York Racecourse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mastercraftsman’s Lilac Road Swoops For Middleton Triumph

Jon and Julia Aisbitt's homebred 4-year-old filly Lilac Road (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}–Lavender Lane {Ire} {MGSP-Fr}, by Shamardal), whose lone stakes success came in last term's Listed Upavon Fillies' S. at Salisbury, went postward at odds of 15-2 for Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' S. at York and displayed a willing attitude at the end of the extended 10-furlong test to continue William Haggas' fine run of form at the Knavesmire venue. She had closed last term with a second to the reopposing Ville de Grace (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) tackling 10 furlongs in October's G3 Pride S. at Newmarket and finished behind that rival once again when fifth to Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) on seasonal return in last month's G2 Dahlia S. down to nine furlongs back at Headquarters. The eventual winner adopted patient tactics behind the leaders along the rail in fourth through the early fractions, but slipped to fifth rounding the home turn. Stirred into action approaching the quarter-mile marker, she quickened smartly to go second entering the final furlong and was ridden out in the closing stages to deny the game pacesetter Aristia (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) by a half length nearing the line for a career high.

“I was half-expecting her to win, to be honest, as she ran well the last day,” admitted winning rider Tom Marquand. “We've started dropping her out in her races and it is very hard to come from behind at Newmarket. She relaxed into this today, we didn't go very fast and it worked in our favour. When I got off her at Newmarket I said to William [Haggas] if she stays on this path she'd get a mile-and-a-half, but she's clearly a filly with lots of talent. It was William's idea to drop her out at Salisbury [last year]. He told me to drop her out last and it'd be his fault if she got beaten. It's been the making of her and, as a jockey, you always want to give horses the best chance and basically William made her in one day. She's building up now and you'd have to say that was her best effort.”

Reflecting on the performance of runner-up Aristia, rider Sean Levey added, “She ran a cracker,” he said. “I think maybe in the paddock she wasn't as fully furnished as the rest of them and she's not quite there in her coat, so we'll take second today. I believe she'll improve as her whole family improved with age. She's faced good opposition today and has run quite nicely. She got a little bit tired before the line and she'll definitely improve.”

Lilac Road is the first of four foals and one of two winners out of G2 Prix de Malleret and G2 Prix de la Nonette third Lavender Lane (Ire) (Shamardal), herself a half-sister to G2 Prix Greffulhe winner Sumbal (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Listed Grand Prix du Nord victrix Lily Passion (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). The February-foaled chestnut's second dam Alix Road (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), who ran third in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary, is a half-sister to stakes-winning G3 Prix de Guiche runner-up Fils de Viane (Fr) (Kadounor {Fr}) and hails from the family of G1 Prix d'Ispahan runner-up and MGSW sire Gunboat Diplomacy (Fr) (Dominion {GB}). Lavender Lane has a yearling colt by Camelot (GB) and a weanling colt by Sottsass (Fr) to come.

Thursday, York, Britain
AL BASTI EQUIWORLD DUBAI MIDDLETON FILLIES' S.-G2, £140,000, York, 5-12, 4yo/up, f, 10f 56yT, 2:11.50, gd.
1–LILAC ROAD (IRE), 128, f, 4, by Mastercraftsman (Ire)
1st Dam: Lavender Lane (Ire) (MGSP-Fr), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Alix Road (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
3rd Dam: Life On the Road (Ire), by Persian Heights (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Jon & Julia Aisbitt (IRE); T-William Haggas; J-Tom Marquand. £79,394. Lifetime Record: 12-4-2-1, $210,655. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Aristia (Ire), 128, f, 4, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Aloisi (GB), by Kalanisi (Ire). 1ST GROUP TYPE. (85,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Mrs E Roberts; B-Rathasker Stud (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £30,100.
3–Thunder Kiss (Ire), 128, m, 5, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Desert Snow (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. £15,064.
Margins: HF, 2 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00.
Also Ran: Ville de Grace (GB), Noon Star, Forbearance (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Emily Upjohn Trounces Musidora Rivals

John and Thady Gosden's team has yet to reach the giddy heights of Charlie Appleby and Aidan O'Brien this term, but TDN Rising Star Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}–Hidden Brief {GB} {SP-Fr}, by Barathea {Ire}) provided the Clarehaven stable with hopes of Classic glory after another impressive display in Wednesday's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York. The 60,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling had opened up with a narrow victory in her Nov. 23 unveiling at Wolverhampton before earning this publication's seal of approval with a 9 1/2-length demolition in a 10-furlong Sandown novices' heat on seasonal return last month. Sent off as the odds-on favourite for this black-type debut, she was a shade keen through the early strides until finding a smooth rhythm in second as Team Valor and Steven Rocco's Luna Dorada (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) led the way at a solid clip. Looming large in the straight, the 4-7 pick was in control passing the quarter-mile marker and powered clear thereafter to easily account for Godolphin's running-on Life of Dreams (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) by 5 1/2 lengths. Kirsten Rausing's David Simcock trainee Ching Shih (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a daughter of 2014 heroine Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko), was next best and two lengths further adrift in third.

