Tag Archive for: city of york stakes

Never So Brave hits Group One target in City of York

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Never So Brave successfully graduated to the highest level in a pulsating renewal of the Sky Bet City of York Stakes, with hot favourite Rosallion only fourth.

Never So Brave joined Andrew Balding following Sir Michael Stoute’s retirement and since finishing a close second on his stable debut at Chester, the four-year-old had dominated the Buckingham Palace at Royal Ascot in June before following up in the Group Two Summer Mile at the Berkshire track last month.

He was 7-2 to complete his hat-trick in a race carrying Group One status for the first time, with Richard Hannon’s Rosallion an even-money shot after being beaten a nose and neck in the Queen Anne and Sussex Stakes respectively.

With Quinault setting a strong gallop from the off, the two market principals were given time to find their feet before being delivered and it was Never So Brave who hit the front under Oisin Murphy heading inside the final furlong.

Rosallion did his best to reel him in, with Maranoa Charlie and and Lake Forest also arriving late on the scene to set up a grandstand finish, but Never So Brave clung on to beat the latter by half a length, with Maranoa Charlie and Rosallion close up behind in third and fourth.

Anna-Lisa Balding, assistant to her husband, said: “We’re absolutely delighted, it was a wonderful ride, and thank you Sir Michael Stoute who has been very kind to us.

“He’s matured through the year and Andrew has done a pretty good job, I suppose!

“He ran over a mile last time and was dropping back to seven furlongs today. He has got a few quirks and I think as a colt he probably wouldn’t be as good as he is now – I think the gelding operation has been the making of him.”

The Queen presents the trophy to Oisin Murphy after Never So Brave's York success
The Queen presents the trophy to Oisin Murphy after Never So Brave’s York success (Richard Sellers/PA)

Philip Robinson, racing manager for winning owner Saeed Suhail, said: “Slowly, and bit by bit, he’s improved until we’ve got to the Group One.

“It’s been absolutely perfect. Andrew has taken his time and gradually climbed the ladder and now the horse has got so much confidence, which he needed to win today.

“He was tough. I was quite confident once he got to the front as it looked to me like he was fighting everything off and we know he gets a mile, which is an added bonus when you get into a tight finish over seven furlongs as you know they’re going to keep going.”

Never So Brave is 10-1 from 16-1 with Coral for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot. When asked whether that was a likely target, Robinson added: “It’s a possibility. We’ll have to sit down with the owner and trainer and see where we go next, but I’d imagine he’ll stay in training next year as well.”

York TV Trends: Saturday 23rd Aug 2025

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Here at GeeGeez we are  on hand for at this week’s York Ebor Meeting as we give you all the key stats ahead of the LIVE ITV races each day. As the York Ebor Festival moves into it's final day, it's the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap that is the feature contest of the day - the most valuable flat handicap run in Europe. A race that's seen 19 of the last 23 winners carry 9-6 or less in weight and 18 of the last 23 drawn in double-figures.

Saturday 23rd Aug 2025

YORK HORSE RACING TRENDS (ITV/RacingTV)

1.50 – Sky Bet Strensall Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 1m208y ITV

21/22 – Had won over at least a mile before
21/22 – Had won at least twice in the their career
21/22 – Had between 2 and 4 runs already that season
17/22 – Aged 4 or 5 years-old
17/22 – Had won over a mile before
9/22 – Winning favourites (1 joint) (5 in the last 10)
8/22 – Won by Godolphin
5/22 – Trained by Saeed Bin Suroor
4/22 – Had won at York before
3/22 – Trained by David O’Meara (3 of last 11)
2/22 – Trained by Charlie Appleby
7 of the last 10 winners drawn 5 or lower
See The Fire (3/1 fav) won the race in 2024

Note: The 2009 running was a dead-heat

2.25 – Sky Bet Melrose Stakes (Handicap) Cl2 1m6f ITV

20/22 – Never raced at York before
18/22 – Had a top 5 finish last time out
17/22 – Had 4 or more runs that season
17/22 – Returned 12/1 or shorter
16/22 – Had won over 1m4f or further
15/22 – Won carrying 9-0 or less
13/22 - Drawn in stall 8 or lower
6/22 – Winning favourites (1 co, 1 joint)
3/22 – Trained by William Haggas
2/22 – Ridden by Jamie Spencer
2/22 – Ridden by William Buick (2 of the last 9)
2/22 – Ridden by Oisin Murphy (2 of the last 5)
2/22 – Trained by Charlie Appleby (2 of last 7)
2/22 – Trained by Andrew Balding (2 of last 5)
The last 8 winners carried 9-3 or less
Tabletalk (12/1) won the race in 2024

