Tag Archive for: Nunthorpe

Hollie Doyle so proud of ‘very special’ sprint king Bradsell

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Hollie Doyle was all smiles having registered her ninth European Group One victory aboard Archie Watson’s Bradsell in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Having already won the Coventry Stakes and King’s Stand at Royal Ascot on the four-year-old – stallion-making races in their own right – Doyle will probably need to make the most of what this season has left in store with him, as surely a second career at stud beckons.

He was nearly already enjoying that, as when he broke a fetlock in February when being prepared for Dubai there were questions on whether he would return to action.

However, nursed back to full health by Watson and his team of vets, Bradsell returned to action with a win in France just 19 days ago and in truth never looked like losing on the Knavesmire.

Bradsell had plenty in hand close home
Bradsell had plenty in hand close home (Mike Egerton/PA)

Third in the race 12 months ago when drawn on the wrong side, his task was made slightly easier on the morning of the race when last year’s first and fifth, Live In The Dream and Regional, were taken out.

Doyle needed a big winner this season, as while her old ally Trueshan is still about, as an eight-year-old he is in the twilight of his career. The numbers are still healthy, but every jockey needs a headline horse.

In winning another Group One, Doyle proved yet again she is among the best around – with a particular penchant for winning big sprints, having landed the 2022 Prix de l’Abbaye on The Platinum Queen, the 2020 Champions Sprint on Glen Shiel and last year’s King’s Stand with Bradsell.

Alex Greaves was famously the first female jockey to win a Group One in Britain, on Ya Malak, dead-heating in the Nunthorpe with Coastal Bluff in 1997, while Hayley Turner won it outright on Margot Did in 2011.

“It’s a real credit to Archie, when he had his injury we weren’t sure if he was going to run again, but here we are, winning the Nunthorpe,” said an elated Doyle.

Hollie Doyle was overjoyed at winning another Group One
Hollie Doyle was overjoyed at winning another Group One (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Obviously I’m aware Hayley won this and I think she’s just grateful to see someone else in the position to be capable of winning it.

“The race went perfectly to plan, that was how I saw it unfolding, to be honest. Although I ran the track this morning, and despite there being a draw bias, there was such fresh ground on the other side, I was worried that by race time it might become poached, but clearly not!

“I just feared that the other side might come across and negate the advantage, but the ground Bradsell gained on the others in the first two furlongs was incredible really.

“I could have really done with Ponntos leading me for a bit longer, definitely, but I’m lucky that Bradsell is very straightforward. He was travelling best everywhere.

“I had plenty left in the final furlong but he was idling a bit, I was starting to think I could have gone quicker!”

She went on: “Coming here this week, I didn’t have a strong book of rides numerically, but this was the one I was looking forward to most. I thought he could get me out of jail and Group Ones are Group Ones – there’s not many of them. I haven’t won one since Trueshan in the Prix du Cadran (2023).

“He’s a very special horse to me, I’m really lucky, he’s four now and you never know how long these horses are going to carry on. That’s the problem with Flat horses, they come and go very quickly, so I’m lucky to have him still.

“It’s very important to have these big winners, you can have as many as you like but no one really cares unless you are riding big ones.

“Doing it for Archie makes it really special, and the owners Victorious Racing, they’ve been really loyal to us, so it’s great.”

Eric Alston recalls Reverence’s Nunthorpe strike

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For Eric Alston, the 2006 Nunthorpe hero Reverence was the horse of a lifetime.

Owned and bred by Guy and Lesley Middlebrook, the mud-loving chestnut’s rise to the top of the sprinting division was made all the more remarkable by the fact he broke his pelvis not once but twice before he even saw a racecourse.

After suffering the injury first as a two-year-old with Mark Johnston and then again with William Haggas at three, Reverence was sent back north to Preston-based Alston, who had proved himself a capable trainer of fast horses thanks to the exploits of the high-class Tedburrow.

Trainer Eric Alston
Trainer Eric Alston (Mike Egerton/PA)

The latter, who won 21 races in all, became the joint-oldest horse to win a European Pattern race after landing the Group Three Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle as a 10-year-old in 2002, while he also claimed successive wins in the Flying Five at Leopardstown and three editions of City Walls Stakes at Chester.

Almost a year after Tedburrow ran his final race in the summer of 2004, Reverence finally made his debut as a four-year-old in a maiden at Thirsk, filling the runner-up spot as a 50-1 shot.

