Our man at the track sees Rebel's Romance add a big domestic prize to his glittering international haul.
York have opened their doors to many an international star over the years.
Sprinters, milers, stayers, they’ve arrived in all shapes and sizes, from across the globe. But on Friday a British-trained globetrotter had a rare moment in his home sunshine.
Rebel’s Romance is a seven-time Group One winner, a dual Breeders’ Cup Turf hero, he’s won big races in Qatar, Dubai, Hong Kong and Germany.
He has more air miles than Nick Luck, a CV that would stand up against any middle-distance horse in the world right now. And now he’s won a Boodles Yorkshire Cup.
He had to get down and dirty in a race run at a slow pace, but you haven’t ruled the world as he has without knowing where the finishing line is. And at it he had a head in hand of Epic Poet.
Charlie Appleby was a happy man in a sun-drenched winners’ enclosure afterwards.
“Obviously delighted. Look he’s a yard favourite, he’s built up his own little fanbase, rightly so given what he’s achieved during his career. Why did we come here? A few people have asked, it’s just I felt over the mile-and-a-half, the last few runs, I don’t know whether he’s still got that bit of kick when you need it at the top level,” he said.
