A review of the rest of the action from Saturday's meeting at York where Red Verdon earned a 16/1 quote from the sponsors for the Sky Bet Ebor.
Verdon grabs gold and Ebor quote
Red Verdon came out on top in a three-way battle for the John Smith's SIlver Cup at York and earn a 16/1 quote from the sponsors for the Sky Bet Ebor.
David Allan was completing a significant double aboard Ed Dunlop's charge and was at his strongest as eventual runner-up Gold Mount (3/1) and Raheen House (15/8 favourite) delivered late challenges on the stands' side.
They couldn't quite reel in the leader though, the six-year-old scoring by a head and a short-head.
The placed horses are both 14/1 for the £1million handicap in August and Sky Bet Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "All three would be players should they return here in August and it's shaping up to be a wide open Sky Bet Ebor."
The winning rider said: "My instructions were to take my time on him and not get involved early and get there in the last furlong. It couldn't have worked any better. I was picking the right horses to follow. No-one was going better than I was. He's been running in better races and I think he enjoyed the fact he could travel better.
"He dug in really well at the finish, was headed and got back up. He looks the type for the Ebor, but I'm hoping to get Wells Farhh Go to go for that. This track and a strong gallop in the Ebor would be ideal for this horse. You never know - I'll leave it up to them."
Awesome foursome for Copper
Copper Knight claimed a fourth win over York's five furlongs with a brave victory in the John Smith's City Walls Stakes
The 2/1 favourite tracked the trailblazing Caspian Price under Allan for the first half mile before hitting the front approaching the distance.
He was never threatened and went on to score by half-a-length from Dark Shot (10/1). Poetry (4/1), who was slowly away and got squeezed out as she tried to throw down her challenge, was a further short-head away in third.
"Brilliant. What a lovely horse he is. He's been a star for us," said Easterby. "Ideally he likes a bit more juice in the ground, but he copes with anything. A good race, that was. It was close at the finish, but he looked to be in command. He sticks his neck out.
"He'll probably run at Goodwood and possibly come back here for the Nunthorpe. He had to win this to pay for his entry fees! He's just a wonderful little racehorse."
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