“We were lucky to get him just when he came right really,” said a typically modest Alston.

“I can’t say I thought he was as smart as he was going to be when he first came to us. We always thought he was OK, it just depended whether he stayed in one piece I suppose, but he actually turned out to be a pretty sound horse.”

Bar a blip at Newmarket, Reverence was unbeaten for the rest of his four-year-old campaign, shedding his maiden tag at Ripon before adding to his tally at Doncaster, Pontefract and Doncaster again.

While Group One glory was only fanciful at that stage, connections were beginning to realise they had a serious horse on their hands.

“(Kevin) Darley always liked him,” Alston continued. “I remember him winning at Doncaster at the end of his first season and he said ‘he’ll win the Abbaye next year’, because of the ground that you usually get at Longchamp I suppose.”

As a five-year-old, the son of Mark Of Esteem did indeed come into his own, with an early-season victory over veteran sprinter Bahamian Pirate and a first Group-race success in the Temple Stakes at Sandown suggesting he was capable of making an impression at the highest level.

Reverence was too strong for his rivals in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York
Reverence was too strong for his rivals in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York (Martin Rickett/PA)

He was unable to land a blow in either the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot or the Champagne Sprint at Sandown in high summer, but with heavy rain turning the York turf soft prior to the Nunthorpe, Alston was optimistic his stable star was ready to show his true colours.

“The ground came right for him and I suppose we hoped he would win, but it was a Group One and we hadn’t got near a Group One until then,” he said.

Reverence produced a performance that was surely even more than Alston could have hoped for.

Sent straight to the lead by Darley, horse and rider never looked in any real danger of being reeled in as he devoured the testing terrain on his way to a decisive two-length verdict.

“The day went over me a little bit, to be honest. He won well and never really looked like getting beat,” Alston recalled.

“It was a bit of a blur, but me and the wife really enjoyed it, that’s for sure. It was fantastic to go over the Pennines and do that.”

Following his successful Yorkshire raid, Reverence doubled his Group One tally just nine days later, ploughing through heavy ground to lift the Sprint Cup at Haydock.

Darley’s prophecy of a top-level triumph on French soil in the Prix de l’Abbaye did not quite come off as he was beaten a neck by Kevin Ryan’s Desert Lord in Paris, but Alston was nevertheless proud of an excellent campaign.

Reverence (left) winning the Sprint Cup at Haydock
Reverence (left) winning the Sprint Cup at Haydock (Peter Byrne/PA)

“It was a fantastic day when he won at Haydock on home turf. He only just won that day actually, I think the six furlongs nearly found him out on what was probably the worse ground that’s ever been run on,” he said.

“After that we went to the Abbaye and I think it rained everywhere bar the track! Some of my owners were ringing me up telling me it was absolutely throwing it down in the middle of Paris, but the girl who was over there with him said it hadn’t rained at all on the track.

“The ground wasn’t ideal but he still ran a very good race.”

Reverence continued to ply his trade for another five years before bowing out with a record of 10 wins from 42 starts in the summer of 2011.

Reverence (right) in action at Doncaster
Reverence (right) in action at Doncaster (Steve Parkin/PA)

Alston, now aged 80, called time on his training career two years ago to care for his wife Sue, but keeps an interest in racing and reports Reverence to be enjoying his retirement at the age of 23.

“His owner still has him and they look after him well – he goes out every day,” he added.

“I’m looking after Sue, that’s why I retired really. There’s a lot of trainers struggling these days, it can’t be easy. There’s that many new rules now I don’t think I’d be able to keep up!

“I still watch a lot of racing and have a tiny share in a horse with Paul Midgley, Grant Wood. He’s owned by the Whitehills Racing Syndicate and he runs in Sue’s colours actually.

“That’s a great interest for me, I can’t go far but I have visited Haydock a couple of times.”

Lynam looks back fondly on ‘great days’ with Nunthorpe hero Sole Power

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This season’s Ebor Festival will mark the 10th anniversary of Sole Power burning up the York turf to regain his Nunthorpe crown. But his trainer Eddie Lynam remembers it like it was yesterday.

The County Meath handler was already established as a high-class operator by the time his rapid but raw son of Kyllachy began his juvenile campaign in 2009, having enjoyed notable success at home and abroad with the likes of Red Feather, Domingues and the multiple Group-race winner Duff.

