York Winners: A look back to look forward....

Many stars strut their stuff on Knavesmire each summer, but no horse has captured the public’s imagination more this year than Sergeant Cecil, who has made York his second home. This tough stayer epitomises the brand of racing staged on Knavesmire, for he has risen through the ranks from record-breaking handicapper to win some of the best long distance races in Europe, and he is not finished yet. Last year he made history when winning the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate, the totesport Ebor here – on his first visit to Knavesmire - and the totesport Cesarewitch at Newmarket and his form this season has been a revelation.

Runner-up in the Emirates Yorkshire Cup here in the spring, he ran with credit in both the Gold Cup at Ascot and the Goodwood Cup and has rattled up an impressive hat-trick this autumn. He won the Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup at this year’s Ebor festival and followed up in the GNER Doncaster Cup here last month before taking the Group One Prix du Cadran at Longchamp on Arc day.Now trainer Rod Millman is eyeing the Prix Royal-Oak, the French equivalent of the St Leger, for his seven-year-old back at Longchamp later this month and you can be sure that the gelding will be a major force in all the big staying events next year too.

But there’s plenty of action left in this season and around the world during the winter when York winners will be carrying the Knavesmire flag with pride, and hopefully more success.

The Juddmonte International is the biggest race of the year at York and this season stable companions Notnowcato and Maraahel fought out the finish with only a short head between them. Sir Michael Stoute is likely to saddle them both for the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket in October.


Both are then set to travel to Hong Kong for the international race meeting there in December where Maraahel finished third in the Hong Kong Cup last year. Successful in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot this summer, this regular visitor to York will also have the Dubai carnival on his schedule, having finished an honourable sixth in the Dubai World Cup in March.

Blue Monday, who was third in the Juddmonte International, went on to take a decent prize at Newbury and heads to Toronto for the feature race of the Canadian season, their International. While Irish Derby winner Dylan Thomas was a disappointing fourth at York but recovered his poise with victory over Ouija Board in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and will be a major force if kept in training by Coolmore next year.

The Ballydoyle operation consoled themselves by looking to the future when Alexandrova could finish only second at York in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes in May, and she duly rewarded that faith by proceeding to win the English and Irish Oaks before coming back to Knavesmire and taking the Darley sponsored Yorkshire version. Some observors felt she was suffering from the effects of a long, if successful season when third at Longchamp on Arc day.

The Tattersalls Musidora winner Short Skirt finished behind her both at Epsom and in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks, while Maroussies Wings – who was third in the Tattersalls Musidora went on to be placed in the Ribblesdale stakes at Royal Ascot before winning a Group Three contest at Deauville.

Kastoria, another Irish horse – this time trained by John Oxx – who disappointed on Knavesmire in May when only fourth in the Emirates Yorkshire Cup, but she went on to complete a hat-trick of wins at home, culminating in the Irish St Leger.

The May Festival produced a whole host of good efforts. Gilded took the Listed EBF Langleys Solicitors Marygate Stakes and went on to make it four consecutive victories in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, while Borderlescott resumed with a win in handicap company and later took the Stewards Cup at Goodwood before finishing second in the Ayr Gold Cup.

As usual the Duke of York Hearthstead Homes Stakes was one of the best sprints of the year. The runner-up Quito, came back to win the SKF City of York Stakes in August and took two Listed prizes at Haydock as well as finishing second in the Group One Sprint there.

Fayr Jag – who was fourth in May – won major prizes at Newcastle and Newbury, while subsequent Ayr Gold Cup winner Fonthill Road was unplaced, along with Moss Vale. The latter won two Group Three sprints in Ireland and a Group Two contest in France for Dandy Nicholls before finishing a close third in the Prix de l’Abbaye. Also in the May line-up were Balthazaar’s Gift – subsequently beaten just a neck in the Group One Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot – and Welsh Emperor.

The latter recently won the Bentick Stakes at Newmarket and the Group two Hungerford Stakes at Newbury for Thomas Tate’s local yard at Tadcaster before dead-heating for the runner-up spot just a neck behind Caradek in the Group One Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on Arc weekend. The gelding will bid to go one better in the VC Challenge Stakes at Newmarket.

York’s new £100,000 Group Two Skybet York Stakes in July went to Best Alibi, previously runner-up in the totesport Dante Stakes in May and third in the Irish Derby, while Soulacroix gave the Cumani family yet another victory in the Queen Mother’s Cup in June and is now in quarantine, ready for a trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup in November.

Also en-route “down under” are Glistening and Geordieland who were second and fourth behind 100-1 outsider Mudawin in the totesport Ebor in August. Young Mick – who was third and who has since won the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot – has declined a trip to Melbourne, but may well be aimed at the Japan Cup in Tokyo in December.

Youmzain, who won the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes in August in such fine style, chased home subsequent Arc winner Rail Link in the Prix Neil in Paris before winning the Group One Preis von Europa in Cologne for trainer Mick Channon and has several other big race options in Europe over the coming weeks.

Reverence staked his claim for top sprinting honours when winning the VC bet Nunthorpe Stakes and followed up in the Group One Haydock Park Sprint before finishing a close second in the Prix de l’Abbaye in Paris. The form of the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes is rock solid. This top juvenile fillies event was won by Silk Blossom who has since collected a hugely valuable sales race in Ireland, while the runner-up was Indian Silk – also a sales race winner at Ascot and then victorious in the Group One Skybet Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Big Timer made it three wins from just three starts when taking the Group Three Symphony Group Acomb Stakes at the Ebor Festival and jets out to America this weekend to run in the Grade One Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, with the Breeders Cup Juvenile as his main aim.

Echo of Light and Ifraaj – who both won for Godolphin at the transferred Ladbrokes St Leger meeting last month – also have Breeders Cup targets. Ifraaj won the GNER Park Stakes and goes for the Breeders Cup Mile, while Echo of Light romped home in the Graham Stowe Bateson Strensall Stakes and has since followed up in a Group two contest at Longchamp on Arc weekend.

Paris, Melbourne, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dubai as well as Newmarket are the places that York stars should be appearing over the coming months; we look forward to seeing them return to the Knavemire next May.