3.00 – Sky Bet City Of York Stakes (Listed Race) Cl1 7f ITV

20/22 – Failed to win last time out
19/22 – Aged 5 or younger
18/22 – Priced 7/1 or shorter
16/22 – Drawn in stalls 4 to 8 (inc)
16/22 – Finished in the top 5 last time out
15/22 – Never run at York before
13/22 – Winning distance 1 length or less
13/22 – Had 4 or more runs that season
9/22 – Winning favourites (1 joint)
3/22 – Won by trainer Andrew Balding
3/22 – Placed horses from stall 1
7 of the last 10 winners drawn 3+
John Quinn yard have won 2 of the last 5
Ralph Beckett has won 2 of the last 3
Breege (33/1) won the race in 2024

3.35 – Sky Bet Ebor (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 1m6f ITV

22/23 – Aged 6 or younger
19/23 – Had won over at least 1m4f before
18/23 – Carried 9-5 or less
18/23 – Won from a double-figure stall
16/23 – Winning Distance - 1 length or less
15/23 – Aged either 4 or 5 years-old
15/23 – Had 3 or more runs already that season
13/23 – Unplaced favourites
12/23 – Carried 9-1 or less
11/23 – Had run at York before
8/23 – Irish-trained winners (8 of the last 16)
7/23 – Won last time out
6/23 – Ran at Ascot last time out
5/23 – Ran at Goodwood last time out
4/23 – Ran at Galway last time out
3/23 – Placed horses from stall 1 (winner 2023, third 2011, third 2013)
3/23 – Winning favourites
2/23 – Trained by Johnny Murtagh (2 of last 11)
2/23 – Ridden by Jamie Spencer
2/23 – Trained by John Gosden (2 of the last 7)
2/23- Trained by Willie Mullins (2 of the last 16)
All of the last 13 winners carried 9-0 to 9-9
6 of the last 7 winners carried 9-5 or more
Just three winning favourites since 1999
Since 1980 only one winner aged 7 or older
8 of the last 11 winners were aged 5 or 6 years-old
7 of the last 9 winners stalls 12+
4 of the last 6 winners Irish-trained
Magical Zoe (11/2 fav) won this race in 2024

4:10 Constantine Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) 6f ITV

Just 4 past runnings
Elmonjed (7/2 fav) won the race in 2024
Albasheer won the race in 2023
Summerghand won the race in 2023 and 2022
Jockey Daniel Tudhope rode the winner in 2022 and 2023
2 of the last 4 winning favourites
2 of the 4 winners from stall 2
All 4 winners priced 15/2 or shorter
3 of the 4 winners carried 9-0 or more in weight
2 of the 4 winners came from stalls 13+
2 winners trained by David O’Meara
Note: The 2023 running was a dead-heat

 

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Rosallion ticking all the boxes ahead of City of York challenge

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Richard Hannon is unconcerned about running Rosallion over seven furlongs for the first time in almost two years in Saturday’s Sky Bet City of York Stakes.

The four-year-old has had to make do with minor honours in each of his three starts this season, with a comeback third in the Lockinge at Newbury followed by narrow defeats in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Having missed a planned trip to France for last weekend’s Prix Jacques le Marois due to a bruised foot, Rosallion has been rerouted to the Knavesmire for what will be his first start over seven furlongs since rounding off his juvenile campaign with victory in the 2023 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Hannon said: “I’m very happy with him, it’s a shame he couldn’t go to France, but he was sound as a bell Sunday morning and conveniently this race comes along at the right time.

“It’s back to seven furlongs, but two of his best performances have been at this distance, in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

“He’s drawn out wide, but he’ll be clear of trouble there, hopefully, and he will have a great chance. On ratings he’s the best horse in the race and hopefully he will win.”

A Classic and Royal Ascot winner at three to accompany the top honours achieved in France as a juvenile, the timely upgrading of the City of York to Group One status gives Rosallion the chance to become a winner at the highest level aged two, three and four.

Hannon added: “I don’t think there is anybody who I’ve seen while racing who doesn’t think he deserves another Group One win and he’s been a model of consistency all year. Hopefully he gets his reward for it.