However, it did not take Lynam long to realise he had now got his hands on a horse that would take his career to another level.

Trainer Edward Lynam at the Curragh
Trainer Edward Lynam at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA)

“We knew he was very good, it was just a matter of teaching him how to race,” he recalled.

“If you look back at his history and watch him racing, you could see that would have been a bit of a struggle early on in his career, particularly when he was a colt.

“He was very eager to please, but the more he raced, the better he got and those good lads like Johnny (Murtagh) and Richard (Hughes) got the hang of him and we had some great days.”

Sole Power’s first of seven visits to York came on just his third career start, as after being placed twice at the Curragh, he finished a narrowly-beaten third in the £300,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes.

But it was after being gelded prior to his three-year-old campaign when he really began to excel, winning on his reappearance on the all-weather at Dundalk before placing fourth against his elders in the Palace House at Newmarket.

It was after that creditable effort on the Rowley Mile that the Nunthorpe first came into focus for his connections, but after subsequently finishing out of the places at Naas, the Curragh and Tipperary, Lynam admits he was beginning to have second thoughts.

He added: “After the Palace House, we said we’d aim him for a big sprint in England, because we knew the style of racing would suit him.

“We thought Royal Ascot would come too soon for him, given he was only a three-year-old, so we waited for the Nunthorpe and that was the plan and we were quite hopeful of a big run, but the nearer we got to it, confidence waned, as he ran a couple of very ordinary races here.

“After discussing it with David (Power, owner), he said ‘look, he better take his chance, he’s nothing to lose’. It looked a Hail Mary entry to be fair, but the rest is history.”

Sole Power lined up as a 100-1 shot for the 2010 Nunthorpe under Wayne Lordan, but kicked in the turbo late to mow down the 6-4 favourite Starspangledbanner and secure a shock victory.

“It was a brilliant performance on the day,” said Lynam. “They went off like the clappers, Paul Hanagan rode a filly of Richard Fahey’s (Rose Blossom) that was very quick and they went a million.

“We sat in behind and picked them off, it was my first Group One winner and a day we’ll never forget.

“It was definitely a surprise for me. While we’d been dreaming of it all summer, his race before that, he got very unbalanced in Tipperary and ran no sort of race and the confidence sort of ebbed away.

“It’s a bit like you fancying a horse for Cheltenham pre-Christmas and then by the time Cheltenham comes around you’re kind of going ‘we’re up against it here!’.

“For a 100-1 winner, the crowd were pretty receptive to him. No one would have backed him, I’d imagine.”

Sole Power after winning the Temple Stakes at Haydock
Sole Power after winning the Temple Stakes at Haydock (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)

Sole Power was a non-runner in the 2011 Nunthorpe due to unsuitable ground and could finish only seventh on his third attempt 12 months later. He was then beaten just half a length into third place in 2013 and Lynam feels that year’s Nunthorpe may be one that got away.

“That was a cracking run. Jwala (winner) was one of those fillies that was on the improve, but we ignored her,” he continued.

“We went to York thinking we had one horse to beat and that was Shea Shea. If you watch the tape, wherever Shea Shea went, we went – if he went left, we went left, if he went right, we went right and if he went to the shop, we went to the shop!

“Jwala got a brilliant ride and kicked for home, we couldn’t catch her and Shea Shea actually beat us a nose for second. Fair play to the winner, the closest we got to her was after the race.”

By the time the 2014 Nunthorpe came around, Sole Power was arguably in the form of his life.

Now a fully matured seven-year-old, he had already won that year’s Palace House and the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot and he was an 11-4 favourite to continue his profitable campaign in the hands of a relatively new partner in Richard Hughes.

What followed was a sensational performance by both horse and rider, with Sole Power delivered as late as Hughes dared, getting up in the last 50 yards without being fully extended to deny a familiar rival in Stepper Point by the cheekiest half-length imaginable.

Lynam believes the victory was even more remarkable due to the fact his preparation was far from ideal.

Sole Power and Richard Hughes after winning the 2014 Nunthorpe at York
Sole Power and Richard Hughes after winning the 2014 Nunthorpe at York (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)

He said: “That race is more about him and less about me because we were trying to go for the clean sweep of the Group One sprints in England that year and we’d won the first three – the King’s Stand with Sole Power and the Diamond Jubilee and the July Cup with Slade Power. The Nunthorpe was the fourth and the last one would be the Sprint Cup.

