RACING/YORK REPORT:DUNCAN HELPED offset the inevitable sense of anticlimax at York with an encouraging triumph in the Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup yesterday.
Carlton House’s Dante Stakes success on Thursday, which propelled the queen’s colt to the head of the betting for the Epsom Derby, would always be a hard act to follow.
Indeed, a disappointing turnout for yesterday’s feature was exacerbated by angry grey skies on what was an unusually subdued afternoon on the Knavesmire.
Happily for racegoers, Duncan at least offered enough evidence to suggest a feasible contender for the Ascot Gold Cup has finally arrived. The John Gosden-trained six-year-old is unlikely to be the star so coveted by the waning staying division since the retirement of Yeats, but few could crab the style by which William Buick claimed this Group Two encounter.
While hardly Frankel-esque, Duncan (11 to 4) always looked in quiet command once his young jockey set out to make all of the running. There were, admittedly, one or two hard-luck stories – Henry Cecil’s Native Ruler, for instance, was hamstrung by what emerged as a sprint to the line – but Gosden’s representative clearly revelled in the ascent to a mile and three-quarters.
His half-length defeat of veteran Blue Bajan was also given added resonance as Duncan was relinquishing weight to all seven of his rivals. Gosden, winning his first Yorkshire Cup, said: “He’s a bit of a character but he has a ton of talent.
“I expected him to run a huge race. He was a little effervescent and fresh and I’m sure with that out of his system, he’ll be able to go further. We’ll give the Ascot Gold Cup some thought.”
Royal ambitions were also aired by connections of Theyskens’ Theory, who excelled on her seasonal debut in the sportingbet.com Fillies’ Stakes.
Brian Meehan’s three-year-old was one of the major players in the juvenile ranks last term, and has made great progress judged by this three-and-a-quarter-length romp. Jockey Martin Dwyer said of the 15-8 favourite: “We were going to run her in the Musidora, but we felt that would be too hard a race first time back.
“She will go to Ascot now for the Coronation Stakes and hopefully we can win a Group One with her this season.”
Paul Hanagan is counting down the hours until he is reunited with Wootton Bassett in tommorrow’s Poule D’Essai Des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) at Longchamp. The Iffraaj colt enjoyed a superb juvenile season, winning each of his five starts and signing off with a Group One victory at Longchamp on Arc day – a first top-level triumph for Hanagan and trainer Richard Fahey.
A minor setback early in the year meant he failed in a race to be fit for a mouthwatering clash with Frankel in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but he gets his shot at Classic glory at Longchamp instead.
Imperial Rome edged a Curragh Listed event at the start of the month and is an interesting contender for David Wachman and jockey Ryan Moore.
“It’s a step up for him but we’ve always thought he was a nice horse and hoped he might be capable of stepping forward to this level,” said Wachman.
John Gosden’s Maqaasid appears to have sound claims in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas) having placed third in the English Guineas just a fortnight ago.
