REVIEW OF THE 2006 SEASON AT YORK
A momentous and historic 2006 campaign on the Knavesmire had many highlights as you would expect of a racecourse of the stature and calibre of York, although the temporary hosting of the world’s oldest Classic, The Ladbrokes St. Leger Stakes – whilst Doncaster racecourse undergoes a major redevelopment – and the first evening meeting at York for 35 years added a new dimension to the racing programme last year, following the highly successful Royal Ascot at York experience the previous season.
The eagerly-awaited May Festival did not disappoint. Short Skirt, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and partnered by the redoubtable Mick Kinane, accounted for the odds-on favourite, Alexandrova in The Tattersalls Musidora Stakes on the opening day of the season, but the Aidan O’Brien-trained runner-up went on to establish herself as the best filly of her generation by going on to land both the English and Irish Oaks and indeed completed the coveted Oaks treble by coming back to York in August to turn the tables on Short Skirt by running away with The Darley Yorkshire Oaks by three and a half lengths, ironically in the hands of Mick Kinane!
The previous season’s leading trainer at York, Mark Tompkins, wasted no time in posting his first winner of 2006, and what a winner, as his sprinter Steenberg grabbed The Duke of York Hearthstead Homes Stakes on first day of the campaign. It was a much-deserved success for Steenberg who had finished runner-up in the previous two runnings of this Group 2 race. O’Brien gained some compensation for Alexandrova’s opening day defeat, when Septimus obliged the following afternoon, taking the principal race, The totesport Dante Stakes – Britain’s most valuable Derby trial. The middle day of the May Festival produced a quartet of Yorkshire-trained winners, including Strawberry Dale (James Bethell) clinching The totepool Middleton Stakes and Zero Tolerance (David Barron) taking The Bank of Scotland Corporate Hambleton Stakes; both horses were ridden by Jamie Spencer.
Percussionist, second in the previous year’s Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup, gained ample compensation in last season’s renewal, gaining the scalp of Sergeant Cecil in this famous race for stayers on the final day of the May Festival – a day which saw Borderlescott win another valuable sprint handicap at York (The Countrywide Freight Stakes). Trained near Wetherby by Robin Bastiman, Borderlescott had won The Coral Sprint Trophy on the final day of the previous season on the Knavesmire, and after this success, he demonstrated his burgeoning ability in sprint handicaps by going on to win The Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood and occupy second place in The Ayr Gold Cup.
The Cumani family were the stars of June at York, when they once again collected The Queen Mother’s Cup, as Soulacroix was the third successive winner for Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani of this prestigious race for lady amateur riders. His daughter, Francesca has ridden the last two winners, while Luca’s wife, Sara, began the sequence in 2004. For good measure, Reem Three made it a double for the trainer on the day, when winning The Daniel Prenn Royal Yorkshire Handicap Stakes in the hands of Nicky Mackay. Goodbye Mr. Bond was a precursor to future big race success for the trainer and jockey combination of Eric Alston and Kevin Darley when landing The Cadogan Silver Salver Handicap Stakes on the 36th Timeform Charity Day, while the afternoon’s feature event, The William Hill Trophy went to Prince Tamino, trained by Hughie Morrison and ridden by Steve Drowne.
Richard Fahey recorded a brace of winners on the Friday of the June Meeting, en route to winning The Minster Jaguar Trophy presented to the leading trainer of the season at York. The Malton-based trainer also took the opening race on the Sunday of the June Meeting, when Flying Clarets lived up to her name to win in the ownership of the Matthewman Partnership and the colours of Bradford City Football Club.
La Chunga, owned by Sir Robert Ogden, secured The Cuisine de France Summer Stakes on the July Friday for Newmarket trainer, Jeremy Noseda, whose finest hour at York was still to come, while 17-year-old apprentice rider, Adam Kirby demonstrated his undoubted talent when he partnered Fairmile to victory in the 47th John Smith’s Cup and provide fledgling trainer Walter Swinburn with his biggest success so far after a glittering career in the saddle. The attendance of 40,152 on John Smith’s Cup Day once again demonstrated the popularity of the meeting and is a record for a York fixture.
The ‘Music Showcase Evening’ of Thursday, July 27th was the first evening meeting at York since 1971. World’s Heroine won the opening race of this ground-breaking fixture, while Middleham trainer, Mark Johnston secured the feature race of the evening, The Garrowby Handicap Stakes with Nihal, the mount of Joe Fanning. When racing had concluded, the Cavern Beatles performed ‘live’ on stage to round off a perfect evening.