“Both horses went to Newmarket for the July Cup, Slade Power won it and Sole Power didn’t run because the ground went soft and both of them picked up a skin infection. They were riddled with it and we couldn’t put a saddle on them for ages afterwards.

“We had awful trouble getting them back, so Sole Power had a very poor prep for the Nunthorpe and then had a very nerve-racking trip, with Richard trying all of our patience!

“With no preparation, he managed to win it, which just shows how good a horse he was. Richard said he had no interest when he pulled him out initially, so he covered him back up again and came with one run. It was definitely a box office ride.

“He wasn’t a percentage jockey’s sort of ride. Richard rode him not afraid to get beat and they won three Group Ones together, so he was pretty good on him.”

Sole Power ran in the Nunthorpe for a fifth and sixth time, finishing fourth in 2015 and eighth in 2016, before the curtain was brought down on his glittering career in Dubai the following season.

Seven years on, the now 17-year-old is enjoying a well-earned retirement in County Wicklow.

“He has a great retirement,” said Lynam. “He’s let himself go a bit and has got a bit fat, but he’s doing great and he’s at Horse Park Stud with John Cullinan, who broke him in as a yearling, so he’s gone full circle really.

“We had brilliant days with him and we loved our days at York. Hopefully, one day I’ll have a horse good enough to go back there again.”

Cox wants dry spell ahead of Ghostwriter’s International bid

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Clive Cox’s Ghostwriter is gearing up to take to the Knavesmire in the Juddmonte International at York.

The Invincible Spirit colt was unbeaten at two and followed up on that promise when fourth in the 2000 Guineas on his first start as a three-year-old.

Fourth also in the Prix du Jockey Club, France’s answer to the Derby, the bay then took his chance in the Coral-Eclipse and ran a fine race to finish third behind City Of Troy when beaten two lengths.

Al Riffa was the other horse ahead of him, a subsequent German Group One winner, and Ghostwriter will be tested again at the same level when he lines up for the Juddmonte International next week.

“I think we were close enough last time that it keeps us hopeful that we can run a similar sort of contest,” said Cox.

Cambridgeshire Meeting – Day Three – Newmarket Racecourse
Ghostwriter winning the Royal Lodge last year (Tim Goode/PA)

“The rain that fell the night before at Sandown would’ve taken a little bit of impact from our performance, so I hope that we can look forward to coming up to York on some nice ground.

“He’s a horse that we’ve been pleased with his progress. Unbeaten at two and so far this year he has run with huge credit.

“Stepping up to a mile and a quarter, he ran very well in the Eclipse against City Of Troy and also Al Riffa, who franked the form yesterday with his Group One success in Germany.

“We bring a good level of form and we’re very much hoping the ground remains drier rather than wetter from his point of view. I’m happy he’s had a good timeframe from his last run to here and he continues to please me with his development, progress and work at home.

“He’s in really good order – I’m very happy. We know him really well now and he’s the sort of horse that we have a great routine at home with. Hopefully, that will see him come up to York in good form.”

Betfred Temple Stakes Day – Haydock Park Racecourse – Saturday 25th May
Kerdos after winning the Temple Stakes (Nigel French/PA)

Cox may also be represented in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes on the Friday of the meeting, as Kerdos could line up in the five-furlong Group One.

The horse was fifth behind Big Evs in the King George Qatar Stakes, beaten two lengths, when last seen but will conversely need cut in the ground if he is to take his chance in the Nunthorpe.

Cox said: “He’s a sprinter that’s building in strength and confidence as we go forward. After winning the Temple earlier in the year, I’m absolutely certain he’s going to continue that winning trail before too long.

“He ran really well at Goodwood, especially as he shouldered a Group Two penalty. We were very pleased with that performance. He’s come out of the race in very good order.

“The ground was quick enough for him at Goodwood and we are not a definite runner yet (at York). We will be watching the forecast. Hopefully we’re getting drier ground for Ghostwriter – we would appreciate any rain for Kerdos.”

Bradsell on track for Nunthorpe and other top sprint targets

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Bradsell will head next to the Nunthorpe as he is pencilled in for a late summer sprint campaign after returning to action with victory in the Prix du Cercle at Deauville.

