York was ‘Authorized’ to thrill racegoers in 2007, as Classic winners made their mark on another wonderful season’s racing on the Knavesmire, despite mid-summer being one of the wettest on record, with the two-day June Meeting being lost to the elements.

 

The year will be remembered for producing joint champion jockeys on the Flat – Seb Sanders and Jamie Spencer – the first time the title had been shared since 1923, and for Frankie Dettori, who at last broke his Derby hoodoo on a horse whose Classic aspirations were firmly established at the May Festival at York. When Authorized – the 10/11 Favourite - justified his lofty reputation by winning the principal Derby trial, The totesport.com Dante Stakes, Dettori knew he had the ammunition to at last land the ‘Blue Riband’ of racing, while the colt’s trainer, Peter Chapple-Hyam could dream of a possible second Derby winner, fifteen years after Dr. Devious had succeeded at Epsom.

 

Authorized duly obliged at the Surrey track to further enhance York’s reputation of producing Classic winners. After losing out to Notnowcato in a tactical battle in the Eclipse Stakes, it was back to York for a vintage renewal of The Juddmonte International Stakes on the opening day of the Ebor Festival. The aforementioned Notnowcato had won the 2006 version of this famous Group 1 race – the most valuable contest at York – and he was back for more glory chasing a record prize money pot worth over $1,000,000, while The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, Dylan Thomas (representing the powerful Ballydoyle stable of trainer, Aidan O’Brien) and the South African-trained Asiatic Boy were among Authorized’s opponents on an overcast August afternoon. Dylan Thomas would go on to win, The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but once again, York belonged to Authorized and Frankie Dettori. The colt stayed on well to defeat Dylan Thomas by a length, with Notnowcato having to settle for third place this time. The partnership came back to a tumultuous reception in the winner’s enclosure, which reached a crescendo when Dettori enacted his trademark flying dismount. Racing’s showman certainly showed up at York.

 

Some 35 minutes before Authorized’s herculean effort in the Juddmonte International, Lucarno had given notice of his Classic intentions when coming out on top of The Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes in the hands of Jimmy Fortune. The next four places were all occupied by horses trained by Aidan O’Brien, but the benchmark set by Lucarno meant that he would be a tough nut to crack in the following month’s final Classic of the season, The Ladbrokes St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster. The colt’s trainer, John Gosden was unsure that Lucarno would stay the longer distance of the St. Leger, although his performance at York had convinced Fortune that he could land the Doncaster showpiece. And so it proved, as Lucarno swept to Classic success and consolidate the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes as the main race for Ladbrokes St. Leger contenders.

 

Richard Fahey retained his title as leading trainer at York by securing a winning double on the very last day of the season in October, courtesy of Fonthill Road and Flying Clarets, but his big day on the Knavesmire came in July, when Charlie Tokyo and Flying Clarets – two of his five runners - occupied the first two places in the ultra-competitive 48th John Smith’s Cup. It was a training performance out of the top drawer, as Charlie Tokyo, ridden by Jamie Moriarty, just got the better of the Paul Hanagan-ridden runner-up. This Heritage Handicap was held over the slighter shorter distance of nine furlongs, owing to the heavy ground. Indeed, the meeting had survived an inspection at 7-45 a.m. with the groundstaff working against the clock to ensure racing went ahead. To cap a fine day for Fahey, Dark Tara won the race for maidens later in the afternoon.

 

Newmarket trainer, Henry Cecil turned back the clock when Passage Of Time won The Tattersalls Musidora Stakes on the opening day of the season in May and establish herself as a leading filly of the Classic generation, while Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan scored for the home county when Amadeus Wolf sprinted to victory in The Duke Of York Hearthstead Homes Stakes.

 

One of the most popular horses in training, Sergeant Cecil continued his love affair with York, when keeping his supporters happy by clinching The Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup on the concluding day of the May Festival. It was a clean sweep of York’s top staying races for the galloping ‘Sergeant’, having already secured previous runnings of The totesport Ebor Handicap, The Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup and The Doncaster Cup when temporarily held last year on the Knavesmire. Another York specialist, Topatoo also won again at the course, landing The totepool Middleton Stakes at the opening fixture.

 

Aidan O’Brien took the British trainers’ championship, thanks in no small way to his successes at York. He hit the bullseye in three major races, beginning with Theann, who provided jockey Seamie Heffernan with his first winner at York when taking the Group 3 feature, the Cuisine de France Summer Stakes in July. The talented Septimus was the 6/5 winner of The Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup on the opening day of the Ebor Festival and the ‘Iron Lady’, Peeping Fawn gained her fourth Group 1 win in succession when dominating The Darley Yorkshire Oaks and defeating Allegretto by four lengths in the hands of Johnny Murtagh to follow in the hoof prints of the previous season’s winner, the brilliant Alexandrova, also from the O’Brien camp.