“He’s going to be a stallion and it will make a big difference if he can win a Group One at four. He’s already won three Group Ones and is a gentleman of a horse and fingers crossed he can win on Saturday.”

The Ralph Beckett-trained Qirat only ran in the Sussex Stakes as a pacemaker for red-hot favourite Field Of Gold, but clung on by a neck from Rosallion to cause a 150-1 upset.

He gets the chance to prove that success was no fluke, having been supplemented earlier this week.

Barry Mahon, racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “Seven furlongs, a mile, it all comes alike to him and this race looks a good fit, so we’re looking forward to seeing him run.

“It’s going to be good, fast summer ground which he handles well.

“Obviously the Clipper Handicap was out after Goodwood and with this being the first year of it being a Group One, it’s nice to be able to compete in it.”

Never So Brave has has won two of his three starts since joining Andrew Balding from the retiring Sir Michael Stoute, following up an emphatic Royal Ascot success in the Buckingham Palace Stakes with a Group Two win at the Berkshire track in last month’s Summer Mile.

On dropping back in trip, Balding said: “He looked very good at Ascot over seven furlongs in the Buckingham Palace – he was carrying top-weight and put in a really good performance there.

“I think it comes alike to him. Winning a Group Two at a mile suggests he does stay that as well. As long as we’re in the same form as we were for the last two starts he deserves a crack at this race.”

Maranoa Charlie may be trained in France by Christopher Head but he carries the colours of locally-based owners the Bond family, who snapped him up prior to his close-up second to Woodshauna in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville.

The Bond Thoroughbred team is led by Charlie Bond, who said: “It’s fantastic to be running in a Group One at York, it’s obviously our local track. It looks like we’ve got a decent draw (stall four) and Christopher is very happy with him, which is the main thing.

“He had good form in France before we bought him, winning three Group Threes, and he ran a fantastic race for us last time.

“We’ll take them all on over this trip, we’re not concerned about the ground and neither is Christopher.”

Other contenders include the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest and Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven, who gave his owners – which include several Brighton & Hove Albion footballers – a huge thrill when landing the Group Three Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood three weeks ago.

Palmer said: “He’s got some very enthusiastic owners and they’re playing with house money – he won more than the supplementary fee at Goodwood. We’re not protecting a stallion career with him so we thought why not have a go.

“When we decided to do it we probably weren’t banking on Rosallion being there, but even still, take him out and I think we’re right there with them in the run.”

Rosallion heads 11 contenders for City of York title

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Rosallion is set to face 10 rivals in the first renewal of the Sky Bet City of York Stakes since it achieved Group One status.

Richard Hannon’s star miler was bound for the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville last weekend but a bruised foot scuppered that plan and he was redirected to York.

He faces Ralph Beckett’s Qirat, who defeated him by a neck in a surprising renewal of the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, with Audience entered for John and Thady Gosden after finishing fourth in the race last year.

Never So Brave, winner of the Buckingham Palace Stakes and the Summer Mile at Ascot, is due to run for Andrew Balding, with Christopher Head’s Maranoa Charlie the sole French runner.

William Haggas’ Lake Forest, Stuart Williams’ Quinault, Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven, Ed Walker’s Ten Bob Tony and Mick Appleby’s Annaf are all in the mix, as is Aidan O’Brien’s Exactly.

The Sky Bet Ebor has attracted two runners from Willie Mullins’ stable in Hipop De Loire and Ethical Diamond, with last year’s winning trainer Henry de Bromhead represented by Ascending as he looks to retain the trophy.

The Gosdens’ French Master, O’Brien’s London City and Roger Varian’s Shadow Dance are among the leading hopes from Flat stables.

In the Group Three Sky Bet Strensall Stakes, it is Harry Charlton’s King’s Gambit who heads the market at present, with the Gosden-trained Bowmark and Ed Dunlop’s Skukuza also popular.

Qirat supplemented for Rosallion rematch at York

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Shock Sussex Stakes winner Qirat has been supplemented for the Sky Bet City of York Stakes on Saturday.

The Ralph Beckett-trained four-year-old was added to the Sussex field late in the day, primarily to carry out pacemaking duties for Field Of Gold, but he became the biggest-priced winner of a Group One in modern history at 150-1.

It cost his owners Juddmonte £70,000 to add him to the Goodwood race and they have paid another £40,000 to run him in York’s seven-furlong contest, which boasts top-level status for the first time this year.