The Tasleet four-year-old has twice been a Royal Ascot hero, taking the Coventry on his second career start in 2022 and returning to land what was then known as the King’s Stand the following year.

After that run, he headed to the Nunthorpe at York to finish a solid third behind Live In The Dream, beaten a length and three-quarters, with Highfield Princess the runner-up.

His three-year-old season ended with a seventh-placed run in the Flying Five, as he did not make it to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November.

While being prepared to return to action in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, the colt met with a setback which ruled him out of that event and also saw him miss Royal Ascot, but thanks to the efforts of trainer Archie Watson, he evidently arrived at Deauville back in good form.

Under usual rider Hollie Doyle, Bradsell contested the Listed Prix du Cercle, facing 11 rivals over five furlongs, and triumphed by a length and a quarter.

The run came after 329 days off the track and sets the bay up nicely for a late summer and autumn sprint campaign that will include a next stop at York for the Nunthorpe.

“It was wonderful to see him back, it is the result of a tremendous effort from Archie and his team to get him back fit enough to win first time out in France,” said Oliver St Lawrence, racing manager to Fawzi Nass of Bahrani owners Victorious Racing.

Royal Ascot 2023 – Day One – Ascot Racecourse
Bradsell ridden by jockey Hollie Doyle winning at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA).

“I think he won in a reasonably good field and he should certainly come on from the run. His next step, all being well, will hopefully be the Nunthorpe.

“Timeform have him as the second to top horse in the race behind Asfoora, who I think is beatable.

“It’s a division I really think he could make his mark on, the plan is very much Nunthorpe, the Flying Five, potentially France and then the Breeders’ Cup.

“He is a stallion prospect as he stands, whether we race him for another year or retire him to stud is up in the air at the minute – we’re hopeful that he can get his head in front at York and go from there.”

Live In The Dream back on right track for Nunthorpe repeat

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Adam West is heartened ahead of Live In The Dream’s Nunthorpe title defence after a creditable run in defeat at Goodwood.

The chestnut rose steeply through the sprinting ranks last year, starting out in handicaps before stepping up to Listed and the lower Group levels with some admirable placed runs.

He then ran a clear career best when facing Group One company in the Nunthorpe at York, prevailing by a length ahead of Highfield Princess to provide his jockey, trainer and owners with the best day of their racing lives.

A subsequent trip to America for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, and the preparatory Woodford Stakes, both ended in fourth-placed finishes, as the gelding refused to return home empty-handed.

This season, the five-year-old started out in the Temple Stakes at Haydock, finishing second by half a length, before returning to the same track to come home fifth when stumbling out of the stalls in the Listed Achilles Stakes.

Live In The Dream winning the Nunthorpe last season
Live In The Dream winning the Nunthorpe last season (Simon Marper/PA)

At Sandown, he lined up for the Coral Charge on soft ground and was unable to dominate as he often does, resulting in a fourth-placed run when beaten three lengths by Ed Walker’s Makarova.

Conditions were more favourable at Goodwood, with the track good to firm for Jason Hart’s first ride on the horse since 2021 following the replacement of former go-to jockey Sean Kirrane.

Though the King George Qatar Stakes is a Group Two, the assembled field gave the race Group One quality, as King Charles III Stakes heroine Asfoora and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Big Evs lined up.

From stall nine, Live In The Dream raced behind the leaders, one of whom was the evidently uncatchable Big Evs, but West’s horse ran a solid race to finish fourth, when beaten a length and three quarters.

“We’re very happy after Goodwood, he probably didn’t quite handle the track as well as others did,” the trainer said.

Live In The Dream earlier in the year at Haydock
Live In The Dream earlier in the year at Haydock (Richard Sellers/PA)

“I think it sets us up to be a nice thorn between Big Evs and Asfoora for the Nunthorpe, and Bradsell.

“If we could have a four-way battle, that would be brilliant.

“The Czech horse (Ponntos) came across him a bit and he hung a little left under the camber, but he showed his tenacity after that.

“Ironically, there was still a bit of a headwind as the race started, but we won’t be splitting hairs over that.

“The Nunthorpe has always been what Steve (De’Lemos, owner) has asked me to train for, we’ve got enough in the tank to go there with the same chance as we did last year.

“Albeit everyone already knows our style of racing and we’ve suffered a bit from that this year.”

