Racing:Last year's runner-up Twice Over lunged late to deny stablemate Midday in the Juddmonte International at York. Henry Cecil's dual Champion Stakes winner was ridden patiently by Ian Mongan and cruised into contention alongside Midday and odds-on favourite Await The Dawn, as the pacemaking Windsor Palace dropped away.
Await The Dawn was the first to feel the pinch, looking outpaced, while the two Cecil inmates battled it out. Midday looked to be getting the better of the argument heading inside the final furlong, but Twice Over (11-2) finished off his race best to score by three-quarters of a length.
Mongan, securing the biggest win of his career, said: “He’s a true champion, this horse, and really stuck his neck out.”
It was a fantastic result for the owner of the first two home, Khalid Abdullah, who owns Juddmonte Farms and was winning the race he sponsors for the first time. Twice Over, narrowly beaten by Rip Van Winkle 12 months ago, had been enduring a disappointing season prior to a resurgent performance in the York Stakes here last month.
He looked to have it to do against Aidan O’Brien’s progressive Hardwicke Stakes winner Await The Dawn and multiple Group One-winning mare Midday, but he showed he has lost none of his dash with an excellent late burst. It was also a superb outcome for Mongan, who rarely gets the opportunity to ride at the highest level.