Ben Linfoot reflects on the feature action from day one of the Ebor Festival at York as Charlie Appleby's dominance with his 3yos continued before Mishriff stole the show.
Appleby dominance underlined again
Click here for Sky Bet Great Voltigeur report
First day at the York Ebor, 2021. A packed crowd – we’re getting used to seeing them again now but it’ll take a while for that particular novelty to wear off. Sunshine. Collective roars from the stands, the congregation divided only by the trademark red, blue and white barber poles. Bins full of empty plastic pints.
Some things are new, but some things that developed during the crowd-less race meetings of the last year remain.
For one, Aidan O’Brien not having the ammunition to lay a glove on the Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old brigade is a theme that developed in the ghost town Guineas and shows no sign of stopping.
Master Of The Seas couldn’t quite beat Jim Bolger’s Poetic Flare on the Rowley Mile with the O’Brien contingent way behind, but since then Appleby has rarely missed the target in the big races for the males from the Classic generation, scuppering O’Brien in the process.
In the Dante Appleby’s Hurricane Lane prevailed beating two representatives from Ballydoyle. In the Derby Adayar was first home in the Godolphin blue, with O’Brien’s sole dart Bolshoi Ballet well beaten. At Royal Ascot Kemari and Creative Force won the Queen’s Vase and Jersey Stakes respectively, beating three Ballydoyle horses between them. In the Irish Derby Hurricane Lane took down five of the O’Brien team in his own backyard. And then Adayar was too strong for Love and Broome in the King George.
On Wednesday O’Brien reverted to an old move from the playbook. Multiple runners in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur. Even a whiff of team tactics were in the air. High Definition, Sir Lucan and The Mediterranean went to post, with the latter utilised as the hare. That should’ve suited High Definition, in theory, and he was sent off favourite for the third successive time this year.
In Group 1/2/3 races confined to 3yos 2021
- Aidan O’Brien 8/65 at 12.31%
- Charlie Appleby 8/26 at 30.76%
Like on the previous two occasions, though, he was too slow. And, like on the previous two occasions, it was Appleby and Godolphin who landed the prize, this time with Yibir.
Yibir had previously bounced back to form in the Bahrain Trophy – a race in which O’Brien had no representative for the first time since 2015 – but he had to do so again here after flopping in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood last time out.
He was too keen in Sussex, but he settled beautifully in the hands of James Doyle on the Knavesmire. The Mediterranean helped in that regard, as his no-nonsense pacesetting as soon as the gates opened enabled Yibir to find his stride without pulling for his head. He was travelling ominously well two out as his rivals toiled and he always looked like reeling in the hare, The Mediterranean, who fared the best of the O’Brien-trained trio in second.
Yibir can’t run in the St Leger as he’s a gelding. The Mediterranean can and he was cut to as short as 10/1 by Paddy Power for the Doncaster Classic.
That looks way too short. Hurricane Lane is lying in wait for starters. Given his dominance in the division, it’s simply impossible to oppose Appleby and his tribe in the top three-year-old contests for the time being.
O’Brien is on the canvas. And while the hare couldn’t get the job done at York, it will take a serious rabbit out of the hat if he’s to snare the world’s oldest Classic from the grips of team Appleby at Doncaster next month.
The real Mishriff stands up in Juddmonte
Click here for Juddmonte International report
There is one superstar three-year-old colt for O’Brien, of course, St Mark’s Basilica. He was meant to be at York on Wednesday for the Juddmonte International, but was ruled out of the race on Sunday morning after injuring himself on the Ballydoyle gallops.
A cut to his hind leg became infected and antibiotics were required, so he’s been pencilled in for St Leger day, September 11, for his return - not for the Doncaster Classic but for the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on the same day.
But would a peak form St Mark’s Basilica have beaten Mishriff the mood he was in today? This was a power-packed performance, a bloodless display, the six lengths not overselling his dominance as he left good horses toiling, everything finally clicking for him in the UK on the Knavesmire.
On the one hand, St Mark’s Basilica – a miler who gets 10 furlongs to my eyes – might’ve been outmuscled by a stronger stayer judging by the Mishriff we saw this afternoon. But on the other hand Mishriff has boosted the form of the three-year-olds, both SMB and Adayar, that were too good for him earlier in the summer.
It’s fair to say Mishriff was a different horse at York to the one we saw at Sandown and Ascot. He’s slowly built up to his peak.
But his Juddmonte International romp has provoked more questions than answers – namely will Adayar and/or St Mark’s Basilica still have the edge on him in the autumn juggernauts? Hopefully we’ll get to find out in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe or the Champion Stakes, as on this form they may well have a job on their hands.