Channon sure Desperate Hero can make impact in major sprints

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Desperate Hero will continue plying his trade in top company, with Jack Channon confident he has a future star of the sprint division on his hands after his fine effort at Sandown.

Having steadily risen through the ranks, the four-year-old has excelled in handicaps this season, with back-to-back victories earning him a shot at the Group Three Coral Charge last Saturday.

Sent off at 5-1 in Esher, he made a bold bid from the front and surged clear with two furlongs to run before being cruelly hunted down by Ed Walker’s Makarova and Andrew Balding’s Purosangue in the closing stages.

However, Channon took plenty of encouragement from this brave first appearance in group company and feels his charge has proved he belongs at that level.

The handler said: “I think a lot of people thought he was home and hosed, but if you weren’t at Sandown you wouldn’t know there was a pretty severe headwind and the ground was pretty soft.

“I’ve always thought he was a horse who would be better on good ground even though he handles soft and I think that headwind, the ground and being hassled early, probably paid in the final furlong.

“I do think the way he showed them a clean pair of heels at the two-furlong pole shows you quite how good a horse he is and he is a horse I wouldn’t swap for any other horse in the division.”

Desperate Hero will now follow the “pretty straightforward” sprint programme for the rest of the campaign.

Desperate Hero (left) made a bold bid from the front at Sandown
Desperate Hero (left) made a bold bid from the front at Sandown (Steven Paston for the Jockey Club/PA)

The King George Stakes during the Qatar Goodwood Festival (August 2) will be the son of Captain Gerrard’s next objective before marching on to York for the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (August 23) and then the Curragh for the Flying Five Stakes on September 15.

“I think the calendar in the sprint division speaks for itself and there is a pretty straightforward route,” continued Channon.

“He will go to Goodwood and then onto the Nunthorpe, then Ireland and then that will probably be his season over.

“If he could pick one of them up this year, then that would be fantastic but he’s only four and a gelding and he will hopefully be around for many a year, so we will mind him as well and hopefully he is a horse we can have around for plenty of years to come.”

Breeders’ Cup the ultimate aim for Big Evs

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Mick Appleby’s star juvenile Big Evs will put Nunthorpe disappointment behind him and press on with his sprint campaign.

The Blue Point colt scored at two of the biggest summer meetings when landing the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot and then the Molecomb at Goodwood.

Both contests are restricted to two-year-olds, but his success inspired connections to step markedly up in grade and take on older horses in the Group One Nunthorpe at York’s Ebor meeting.

The bay was a 5-1 chance under Andrea Atzeni when banking a weight allowance for his age, but the race never looked his for the taking as he faded to finish 14th of 16 runners.

Big Evs trotted up sound after the run and was found to be bearing no ill effects, leaving Appleby to conclude that he had simply had a harder race than first thought at Goodwood.

Big Evs in action at Goodwood
Big Evs in action at Goodwood (Andrew Matthews/PA)

With the horse in good health, there are no plans to cut his season short and he could head next for the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster before an American foray is planned to take aim at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“He’s absolutely fine, he came back fine and we had bloods taken and couldn’t find anything amiss,” Appleby said.

“He trotted up sound, I think it’s just that he had a lot harder race at Goodwood than we thought.

“It was a big ask for a two-year-old against older horses at this time of year, but I think it was more that – he’d just had a hard enough race at Goodwood and it came a couple of weeks too soon for him.

“He’s come out of it well, anyway, so we’ll just dust ourselves down and go again.

“He’ll possibly go to the Flying Childers and then the main aim is the Breeders’ Cup.

“It’s an easy five furlongs, it’s on the turf at Santa Anita and that should suit him so provided it doesn’t hammer down with rain, we’ll head there.”

Quinn proud of Highfield Princess in defeat

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John Quinn was making no excuses for Highfield Princess after the superstar mare had to make do with minor honours in her bid for back-to-back victories in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe at York.

Success in the five-furlong contest was the middle leg of a Group One treble for the the six-year-old last summer, with her Knavesmire triumph sandwiched by two other top-level wins in the Prix Maurice de Gheest in France and the Flying Five in Ireland.

Having twice run well in defeat at Royal Ascot in June, Highfield Princess enjoyed a confidence-boosting win at Goodwood three weeks ago and hopes were high that she could successfully her crown – but in Live In The Dream she faced a rival who had failed to read to script.

