Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival: Ben Linfoot diary from day two, including wins for Enable and Living In The Past

Ebor Festival York Day Two

• Enable stars in Yorkshire Oaks
• Past glory in the Lowther
• Rest of York review: Mums the word
• Ebor Festival day 2 blog recap

Click on the above links for race reports & replays

So long Enable, make that history

Not since Frankel won the Juddmonte International have the York crowds welcomed home a hero like they did Enable this afternoon.

Her appearance in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks was a bit of a hiding to nothing, against old rival Magical, but an aggressive start from Frankie Dettori eased any fears this could get tactical.

He kept it simple and she made all to win well. Magical reached her quarters, as she always does, but Enable pulled out more, as she always does.

All roads lead to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe now. No horse has ever won the most prestigious race in Europe three times, but she’ll aim to do just that in early October.

Her handler John Gosden was quick to escape the Matt Chapman-led presentation of the Yorkshire Oaks trophy, but he spoke in the serenity of the unsaddling area afterwards and cut the figure of a relieved and happy man.

“It was always a potential banana skin and I did feel that, but I was very clear in myself that I felt she needed this race in between,” he said.

“She’s not a filly you can leave from the end of July to the first week of October without racing, she enjoys her racing and I was really impressed with her last two furlongs.

“She’s done everything right, she’s quick from the gate and we were very clear that she broke well, she did her own thing and found a rhythm. She certainly quickened the last two very impressively so it’s a lovely race for her.

“Looking to Paris, I’ve said already you’ve got some exciting three-year-olds; Japan, the winner of the Prix du Jockey Club [Sottsass], these are mighty opponents and they are getting the allowance of three-year-olds so she’ll have plenty on her plate there.”

So far, she’s been up for every challenge. She’s odds-on to be up for this one, too. We’ll find out in due course whether she can make history, but today was about her send off from these shores.

An extra lap of the parade ring afterwards was greeted with delight from a delirious York crowd. “I’m delighted she came here and thrilled everybody,” said Gosden. She certainly did that. She always does.

Lowther rematch on the cards

Living In The Past looks very much a filly for the future judging by her superb success in the Group Two Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York on Thursday.

Beaten by Under The Stars at Ascot last time, she reversed that form in style under a no-nonsense ride from Danny Tudhope.

The Cheveley Park is next for her, but her jockey is already thinking about next year, although the mile in the 1000 Guineas might be stretching things a bit too far where her stamina is concerned.

“She was a lovely ride,” said Tudhope. “Nice and smooth, she’s a very straightforward filly.

“I rode her first time out and she’s done well since, she’s a big filly now and getting bigger. She’ll definitely be a three-year-old, 100 per cent.”

For now, though, she has Group One ambitions in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, as does the runner-up, Liberty Beach, who was ridden to get the six-furlong trip this afternoon.

She certainly didn’t look to lack for stamina in finishing second and connections were quick to eye up a rematch with the winner at Headquarters next month.

Trainer John Quinn said: “I’m very pleased with her – she’s run really well. She definitely got the trip and we’ll stick to six furlongs now. The Cheveley Park at Newmarket will be next.”

Kiefer plan right on track

The Sky Bet Melrose is often the plan for many a three-year-old laden with stamina, so it’s a bit of a surprise only 13 turn up for Saturday’s renewal.

However, things have turned out perfectly for Eve Johnson Houghton’s Kiefer, his trainer clearly expecting more runners given that she was relieved about getting in the handicap proper.

A mark of 88 gets him in at number 10 on the list and after running well over 1m4f at Salisbury and Ascot on his last two starts, Johnson Houghton is hopeful the step up in trip will benefit him greatly on Saturday.

She said: “He’s in really good form, I’m very happy with him. It’s been the plan from a long way out and we’ve actually got into the weights.

“The step up in trip looks sure to suit, the family stays, he’s bred to stay and by Pour Moi, you’d expect him to improve with age.

“At Ascot he ran well but the ground was too soft.”

With no rain forecast between now and the race, conditions look set to be ideal for this half-brother to Bauer, a horse that won at York and was beaten a nose in second in the 2008 Melbourne Cup.

All aboard the Kiefer express!

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