York

SO often second or third in big staying handicaps, Iain Jardine’s Nakeeta finally came good in perhaps the biggest of them all, the Betfred Ebor at York last Saturday.

Coming from well off the pace for young Callum Rodriguez in a bruising encounter, the 12/1 chance collared 7/1 favourite Flymetothestars close home to score by a head with Natural Scenery third and outsider Arch Villain, who led approaching the furlong pole, fourth. Magic Circle, successful on the opening day, performed with credit again, finishing fifth.

Lord Yeats took them along, with Willie Mullins’ Ivan Grozny prominent and the filly Dubka travelling easily just off the pace. When they turned for home and bunched up, it became obvious that those coming from a long way back would need luck on their side and for a while, as Luke Morris weaved his way through on the favourite, it looked as if Sir Mark Prescott was about to land two big-race wins in a row.

However, there was one card still to be played and Nakeeta, helped no doubt by Rodriguez’s 5lb claim, gained the day in a driving finish.

For Jardine, based in Scotland, it was a long overdue and richly deserved triumph on the big stage. Last year he entered Nakeeta and Shrewd but only the latter made the cut and finished second to Tony Martin’s Heartbreak City.

“I always thought this race would be tailor-made for Nakeeta,” he said. “He was given a great ride by Callum and he’s a genuine, tough horse. He came from a different parish turning in but he’s a hold-up horse who has to come between rivals and he has outstayed them. This place is like the Royal Ascot of the north and I’m delighted to win here as well as being thrilled for the owners, who’ve been long-term supporters.”

For Rodriguez it was the biggest success of his career and to cap a memorable day he forced a dead-heat on Holmeswood in the closing sprint handicap. For a youngster there is nothing quite like winning a big, televised race and his services will be much in demand from now on.

For Sir Mark, who has never had any trouble in treating Kipling’s ‘two impostors’ just the same, Flymetothestars so nearly followed up Marsha’s last-gasp triumph in the Nunthorpe 24 hours earlier.

“We were a long way back but we found the gaps and I thought he’d done enough,” Morris said. “But in the end he found one just a shade too good and that’s the way it goes.”