With her regular partner Jason Hart in the saddle, Quinn’s ace looked to be perfectly positioned throughout as she tracked a fierce pace set by the Adam West-trained outsider.

But try as she might, Highfield Princess was unable to reel in the all-the-way winner, with a length separating them at the line.

“She ran a great race, well done to the winner – that’s racing,” Quinn said.

“The winner got away and well done to them. She’s run a fantastic race and she’s a horse of two lifetimes.

“As long as she’s all right we’ll go to the Curragh (Flying Five), that’s the plan.”

Three-quarters of a length behind Highfield Princess in third was her Royal Ascot conqueror Bradsell, who had been kept fresh by Archie Watson since that victory in the King’s Stand.

There is every chance the pair will lock horns again before the season is out.

Watson said: “Probably the draw has probably worked against us, because the winner has blazed a trail and stuck on really well and that has probably favoured Highfield Princess in our battle for second.

“Hollie (Doyle) was very happy when the two-year-old has gone quick on our side, Big Evs, but she’s had to tack across to try and latch on to the other two.

“He’s rUn a huge race and I would imagine the Flying Five and possibly the Abbaye, but we will see and the Flying Five will be next.”

On the possibility of encountering more testing conditions in France, the trainer added: “The Abbaye would probably be my less favoured race, I would prefer to go Ireland and then America (Breeders’ Cup), but we’ll see.

“Ground-wise, until he runs on it we don’t really know, but when I was at William Haggas’ we had Tasleet (SIRE) and he loved it heavy so until he runs in it and tells us he doesn’t like it we don’t know.”

Nunthorpe victories still delight former champion Darley

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Two victories in the Nunthorpe Stakes rank highly among the career highlights of “adopted Yorkshireman” Kevin Darley.

The Staffordshire-born rider enjoyed a long and successful career in the saddle spanning over three decades, from his first competitive mount in 1976 to his eventual retirement in 2007.

Having lifting the champion apprentice title in 1978, it took Darley a while to climb the ladder as a fully-fledged professional – but from the mid-1990s he began making a name for himself on the Group One stage and in millennium year he was crowned Britain’s champion jockey for the first and only time.

It was in 1997 that Darley first struck Group One gold at York as he and Coastal Bluff shared the spoils in one of the most memorable and dramatic renewals of the Nunthorpe in recent history.

Coastal Bluff was a 6-1 shot for Yorkshire trainer David Barron and Darley recalls having high hopes before a major tack failure soon after the start threatened to ruin his chances.

“He was a little bit of a quirky horse, but he’d won the Stewards’ Cup and the Ayr Gold Cup the year before, so he was obviously a horse with potential,” he said.

“He just needed things to go right on the day, which we thought they might do in the Nunthorpe until the stalls opened and two strides later the bridle broke!

“When something like that happens you’re just riding on instinct really. It’s five furlongs in a straight line and we were probably going 40 miles per hour without any brakes!”

Kevin Darley (right) with a young Frankie Dettori
Kevin Darley (right) with a young Frankie Dettori (Tony Harris/PA)

It is testament to Darley’s skills and Coastal Bluff’s talent that he was still in there pitching as the line loomed and he flashed by the post alongside Ya Malak, trained by David Nicholls and ridden by Alex Greaves.

The judge was ultimately unable to split the pair and declared a dead-heat, seeing Greaves become the first female jockey to ride a Group One winner in Britain.

For Darley’s part, he was happy with the result.

He added: “The track opened up more back then than it does now and my immediate thoughts passing the line were ‘what am I going to do now’ and ‘how am I going to stop’!

“I was totally unaware of the result until I got back, but I didn’t think I’d got beat. The dead-heat was probably a good result in the end.”

Nine years later came Darley’s second Nunthorpe triumph as he teamed up with another popular sprinter in Eric Alston’s Reverence.

Success was significantly more straightforward in 2006 as the jockey’s mud-loving partner made every yard of the running in soft ground and came home with two lengths in hand over Amadeus Wolf.

Darley and Reverence went on to enjoy another top-level win that year in Haydock’s Sprint Cup and in all the combination claimed seven victories.

“I still see Gary Middlebrook (owner) at the races and we had some great times together with Reverence,” said Darley.

