York Saturday

City Of York Stakes

KINROSS (Ralph Beckett/Frankie Dettori) is a class act at seven furlongs and followed up last year’s victory in the Group 2 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes on Saturday.

The six-year-old son of Kingman was returned at 9/4 favourite and travelled typically well in mid-division as Audience (John and Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin) set a fair pace before the field split into two groups in the home straight.

It was the group which stayed on the far side of the track which dominated, however, with Audience leading until Kinross took over a quarter of a mile out and then rallying to regain second by a head from Sandrine (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy), who was matching her third-place finish of 2022.

The placed pair produced career-best efforts in the circumstances, but Kinross still had three-quarters of a length in hand at the line. Frankie Dettori, aware that this might be his Knavesmire swansong, raised his right arm in salute as he crossed the line.

This was a 10th career win for Kinross, who made such a memorable debut at Newmarket sporting the colours of owner/breeder Julian Richmond-Watson, but who now races for Dettori’s good friend Marc Chan.

Ralph Beckett confirmed that Kinross would take a similar route to last year, taking in the Prix de la Foret, British Champions Sprint, and Breeders’ Cup Mile before a possible crack at the Hong Kong Mile in December, a race Chan would love to win.

“He is my favourite horse,” grinned Dettori when interviewed post race. “I had Stradivarius last year, Enable the year before. I love him, he’s a great horse. I’ve got a pretty nice route – take him to Ascot, France, Hong Kong and be gone.”

Frankie signs off in Absurde style

ALTHOUGH Dettori spoke of Kinross as likely to be his last winner on the Knavesmire, he turned out to have another trick up his sleeve in what has been an extraordinary retirement season.

Absurde, second to stable-companion Vauban at Royal Ascot in June, gave Willie Mullins a second success in the Sky Bet Ebor, and Dettori a third when scoring at odds of 7/1 from favourite Sweet William (John and Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin), with Live Your Dream (Saeed Bin Suroor/Oisin Murphy).

Leading early in the straight after charting a wide path, Absurde was joined by the placed horses inside the final furlong but – helped by the stands’ rail – he rallied gamely under an inspired ride to secure victory by half a length and the same.

A relieved Dettori said in the aftermath of yet another farewell win: “In the last 100 yards I saw Rab coming, and I thought ‘that’s it - I’m beat’, but all credit to him – he showed some guts and stuck his neck out.

“What can I say, I’ve won the Ebor on my last ride – it’s mad. I thought if I win on Kinross then great, but I didn’t expect this one so it’s double sweet.”

Absurde could well head to the Melbourne Cup at Flemington in November, and Dettori admitted that he had asked Willie Mullins to consider him for the ride in one of the few big races still to elude the Italian.

The winner was reluctant to go to post and eventually had to be led to the start, with his trainer branding him “a monkey” and joking that while he’ll have no trouble passing the stringent veterinary checks given to Melbourne Cup hopefuls, “he might have a problem if they do a brain scan!”

Spirit willing

SPIRIT Dancer (Richard Fahey/Oisin Orr) took what became a messy Group 3 Strensall Stakes marred by the odds-on favourite Nostrum going lame. Despite just six runners, the field split in the straight, with Flight Plan racing alone on the far rail and the others clustered close to the stands’ side.

Nostrum held every chance when eased dramatically by Ryan Moore over a furlong out, leaving Spirit Dancer in front and he held off the late thrust of El Dancer (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) by a length. The winner, owned in part by Sir Alex Ferguson, was stepping up from a win in the Racing League at Windsor, and returned at an SP of 6/1.

Rest of the card

THE Melrose Handicap, over the Ebor trip, went to Middle Earth for John and Thady Gosden. The son of Roaring Lion hit the front going easily a furlong out under Oisin Murphy and the partnership held off Aidan O’Brien’s Denmark by a length and three-quarters, with the pair clear.

The winner isn’t in the St Leger but may be supplemented given how fast he’s improving having made his racecourse bow as recently as June.

The 6/1 chance Inquisitively (William Buick) made a winning start for Kevin Philippart de Foy in the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes, building on the promise he’d shown when third in the Windsor Castle Stakes for Ollie Sangster when last seen. He’s not entered in any of the early-closing group races but looks an obvious sort for the Flying Childers at Doncaster later in the month, with 5f seeming his ideal trip.

Around the tracks

TRAINER Ralph Beckett and owner Marc Chan had plenty to celebrate on Saturday, and shortly before Kinross won the City of York, Angel Bleu had initiated a rare across-the-card pattern-race double, with victory in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood. The 9/2 chance coped well with heavy ground to beat proven mudlark Knight (Simon and Ed Crisford) by half a length under Hector Crouch. The winner is well suited by soft ground, and now has a record of 111141 on such a surface, including in the Group 1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend as a juvenile.

The deep ground saw four defections from the Group 3 Prestige Fillies’ Stakes on Goodwood’s card, but conditions were no problem for Karl Burke’s Darnation, who took the steep rise in class in her stride having won a Thirsk novice by a wide margin on her previous outing.

Ridden by Sam James, the daughter of Too Darn Hot was backed into 5/2 favouritism, and outstayed market rival Carla’s Way (Simon and Ed Crisford) to score by two lengths. She is entered in the 7f Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket later this month but looks as if a mile will suit even better, whereas Carla’s Way (who has had wind surgery) shaped as if needing less of a test on her first start since starting favourite for the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

At Windsor, one-time Derby favourite Passenger (Sir Michael Stoute/Richard Kingscote) got firmly back on track when winning the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor on Saturday by a short-head from odds-on favourite West Wind Blows (Simon and Ed Crisford/Jamie Spencer). The winner, very much in the mould of his sire Ulysses, still showed signs of inexperience, and is the type to thrive as a four-year-old. At the same meeting, Candleford (William Haggas/Pat Dobbs) won the Listed August Stakes over 1½m by three-quarters of a length from Solid Stone, denying Sir Michael Stoute a double.

The Amateur Riders’ Derby at Epsom on Bank Holiday Monday was dominated by Irish stables, with Tony Martin’s Belgoprince producing a huge effort to win by 11 lengths under Billy Coonan.

Runner-up was Liberated Light (John and Tommy Kiely/John Gleeson), a full-brother to the Gleesons’ Champion Bumper winner A Dream To Share.

Both riders are still teenagers and have plenty to look forward to in the saddle.