“It looks the right race for him and Ralph felt strongly about it,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for Juddmonte.

“The owners are happy to go along with it, he showed plenty of pace in the Sussex and while a mile is his optimum, I don’t think he’ll have any problem dropping back to seven.”

After his hold-up last week, Richard Hannon has rerouted Rosallion, narrowly denied by Qirat at Goodwood, and the pair are in line to meet once more.

Mahon said: “It looks like we could meet Rosallion again and we know he’s a top-class horse, but he obviously had a little issue last week which stopped him from running in France. We’re looking forward to taking him on again and hopefully we’ll be able to maintain our position from Goodwood.”

Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven, also a winner at Goodwood in Group Three company, is another, supplemented for the race.

Andrew Balding’s Never So Brave will aim to maintain his progression having won the Summer Mile last time out while Maranoa Charlie comes over from France to represent local owners Bond Thoroughbreds.

Lake Forest, Audience, Exactly, Cosmic Year, Quinault, Ten Bob Tony, Ides Of March and Annaf make up the total of 13 contenders.

Bruised foot scuppers Rosallion’s Jacques le Marois bid

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Rosallion will be rerouted to York after a bruised foot ruled him out of Sunday’s Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.

The four-year-old was due to bid for Group One glory over a mile in France after being beaten just a nose and a neck in his last two starts at Royal Ascot and Goodwood.

Trainer Richard Hannon announced on Friday evening that his stable star will no longer make the trip though, having bruised his foot earlier in the week.

Rosallion will instead tackle the seven-furlong Sky Bet City of York Stakes next weekend, with the Knavesmire contest upgraded to Group One level this year.

In a post on X, Hannon said: “Unfortunately, we have decided to pull Rosallion out of the Prix Jaques le Marois on Sunday. He has a bruised foot that he picked up in training this week which has been treated but we aren’t completely happy and feel it only right to give him the extra days.

“This means we won’t make the trip over to France but will instead head to York. We are very happy with the way he is looking and working, and will head for the Group One City of York next weekend with the support of (owner) Sheikh Mohammed Obaid who wants the best for the horse.

“It’s disappointing for everyone involved but the horse’s welfare, as always, comes first.”

Maranoa Charlie on course for City of York test

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The Maranoa Charlie team are counting down to the Sky Bet City of York Stakes after an excellent first outing in the Bond Thoroughbred colours when agonisingly denied in the Prix Jean Prat.

Christopher Head’s son of Wootton Bassett was a headline purchase by the Yorkshire-based Bond Thoroughbred operation – the racing entity of the late Reg Bond now overseen by son Charlie – prior to the Deauville Group One and proved himself to be a quality acquisition with a fine run amongst a stellar cast.

“It’s exciting times and it was quite a pressure run having invested a lot of money but it worked out well and he backed everything up that we had seen previously,” said Charlie Bond.

“Christopher was very complimentary of him and told us after we had purchased him he thinks this is the best horse he has ever trained, so we knew we had bought into a serious horse and he went and proved it.”

Attempting to make all on the Normandy coast, Maranoa Charlie was able to repel the likes of Aidan O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter and Charlie Appleby’s Shadow Of Light before being thwarted by the narrowest of margins after the late thrust of the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Woodshauna.

Bond added: “He sort of ran four races and three horses took him on, he eyeballed them and got the better of them, just unfortunately the fourth one didn’t give him enough time to react, even though the jockey said he went after him and a stride after the line he was getting back on top of him again.

“The jockey said this horse just does not like to get beat and it’s incredible how three of them came there on the bridle, but once he eyeballed them he saw them off and they were proper Group One contenders, so you can definitely upgrade our run.”

Christopher Head won the Prix Djebel with Maranoa Charlie
Christopher Head trains Maranoa Charlie (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Although trained in France by Chantilly-based Head, Maranoa Charlie will be seen as a local hero if able set the record straight and register a first victory in the famous yellow and black colours of his ownership team on their home soil in York’s newly upgraded Group One on August 23.

“I think Christopher and the jockey may try some different tactics at York, but you’ll see what they decide on the day,” continued Bond.

“It’s a kink at York rather than a straight and a bit of a dogleg, which I think will benefit us and we hope he loves the Knavesmire as it’s the race Christopher has in mind for him.

“It’s exciting times for Bond Thoroughbreds, so we can look forward to York and go again.”