Richard Fahey’s Wyatt Earp gunned down his rivals to clinch The Skybet Dash on ‘Music Showcase Saturday’ in July, while Best Alibi had the honour of winning a new Group 2 race on that day, The Skybet York Stakes ridden by Ryan Moore who went on to be champion jockey for the first time. It was the turn of ‘Killer Queen’ to once again strut their stuff on stage at the conclusion of the action on the track.
Ryan Moore was back in the winners’ enclosure on the opening day of the Ebor Festival in August, as he chalked up his first Group 1 success, courtesy of Notnowcato in York’s richest race eve,., The Juddmonte International Stakes – another big-race winner at York for trainer, Sir Michael Stoute. Frankie Dettori deputised for the injured Alan Munro on board the remarkable Sergeant Cecil, as the combination landed The Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup, almost a year after ‘The Sergeant’ had won The totesport Ebor Heritage Handicap. In 2006 this famous contest went to the complete outsider in the race, the 100/1 chance, Mudawin, trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam and ridden by John Egan, a victory which helped the rider be the top jockey at the Ebor Festival.
The many members of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing saw their colours carried to victory by Conquest in The Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes from the Newmarket stable of trainer William Haggas, while Reverence, owned and bred by Gary and Lesley Middlebrook, had the required speed to land the big sprint prize on the Knavesmire, The VC Bet Nunthorpe Stakes. It was a heart-warming win for trainer Eric Alston and local jockey Kevin Darley and the form was upheld just nine days later when Reverence captured another Group 1 sprint at Haydock Park.
Silk Blossom gave notice of her talent when winning The Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes, prior to securing a valuable race for juveniles at The Curragh the following month. The £300,000 St. Leger Yearling Stakes, run for the first time at York,– went to Doctor Brown, trained by Brian Meehan who was recording his third win in this race in four years and was ridden by Frankie Dettori. Other notable winners at the Ebor Festival included Youmzain (Ladbrokes Great Voltiguer Stakes), Big Timer (The Symphony Group Acomb Stakes – run for the first time as a Group 3 race and Anna Pavlova (The European Breeders Fund Galtres Stakes).
The condensed two-day Ladbrokes St. Leger Festival in September provided a feast of top-class racing, with Sergeant Cecil demonstrating that he is the leading European stayer of recent years by adding the GNER Doncaster Cup to his impressive CV on the first day of the meeting (his status was further endorsed when he landed the Group 1 Prix du Cadran at Longchamp three weeks later). The locals had plenty to cheer about when Wi Dud won for the second time during the season at York when claiming The Persimmon Homes Flying Childers Stakes for Hambleton trainer, Kevin Ryan. Frankie Dettori rode a couple of winners on the Friday of the Festival, including of course, Sergeant Cecil and the ubiquitous former champion jockey took the Knavesmire by storm the following day, when winning three of the five Group races staged on a dazzling Ladbrokes St. Leger Day, including the final Classic of 2006 itself.
Sixties Icon was simply the best in the 230th running of the oldest Classic in the world, with Dettori holding centre-stage, as York celebrated hosting the St. Leger for the first time since 1945. It was the first British Classic for trainer Jeremy Noseda and owner Susan Roy, whose husband, Paul has since been appointed chairman-designate of the British Horseracing Authority, the new governing body of Racing. Further franking the form of the feature race came when Brian Meehan’s Red Rocks triumphed at Churchill Downs in the Breeders Cup Turf having been twice placed in Group races at York (running second in the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur and a notable third in the classic.)
Dettori’s other victories on Ladbrokes St. Leger Day were achieved in the royal blue colours of Godolphin – Iffraaj (GNER Park Stakes) and Echo Of Light (Grahame Stowe Bateson Family Law Unit Strensall Stakes). Vital Equine provided trainer Eoghan O’Neill with successive victories in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes for precocious two-year-olds and Jeremy Noseda’s perfect day was complete when Simply Perfect, the mount of Darryll Holland took The Keepmoat May Hill Stakes.
The Moss Bros York Jockeys’ Championship for 2006 was secured by Dettori when he rode a winning double on the first day of the October Meeting. Army Of Angels (trained by Saeed bin Suroor) landed The TSG Handicap Stakes, while Kafuu (Jeremy Noseda’s charge) was successful in The Sawfish Software EBF Stakes.
The final day of the season, Saturday, October 7th, produced a Yorkshire-trained winner of the feature race, The Coral Sprint Trophy. Rising Shadow, trained at Maunby near Thirsk by David Barron and ridden by Francis Norton proved too good for his rivals, while Baby Strange won the Listed race for two-year-olds, The Newton Investment Management Rockingham Stakes for trainer Paul Blockley.
To sum up, 2006 was a ground-breaking, Classic and some would say iconic year at York
