York Saturday

Sky Bet City Of York Stakes (Group 1)

NEVER So Brave (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) became the first horse to win the Sky Bet City of York Stakes since its recent elevation to Group 1 status at York last week.

The 7/2 second-favourite coming from off a strong gallop set by Quinault to lead inside the final furlong, winning by half a length and a head from Lake Forest (William Haggas/Cieren Fallon) and Maranoa Charlie (Christopher Head/Aurelien Lemaitre). The 2/1 favourite Rosallion stayed on late to finish less than a length behind the winner in fourth.

Never So Brave won the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot before graduating to pattern company with success in the Group 2 Summer Mile at the same venue. He’s now added a Group 1 to his CV and may do better still given how he’s thrived.

As expected, Quinault cutting out the running, leading Audience who was switched to the stands side in the straight, chased by Rosallion, whereas the other principals raced towards the centre.

All out

The race looked open a furlong out, but while Never So Brave was all out to hold on, he stuck his neck out willingly to prevail from the fast-finishing Lake Forest.

Anna Lisa Balding told Racing TV: “He’s just taken it all in his stride and a big credit to the lads who look after him and ride him at home because he’s a little bit quirky and to get him to come and win on a big day like this is such a great result for the team.

“Dropping back to seven you’re not quite sure how versatile they are but I think he did it well today. Although Oisin did feel in the future a mile might be the right spot for him.”

When asked where the winner would head next, Balding laughed: “I literally just put the saddle on, so straight back to the trainer on that one!”

IRISH raiders dominated the market and the race itself, as Ethical Diamond (Willie Mullins/William Buick) spearheaded a one-two-three for Irish-trained horses in the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap.

The 5/1 favourite came home first having steered a wide path in the £500,000 contest. Ascending (Henry de Bromhead/Seamie Heffernan) was second with Queenstown (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) third.

Ethical Diamond, who also won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, was backed for Melbourne Cup in November immediately after the race, but his trainer advised caution regarding that race, pointing out that the horse has a screw inserted in one leg after an injury – was unlikely to pass current safety protocols for the “race that stops a nation”.

Mullins commented: “William said he was a copybook ride. He popped off, settled and did everything he wanted him to do. He said once he let him go, he quickened up well.” Mullins had previously landed Britain’s richest flat handicap with Sesenta in 2009 and Absurde in 2023.

THE Group 3 Strensall Stakes turned into a benefit for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, with his well-known yellow and black livery sported by the first two finishers, headed by 11/1 chance King Of Cities (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey).

The owner’s other runner, Boiling Point (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee), made the running with Bullet Point and King Of Cities tracking the pace before a difference of opinion among the riders as to where to race in the home straight.

Bullet Point and Gladius made their challenges on the stands’ side as the field eschewed the far rail, with Levey staying more towards the centre and his mount came out best in a tight finish, prevailing by a head and a neck from Boiling Point and Skukuza (Ed Dunlop/Ryan Moore), the latter finishing best of all but too late.

The winning rider told Racing TV: “I wanted to make the running. I’ve ridden him in the past, albeit I thought he wanted to go a bit further.

“Even over a mile, he finds ways of not getting out so I was adamant today I wanted to go forward on him. When the gates opened he stood there for a second but luckily enough he was willing when he came out and I got a handy enough position.”

Richard Hannon believes that it’s “all about next year” for King Of Cities, with the horse’s waywardness in the closing stages put down to residual greenness by the trainer, who disagreed with Levey’s interpretation that the colt would benefit from gelding.

Goodwood Sunday

PRECISE (Wayne Lordan) provided Aidan O’Brien his first win in the Group 3 Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood on Sunday last, plugging one of the few gaps remaining on his CV.

The contest is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in the autumn and that race will surely be under consideration for the daughter of Starspangledbanner.

Precise got away well from her wide draw and always travelled strongly before leading a furlong out and beating Moon Target by three parts of a length.

The 5/2 shot seemed to idle a little when getting to the lead and was quite a comfortable winner, as confirmed by Wayne Lordan, who said: “She’s a very professional filly. She ran first at Fairyhouse where she learned plenty, then she stepped up to seven furlongs at Cork and won quite well.

“We always thought she’d win her maiden at six furlongs and then go up to seven furlongs, but as it happened, she won her maiden over the longer distance.

“She has pace, and she gets this trip quite well. She was comfortable on the track, although, when I hit the front about a furlong out, she pricked one ear and I was hanging onto her a little bit which is always nice because it demonstrates she wasn’t doing the full million.”

There was later a sting in the tail for the rider who received a 10-day ban for incorrect use of the whip.

Celebration Mile

Colin Keane delivered the Andrew Balding-trained Jonquil with a perfectly timed run to land the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood on Sunday.

Winner of the Greenham Stakes on his seasonal return, Jonquil has been a tad disappointing in the Coronation Cup at Ascot and the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood on his last two starts but bounced back to winning ways with the return to a mile seeming to suit the 3/1 chance ideally.

With Keane riding a patient race, Jonquil gradually improved his position before getting the better of a tussle with Saqqara Sands (Ralph Beckett/Rossa Ryan) for a neck success, with Arisaig (Charlie Johnston/Jamie Spencer) beaten another half-length in third.

Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European Racing Manager, said: “It’s a huge result and credit to Andrew and the team down at Kingsclere.

“He was nearly a classic winner but for the barest of margins [in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains]; we made an error of judgement dropping him back to six furlongs and it’s just taken us a little while to get him back on track.”