Racing Insights, Saturday 24/08/24

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Saturday's free feature is the Trainer/Jockey Combo (TJC) report, which works by bringing together the form of trainers and jockeys into a single composite report that has produced excellent results for users. Basically, some trainers turn to specific riders when they have one ‘ready to win’ and this report quickly identifies the most profitable of those combinations. Clicking on any row will reveal the entries for that trainer/jockey pairing whilst clicking on the entry will open the race in a new tab.

HINT: Look for a good sample size – ideally five or more – combined with a decent win percentage (30%+), and a positive figure in the profit column and as ever, please refer to our User Guide for further information.

My own settings for the TJC Report look like this...

...and they have generated the following runners for me to look at...

In addition to those as always, we have a list of fully functional 'free' racecards each day, which for Saturday cover...

  • 3.00 York
  • 3.05 Killarney
  • 3.15 Goodwood
  • 3.20 Newmarket
  • 5.25 Killarney
  • 6.00 Redcar

from which I'm taking a look at the Group 2 City of York Stakes from the free list aka the 3.00 York, an 8-runner affair for horses aged 3 or over and the trip is a left-handed 7f on good ground...

My initial thoughts were that this race might well boil down to a battle between Kinross (who won this race in 2022 and 2023) and Lake Forest (who gets a 5lb allowance as the sole 3yo in the race) for the right to finish second behind Audience, who I suspect will go off as a pretty short favourite, but let's have a proper look.

ART POWER has been useful in the past and ended last season with a Gr1 win on Champions Day at Ascot. Has yet to win in five attempts this season, but was a 4-lengths second to Audience in the Gr2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood 25 days ago, although he was afforded a soft lead that day.

AUDIENCE ran alone and made all to win the Gr1 Lockinge at Newbury on his seasonal reappearance in May, but was only fifth in the Queen Anne a month later. He soon put that run behind him to land the afore-mentioned Lennox at Goodwood 25 days ago and looks the one to beat here.

FIVETHOUSANDTOONE has only won one of eighteen starts on the Flat and having finished 17th of 18 and 17th of 25 in his last two starts (both Class 2 handicaps), he'd not be high on many shortlists here.

KINROSS was a Gr1 winner on Champions Day to end the 2022 season after winning this race and another Gr2 contest at Doncaster. He also won the Lennox and this race last year and was third behind Audience and Art Power in this year's Lennox after blowing the start. He'll need to get away sharper if he want a third win in this race.

SHOULDVEBEENARING has lost ten on the bounce in the UK since landing a listed race at Newmarket in May 2023 and whilst he has four top three finishes at Class 1 during that run of defeats, you'd have to think there are at least one or two to beat him again today.

VAFORTINO won a Listed race at Redcar back in October and was sixth in this year's Wokingham followed by a near-three length defeat in a Chester Listed contest last time out. A steady performer, but steady cuts little mustard at Group 2!

BREEGE gets a 3lb weight allowance as the only female in the race and she started this season the same way she finished the last one, making the frame but losing by a head in a Listed race (Ascot & Goodwood) but she did last the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth at Epsom in June. Only 7th of 9 last time out and this is a tougher race, so she's likely to be down the pecking order once more.

LAKE FOREST gets that useful 5lb 3yo allowance here and comes here in good nick. He won the Gimcrack here over 6f last August and has been a runner-up at both Gr1 and Gr3 in his two races this term. Tends to run on late, so the step up to 7f might suit and after just seven races, he's not fully exposed.

INSTANT EXPERT almost inevitably points us back towards Audience and Kinross...

...and highlights Vafortino's lack of success at this trip. Breege is also winless in five attempts at 7f and has a really poor win return in Class 1 contests, losing 10 of 11, although she has made the frame in half of those ten defeats...

...and she is relatively well drawn if past races here are anything to go by...

That said, the draw influence isn't huge as the bend here on the 7f track is quite gentle and it's often race positioning aka pace that settles the contests here...

...with front-runners having most joy, which could be good news for the likes of Art Power, Audience and Breege based on their most recent efforts...

Summary

I still think Audience is the best in the race and will win here, but we're not getting rich at odds ranging from 5/4 to 6/4. Kinross and Lake Forest are still what I consider to be next bests, but at 11/4 to 4/1 probably offer little value/point to a bet, so it might well be the likes of Art Power as an E/W option at 12's today. He split Audience and Kinross last time out, so could he do it again?