Rest of York review: Azure Blue shines in Duke Of York

Blue beats Princess in thriller

AZURE BLUE (12/1) continued her rapid improvement with victory in the Group 2 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes on day one of the Dante Festival at York.

Michael Dods has a dab hand with sprinters and this daughter of El Kabeir was winning her fourth race in a row, this time sinking multiple Group 1 winner Highfield Princess by half a length.

Highfield Princess ran well under a penalty on her first run of the campaign, while the winner's stablemate Commanche Falls was third.

Dods said: “She’s done nothing but improve since the end of last season. We didn’t feel we had her ready at Newmarket as she’d had a few issues, nothing serious but we just didn’t feel we’d got the work in. She went there and did it well and I knew there was improvement to come.

“It was a big step up to go from a Listed mares’ race to today, but looking at the calendar there wasn’t a lot else coming up in the short-term, which is why we came here.

“I think today she’s shown she’s a proper Group One horse.”

Azure Blue is not entered in either the King’s Stand or the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, but Dods – who memorably claimed back-to-back wins in the Nunthorpe at York with Mecca’s Angel – did not rule out supplementing if conditions in Berkshire are in her favour.

He added: “I don’t know where we’ll go now. Because today was the start of her career really in these races, we hadn’t made any plans and didn’t have her in some of the early-closing races.

“I wouldn’t be frightened to come back to five furlongs with her on slow ground, so there’s plenty of targets for her and a lot to look forward to.

“You would have to look at that (Prix de l’Abbaye), that would be on my radar, but we’ll have to see what we do in between times.

“She’s not entered (at Royal Ascot) so we’ll discuss and see. I’m not sure what the supplementary price is and we wouldn’t want to run on ground any faster than today, so we’ll make a decision nearer the time.

“Mecca’s Angel was different, she was all speed and everything was five furlongs. This filly set off at six, but she’s getting that speed a bit later on now as a four-year-old. She is in that class.”

Of Commanche Falls, Dods said: “I thought he ran a super race. It was a big step up in class. The pace of the race helped him but the run was excellent – I couldn’t fault it.

“To have the first and third in what is really a Group One is tremendous for everyone involved.”

Quinn was thrilled with Highfield Princess’ reappearance effort, particularly as the mare had to concede weight all round.

He said: “Nobody knows from year to year if a horse is going to maintain its ability, especially going from five to six (years of age) for a mare, so we’re delighted.

“She showed all her old enthusiasm there and she always come on for her first run of the season so we’re very pleased.

“We’re as pleased as one can be without winning as she carried a Group One penalty there.

“It will be Group One sprints all the way now, so she won’t be giving that weight away.

“I think looking at that today it will be the King’s Stand at Ascot over five as she’s got speed to burn.

“If we’re lucky she’ll go down the Group One five-furlong route, so the King’s Stand, Nunthorpe, Flying Five and the Abbaye.

“We’re delighted because she showed all her enthusiasm.”

Appleby pays tribute to Force

The contest was marred by the death of Charlie Appleby’s Group One winner Creative Force, who sustained a fatal injury.

Charlie Appleby said on the Godolphin website: “We are very saddened with the passing of Creative Force, who was a real yard favourite at Moulton Paddocks.

"It’s a very sad day for everyone at Godolphin to lose a horse who always wore his heart on his sleeve and put up great performances year after year. We would like to thank William Derby and all his team at York for handling a difficult situation with speed and compassion.”

Scampi prevails in Jorvik

SCAMPI was a cosy winner of the opening Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap for Andrew Balding.

The five-year-old was sent off 16/1 after finishing fifth of eight over 10 furlongs at Epson on his return but he improved for that run back over 1m4f on a better surface.

Always travelling well under Hayley Turner, he put the race to bed inside the final furlong and was eased down near the line for a comfortable half-length success over the also strong-travelling Sam Cooke.

Real Dream was sent off the 3/1 favourite and he was ridden along early in the straight by Ryan Moore, but responded well for pressure and deserves credit for finishing third.

Anna Lisa Balding, the trainer’s wife, said: “It’s always difficult in these high-quality handicaps, but he is in really good form and has done nothing wrong at home.

“Hayley has given him a beautiful ride and he really deserves this, it’s fantastic and we are thrilled.

“It’s so great to see people (owners) who are so passionate. I’m getting lots of beeps (messages) from all our staff saying ‘I’m a winning owner’, so they’ve obviously invested as well!

“He’s travelled so well stepping back up in trip. Like all these handicappers, everything has got to be right on the day and today was his day. The trainer has done quite a good job!”

Bielsa top of the league for Ryan

BIELSA (12/1) bounced back to winning form in the Churchill Tyres Handicap for Kevin Ryan and Oisin Murphy.

The eight-year-old was on a losing run of 10, his last victory coming in the 2021 Ayr Gold Cup, but he was on a winning mark and Murphy kept things simple.

He edged the verdict by a neck from Lethal Levi, with the winner's stablemate Magical Spirit third.

“He’s done very well for us. He travelled very well today, Oisin probably thought he got there a little bit too soon but it’s great to see him come back and win a very nice prize,” said Ryan.

“He likes it here and he’s come back in very well after his winter break and progressed from his first run. Hopefully he can build on that

“He kept straight and true today, which he hasn’t always done, but he ran right through the line there so he hasn’t done much wrong.

“That was also a fabulous run from Magical Spirit as he wants the ground softer as it’s genuine good ground out there.”

Ryan at the double

Kevin Ryan brought up a day one double as MON NA SLIEVE made a winning debut in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Novice Stakes.

Despite showing greenness prior to the start, the Exceed And Excel colt showed a professional attitude on the sharp end from the outset and he found plenty when asked for an effort by jockey Tom Eaves.

The 17/2 chance did start to edge to his left close home but the race was in safe keeping and Richard Hannon's Mashadi (5/2) - the one in the field with previous racecourse experience - had to settle for second again, ending up a length and three-quarters adrift of the winner.

Market leader Kilian (11/10) ran a promising race back in third for Karl Burke and rider Clifford Lee.

Thirty too strong for Paddy

The Richard Hannon-trained DARK THIRTY won the Conundrum HR Consulting Handicap over seven furlongs.

Having failed to register a win since his two-year-old debut 12 months ago, the race-fit son of Starspangledbanner was taking advantage of a reduced mark and built on his recent runner-up effort at Newmarket's Guineas Festival.

Jockey Sean Levey took the bull by the horns from a long way out, skipping clear with a couple of furlongs to travel when the majority of his rivals came under the pump.

First Razaman, and then Catch The Paddy, briefly looked like running him down inside the final furlong, but 10/1 shot Dark Thirty had enough in reserve to tough it out and beat the latter by a neck.

“He can be a bit gassy, but he’s a lovely horse who did ever so well on his first couple of starts as a two-year-old and probably reached his ceiling in the latter part of the year,” said Levey.

“He’s done well over the winter and got stronger and with every run he’s getting there. I think that sort of race (Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot) will suit him.”

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