 

A remarkable training performance by Kent-based John Best saw the maiden two-year-old, Kingsgate Native land one of the most coveted races for sprinters, The Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes and provide jockey, Jimmy Quinn with the biggest success of his career. The third day of the Festival was a very profitable one for trainer Barry Hills, as he recorded a couple of notable winners in Dark Angel and The Illies. Barry’s son, Michael partnered Dark Angel to victory in the £300,000 St. Leger Yearling Stakes and the juvenile went on to notch up further big race successes in The Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury (Group 2) and the Group 1 Shadwell Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

 

Nahoodh continued Mick Channon’s outstanding record as a trainer in the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes, the filly winning this Group 2 race for leading juvenile fillies to emulate the previous accomplishments of Flashy Wings, Queen’s Logic and Bint Allayl.

 

Newmarket trainer, Luca Cumani’s affinity with The totesport Ebor Heritage Handicap continued when Purple Moon, the mount of Jamie Spencer, rewarded many on the Knavesmire when winning one of the hottest handicaps in the calendar at 7/2. It was the springboard for an attempt at winning Australia’s most prestigious race, The Melbourne Cup in early November – an audacious attempt which almost came off as Purple Moon went down by half a length from the Australian-trained Efficient in the shadow of the post at Flemington Racecourse.

 

Half an hour before riding Purple Moon to victory in the ‘Ebor’, Spencer had teamed up with another Newmarket trainer, James Fanshawe to win The Ireland Gimcrack Stakes on Sir Gerry. It was an eye-catching performance by the Irish owned colt in this famous Group 2 race for precocious two-year-olds, and he is set to make his mark in some of the top races in 2008.

 

The champion jockey of 2006, Ryan Moore, began this season on the sidelines because of injury, but he made up for lost time in the latter part of the campaign and he was on board the aptly-named Fast Company when first past the post in another traditional race for juveniles, the Group 3 Tattersalls Millions Acomb Stakes.

 

There was plenty of local support for Zomerlust – trained at Malton by John Quinn – the winner of The Sky Bet Dash (Heritage Handicap) in July, while on the same Saturday afternoon, Wing Collar secured The skybet.com Silver Cup for fellow Malton trainer, Tim Easterby. Also, Stage Gift carried Godolphin’s colours to success in the second running of The Sky Bet York Stakes, a Group 2 race. Those same royal blue colours prevailed once again in The TurfTV Strensall Stakes, as Echo of Light won this Group 3 race for the second successive year in September.

 

Six of the seven races on The Press Sunday Meeting in September were won by Yorkshire-trained horses, with trainer Richard Fahey and jockey Paul Hanagan teaming up to good effect, recording a couple of winners, courtesy of Excitement and Realism.

 

Kevin Darley’s final winner at York (the former champion jockey retired from the saddle at the end of the British Flat season in November) came at the concluding October Meeting, when Princess Ellis took The Persimmon Homes Handicap Stakes.

 

York’s seasonal swansong, the traditional October Saturday card, produced a thrilling finish to The paddypower.com Sprint Trophy, when Fonthill Road came from almost last to first and pip Hoh Hoh Hoh right on the line, while on the same programme trainer Tom Dascombe and jockey Richard Kingscote recorded their first Listed race winner when Max One Two Three had two lengths to spare over Maze in The Stowe Family Law Silver Jubilee Rockingham Stakes.

 

Jamie Spencer’s nine winners at York were sufficient to seal The Revolution Bar Award as the top jockey at York in 2007, and of course he went on to share the national title with Seb Sanders in a memorable climax to the British Flat season on turf.

 

For the second successive year, the winner of the ‘Best Dressed Lady’ competition on ‘Ladies Day’ at the Ebor Festival, went on to capture the title of ‘Best Dressed Lady Racegoer in Yorkshire’ at the Grand Final at the Ladbrokes St. Leger Festival at Doncaster. Yes, Carol Fawthrop emulated the achievement of Sally Cooper to keep York at the head of the fashion stakes.

 

Music Showcase Thursday Evening in July saw Abba tribute band, ‘Bjorn Again’ wow racegoers when the action on the track had finished, while ‘Killer Queen’ had them rocking in the stands following the conclusion of racing the following Saturday. When Galileo Figaro had won the contest for stayers during the afternoon, the skybet.com Handicap Stakes; it summed up the season, top quality racing combined with a great sense of fun.

BY GRAHAM ORANGE