York Ebor Festival Day 1: Round-Up

A beaten favourite on debut, the talented son of Frankel thrived for a step up to seven furlongs to get off the mark on his second start and took the leap into Group Three company in his stride with a professional display on the Knavesmire.

Sent off at 7-2, Ryan Moore allowed his mount to stride on with the pace a sluggish one in the early exchanges and the duo dictated terms from then on, repelling the challenge of Irish raider Indestructible in the closing stages to hit the line strong.

💪 Cracking effort from Chaldean

The son of Frankel gamely lands the £80,000 G3 @Tattersalls1766 Acomb Stakes for Ryan Moore, Andrew Balding & @JuddmonteFarms @yorkracecourse #EborFestival pic.twitter.com/KmOCGqe8jT

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 17, 2022

Further Group assignments now surely lie in wait for the game youngster who was cut to 8-1 from 25-1 for the Dewhurst Stakes by Betfair.

Juddmonte’s racing manager, Barry Mahon, said: “I’m delighted, he’s a lovely horse. Andrew has been very happy with him since he joined him in February. He’s very straightforward and he’s done it well – he was gutsy.

“Ryan feels like he’ll step up to a mile on his next start, which is good, so we’ll get him home and see what’s available and make a plan from there.

“He’s quite a young horse, being a middle of May foal, and I’d imagine he’s quite a bit more developing and growing to do, so we won’t over-race him this year.

“Quite rarely he’s a purchase by Juddmonte. He cost 550,000 guineas and in fairness to the (Abdullah) family, they put down their money for him as foal and he’s repaying them now.

“We’d buy less than 10 horses a year, so it’s a very small percentage of our business. But when we see something that looks nice and can enhance our stable, the family are keen to add to it.”

Asked whether he felt the colt could be a 2000 Guineas contender, he added: “It’s possible. He’s no problem staying a mile and who knows, he could even get a little bit further next year. We’ll see how the rest of the year develops.

“It’s 10 years since Frankel won the Juddmonte International here and he’s leaving his mark with every week that goes by.

“It’s very special and it’s lovely to have one winning by him in the Juddmonte colours.”

Deauville Legend delivers in the Great Voltigeur

Deauville Legend led home a one-three for trainer James Ferguson in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.

Stablemate and eventual third El Bodegon hit the front two furlongs out in the hands of Hollie Doyle, but Daniel Muscutt was moving nicely on Deauville Legend who asserted to beat Secret State by two and three-quarter lengths.

The ultra-consistent son of Sea The Stars has progressed rapidly through the ranks this season and following silver medals at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, added this Group Two prize to the Bahrain Trophy he landed at Newmarket’s July Festival earlier in the campaign.

Unable to run in the St Leger due to the fact he is a gelding, a trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup could be an option for the winner, with Paddy Power introducing him into the market at 14-1. El Bodegon is also set to head to Australia, where he holds a Cox Plate entry.

⭐️ The classy Deauville Legend readily lands the £200,000 G2 @SkyBet Great Voltigeur Stakes for @jamesferguson89 & @D_Muscutttt at @yorkracecourse #EborFestival pic.twitter.com/fpFY9tKsoX

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 17, 2022

Ferguson said: “One moment I was concentrating on El Bodegon as I thought Dan was in trouble and the next moment I saw him with a double handful. He gave him a beautiful ride and didn’t panic.

“Credit to both horses, they’ve both run fantastic races and I’m delighted for both sets of owners. They should both have successful careers Down Under.

“At the moment El Bodegon is in the Cox Plate and Deauville Legend is in the Melbourne Cup, but that’s not all set in stone. Quarantine is about two weeks. Hopefully they be in Australia in early October.

“Deauville Legend has improved with every race and has come out of each race so well, the team have done a great job with him, he’s getting better with age.”

Ferguson announced a change in his set up on Wednesday, switching yards in Newmarket.

He added: “I’m moving to Hugo Palmer’s Kremlin Cottage and I’m looking forward to continuing the good work he started there. There’s 96 boxes so almost double what I’ve got now.”

Charlie Appleby has not ruled out a St Leger run for runner-up Secret State, who beat Deauville Legend in the King George V Stakes at Ascot.

He said: “It was another solid run and the winner is improving, there’s no doubt about it.

“We are improving, but the winner is improving at a rate of knots. He travelled particularly well and had a nice pitch.

“We’ll see (about the St Leger). We’ll see how it all pans out over the coming weeks.”

Bergerac digs deep to win Ebor opener

Bergerac (22-1) battled back gamely to crack the fiendishly difficult Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap at York.

Kevin Ryan’s sprinter had bounced back to form in first-time blinkers last time out at Newmarket but was 5lb higher in the weights in a much deeper race.

Tom Eaves sent him to the far rail from stall two but he looked booked for place honours when King Of Stars headed him entering the final furlong.

However, to the four-year-old’s credit, he stuck to his task and was brave in the finish, sticking his neck out to win by a short head with the same back to Atalis Bay in third. The same connections won the corresponding race in 2013 with Bogart.

🔍 Bergerac solves the crime at @yorkracecourse

A cracking effort from the gutsy Bergerac who records successive wins for @tomeaveswigan & @kevinryanracing #EborFestival @SkyBet pic.twitter.com/227h4OvFb1

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 17, 2022

Betfair cut him to 16-1 from 33s for the Ayr Gold Cup.

Ryan said: “Just to get a winner at this meeting is nice, so it’s great to get off to a start like that.

“The horse is ultra-consistent and the blinkers have helped. It helped him and made him concentrate as he was maybe saving a bit for himself. He left everything out there today.

“I jokingly said to Tom that I had walked it last night and the far side was the place to be. There was no point in complicating it and who knows on the first day of the meeting where the place to be is. He’s a fast horse and it worked out well.”