Kevin Darley celebrates winning the Nunthorpe on Reverence
Kevin Darley celebrates winning the Nunthorpe on Reverence (Martin Rickett/PA)

“I think he was plagued with injuries in the early part of his career, but credit to Eric who took his time and once he found the key to him, he never stopped progressing really.

“He was phenomenal little horse and a real character. He loved a bit of cut in the ground and you just let him do his own thing.

“He was one of those horses that was blessed with a lot of early tactical speed and in the Nunthorpe I think the other jockeys in behind were thinking ‘he’s going too fast’, but Reverence used to fill himself up a furlong down and was able to go again.”

Darley rode almost 2,500 winners before hanging up his riding boots, many trained in Yorkshire, and he has fond memories of booting home those on the Knavesmire.

Kevin Darley at York
Kevin Darley at York (Simon Cooper/PA)

“I still live in Yorkshire, I’m an adopted Yorkshireman and I always say if you’re on the best horse at York, you should win really and there should be no excuses because it’s a very fair track,” he said.

“Credit to them as resources wise they put everything back into the track and I think any jockey past or present will tell you it’s a pleasure to go there really.

“They moved the winner’s enclosure a few years ago to be a lot more public friendly. I always used to like the old winner’s enclosure as you walked through the crowd with a rope either side of you.

“I thought when they changed that you’d never get the same atmosphere, but it is exactly the same and that’s a credit to York and the people that go there – it’s a great stage.”

Big Evs supplemented for Nunthorpe challenge

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Big Evs has been supplemented for the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday – where Andrea Atzeni will ride.

Mick Appleby’s speedy two-year-old won the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot by three lengths and then followed up at Goodwood in the Molecomb.

He was ridden in both those victories by Jason Hart but he understandably maintains his partnership with John Quinn’s Highfield Princess.

As a result Atzeni, who will take up a licence in Hong Kong soon, has stepped in to fill the breach.

Big Evs on his way to victory at Goodwood
Big Evs on his way to victory at Goodwood (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“He’s in good order. He did a good piece of work this morning and he’ll probably have one more piece of work on Wednesday. I’m delighted with him,” said Appleby.

“It’s a long time since a two-year-old has won the Nunthorpe (Kingsgate Native, 2007). So, yes, it’s a big ask for him, but hopefully he’s going there with a very good chance at the weights. Jason doesn’t ride as he is on Highfield Princess. Andrea Atzeni rides.”

Big Evs is the only two-year-old in contention, but there are several three-year-olds, including the King’s Stand winner Bradsell.

Aesop’s Fables, Dramatised, Queen Me and The Antarctic are others engaged for the Classic generation, with Highfield Princess, Khaadem, Regional and Twilight Calls all among the 19 possibles remaining.

Elsewhere on the card, Ralph Beckett has supplemented King’s Gamble for the Al Basti Equiworld Gimcrack Stakes.

Conditions key to Big Evs Nunthorpe challenge

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Ground conditions will dictate whether Mick Appleby supplements Ascot and Goodwood hero Big Evs for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

The two-year-old was a Royal Ascot winner when landing the Windsor Castle Stakes in mid-June, sprinting to three-length victory having started a relative outsider at 20-1.

He was not so overlooked when stepping up to Group Three level in the Molecomb at Goodwood, where he started as the 9-4 joint favourite on ground vastly different to Ascot’s good to firm.

Rain had left the South Downs track soft underfoot, but Big Evs showed a great will to win when prevailing by a neck from Andrew Balding’s Purosangue.

Immediately after the race, connections discussed a supplementary entry for the Group One Nunthorpe on August 25, which would cost £40,000.

Big Evs landing the Windsor Castle
Big Evs landing the Windsor Castle (David Davies/PA)

The race has not been won by a two-year-old since Kingsgate Native in 2007 and the state of the ground in the lead up to the fixture will determine whether or not Big Evs bids to become the latest juvenile to feature on the roll of honour.

“He’s fine, he’s all good and he’s come out of the race really well,” Appleby said.

“He didn’t really like the ground but he’s obviously quite tough and he toughed it out.

“We’ve got a great attitude, now we’ve got to decide whether we supplement for the Nunthorpe or not.

“We’ve had discussion about it with the owner, a lot will depend on the ground and we will probably not decide until the week before when we have to supplement.

“If it was soft ground we’d probably not go there with him, but we’ve got plenty of time until we have to decide.”