Sesenta and Carroll upset the odds

Racing: Willie Mullins's Sesenta fended off the challenge of Johnny Murtagh on Aidan O’Brien’s red-hot favourite Changingoftheguard…

Racing:Willie Mullins's Sesenta fended off the challenge of Johnny Murtagh on Aidan O'Brien's red-hot favourite Changingoftheguard to snatch victory in the totesport Ebor at York.

On his first ride for Mullins this year, rising star Gary Carroll brought the petite Irish mare with a challenge inside the final furlong and the 25-1 chance stuck to the task well to deny the 15-8 market leader by a head.

Hits Only Vic was three-quarters of a length adrift in third, with Nanton taking a close-up fourth in a photo-finish for the minor honours.

Murtagh was slowly away from the stalls aboard the favourite, and having taken a brave route around the inside was trapped for racing room as the pace increased down the home straight.

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Warringah bravely tried to pull away from the field under his top weight, but the burden told close home and he dropped back to finish fifth.

Sesenta, meanwhile, came steaming down the outside of the field under 5lb-claiming apprentice Carroll, and found the line coming at just the right time as Murtagh lunged late aboard Changingoftheguard.

Mullins joked: "She's only 15 hands so she's not going novice chasing that's for sure.

"We just entered her in the biggest handicaps hoping for a light weight. We didn't claim last time at Ascot so we thought we'd come here and try claiming.

"Gary rode for me last year and I thought he was one of the best kids I have ever seen on a horse. It's his first ride for me this year."

Showcasing enhanced what was already a strong home reputation by claiming the I rish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes.

Second on his debut to Arcano before winning a maiden at Yarmouth, John Gosden's colt was warmly supported into 2-1 favourite for the Group Two race.

Orpen Grey cut out the early running with the confidently-ridden Taajub looking like an obvious danger.

But Jimmy Fortune was not far behind on Showcasing, who darted through to take the advantage approaching the final furlong and pulled two lengths away from Taajub.

Fortune said: "He is a lovely horse and is going the right way. "He relaxed nicely today, which is what you want from these sprinters, although he was looking at the cameraman under the rails in the closing stages.

"He is a nice relaxed horse and will definitely get another furlong."

Askar Tau continued the revival of Marcus Tregoning's Kingwood House yard by grounding out success in the Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup.

The Group Two event may have lacked strength in depth, but prolific winner Askar Tau added a touch of class and responded to a first-time visor to score under champion jockey Ryan Moore.

Royal And Regal looked every inch the winner inside the final two furlongs but found little under pressure, while Tregoning's 5-2 chance strode out down the centre of the course to take command and score by a length and a quarter.

Drill Sergeant, the 15-8 favourite, rallied to take second for the in-form Johnston yard.

Whispering Gallery showed plenty of guts as he made virtually all to land the RSA And Motability Stakes Handicap.

Richard Hills was always prominent on the Mark Johnston-trained 4-1 chance and turning for home he was still a couple of lengths clear and travelling well.

Sir Michael Stoute's Class Is Class had been all the rage before the race but the 15-8 favourite was stone last at the top of the straight.

Ryan Moore eventually got him going and he made plenty of progress in the final two furlongs but the winner had flown, with Whispering Gallery coming home three and three-quarter lengths clear.

Class Is Class took second with the winner's stablemate Yes Mr President a further half-length back in third.