the staying-on Imperial Fighter (11/2) could never land a serious blow, going down by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Paddy Power and Betfair introduced the winner at 20/1 for next year's QIPCO 2000 Guineas.
“I was impressed,” winning rider Jason Hart told ITV Racing. “Obviously it was different ground to when he won his maiden at Epsom – it’s a lot quicker today. I liked the gears this lad’s shown – he picks up when you ask him to.
“He’s a horse that only does what he has to, but when it gets serious he starts fighting for you. I was very confident in this lad. He gave me a nice feel at Epsom and he gave me a nice feel from three to four (furlongs) – I knew it was going to take a good one to pass me anyway.”
Johnston added: “While he was the most exposed, I was surprised he was the outsider but there was plenty of hype around the other runners. We were discussing after Epsom that this seemed the obvious place to come and we did bring him to the Dante meeting which shows what we thought of him.
“He was beaten over six first time out, ran well second time at Sandown and then showed what we always thought of him at Epsom. We won this with Bijou d’Inde way back when it was a conditions race. Darryll Holland rode him, jumped off and said he was a Group One horse and I think you need to be one to win the Acomb.
“He’s won a Group Three and the only way is up for the moment. Jason rode him last time and does ride fairly regularly for us, so was the obvious choice to ride. I’m not sure where we’ll go next, he’s got quotes for the Guineas but he might be more a Dante type.”
York stalwart lands opener
Copper Knight was a game winner of the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap, the first race on the opening day of the Ebor Meeting at York.
The seven-year-old, trained by Tim Easterby, started at 18/1 and was triumphant on the Knavesmire for the sixth time in his career.
David Allan was the jockey on board and steered the bay to victory ahead of Live In The Moment and Hurricane Ivor.
Easterby said: “He’s a wonderful horse. Dave said he’s not felt like that for a long time. He likes that good ground, and just coasted along. He got a nice tow into it, and it was brilliant to watch.
“I don’t train him really – he trains himself. He lobs away out the back, canters round, and you don’t do anything fancy with him.
“He’s an absolute star, and we’ll look at the Portland (next, at Doncaster) maybe. He was in on Saturday at Chester, but he won’t run there now – he’s earnt his corn now.”
Rest of the action
Irish raider Arcadian Sunrise delighted favourite backers with a last-to-first victory in the two-mile Sky Bet Handicap.
A narrow winner of a valuable handicap hurdle at the Galway Festival three weeks ago, John Queally’s 11/4 chance charged home under a typically patient ride from Jamie Spencer to get up and beat Rajinsky by a length and a quarter.
“He’s a good dual-purpose horse, and it worked out well,” said Queally. “He won well in Galway, and initially I thought this might be a bit soon for him, but the very next morning he told us ‘we’re going to York’.
“This is a heavenly place, isn’t it? I had a horse placed in the Queen Alexandra when the Royal meeting was held at York, and it’s great to have a winner here.
“I honestly don’t know where we’ll go with him now, maybe the Irish Cesarewitch at the end of the year.”
The Declan Carroll-trained Tweet Tweet (7/1) notched her third win from four starts this year in the IRE Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Stakes, with Harrison Shaw the winning rider.
Carroll said: “Carrying that weight today (9st 7lb), that was a good performance. She’s all heart and is progressing well. She could make up into a nice filly next year.
“We could look at the Listed race at Doncaster (Scarborough Stakes), but a lot will depend on the ground – she needs fast ground.”
Flaming Rib (16/1) lunged late to land the concluding Sky Bet Nursery for trainer Tom Dascombe and 5lb claimer Pierre-Louis Jamin.