“She was keen early on, but she's in control and you want her like that,” explained Frankie Dettori after claiming an outright record of six winners in the contest. “The ground is a lot deeper than you guys think and everybody was struggling from four furlongs out. I kept her together and, from two-and-a-half to the winning post, I didn't see another horse. She won in good style by 5 1/2 lengths and what more do you want? We never had any worries about staying a mile-and-a-half. She's getting there, Enable won at Chester and at this stage she was probably on the same par. With every race this filly is improving, we've liked her since day one and I'm delighted. We can sleep nicely tonight.”

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John Gosden, moving up to within two of Sir Henry Cecil's race-record nine editions, added, “It's interesting that Frankie said the ground was quite tiring after the little bit of rain they've had on it. A few of them were struggling four or five out. Frankie waited to go and she's picked up well and looked like a mile-and-a-half would be right up her alley. She couldn't have done it any better really. She was saddled in the stables at Sandown and saddled in the stables at Wolverhampton, so it's the first time she's been saddled in front of a crowd today. She got a bit edgy, but I think she settled after a furlong and found a lovely rhythm, which is what it's all about. She's very well balanced, but there's no reason we won't get some sausage and bacon on the [May 23] breakfast morning at Epsom. We can have a canter round the track there to see how she handles it. She's a lovely filly, and well-balanced with a good stride, and she's learnt a lot today. We've been lucky to win the Oaks three times and she very much deserves to be in that league.”

Reflecting on the performance of Life of Dreams, Charlie Appleby's assistant Alex Merriam said, “We were pleased, that was only her second run and I think she's run into a very nice horse. We'll see how she is and hope things go to plan. The Oaks might still be a possibility, but I haven't spoken to Charlie yet. She'd either run there or the [G2] Ribblesdale [at Royal Ascot]. Charlie will speak to His Highness [Sheikh Mohammed] and we'll see how we go.”

Ching Shih's trainer David Simcock is disinclined to go for a rematch with the winner in next month's G1 Cazoo Oaks. “Obviously the winner is pretty smart and it doesn't take a genius to work that out,” he commented. “I said, before the race, they were just five novice winners and they were all in the same boat. The winner looks exceptional, but our filly has acquitted herself well. She was the only one out of the first four not to have had a run [this year] and she'll come forward for it. I think, when she gets her mother's [preferred soft] ground, she'll improve for it as it will actually make her quicker, if that doesn't sound stupid. I don't know where she will go, but it won't be Epsom, unless the winner scares everything off.”

Emily Upjohn, half to a yearling filly by Capella Sansevero (GB), is the sixth of seven foals and one of three scorers out of Listed Prix Petite Etoile third Hidden Brief (GB) (Barathea {Ire}). Her dam is a full-sister to GSW G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks placegetter Hazarista (Ire) and a half to the stakes-winning dam of G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Irish Derby-winning sire Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Descendants of the March-foaled bay's second dam Hazaradjat (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) include G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares victrix Seal of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}), whose 3-year-old daughter Royal Scandal (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made a successful debut at Newcastle on Tuesday, and last term's G1 Irish Derby, G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 St Leger hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

Wednesday, York, Britain
TATTERSALLS MUSIDORA S.-G3, £125,000, York, 5-11, 3yo, f, 10f 56yT, 2:10.86, gd.
1–EMILY UPJOHN (GB), 128, f, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Hidden Brief (GB) (SP-Fr), by Barathea (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hazaradjat (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Hazy Idea, by Hethersett (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (60,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Tactful Finance & S Roden; B-Lordship Stud & Sunderland Holding Inc (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $100,110. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Life of Dreams (GB), 128, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Endless Time (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £26,875.
3–Ching Shih (Ire), 128, f, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Madame Chiang (GB), by Archipenko. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Kirsten Rausing (IRE); T-David Simcock. £13,450.
Margins: 5HF, 2, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.57, 2.75, 28.00.
Also Ran: The Algarve, Luna Dorada (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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York To Alter Name Of Duke Of York S.

In light of the sexual assault charges against Prince Andrew, the Duke Of York, York Racecourse will alter the name of its G2 Duke Of York S. The race was originally named in honour of another Duke Of York, Prince George, who later became King George V, and York is going through the process to have the race renamed the 1895 Duke Of York S.

James Brennan, York's head of marketing and sponsorship, said, “In the current news cycle, it has made the name a distraction. At the current time, what we want to do is stress its history and that it was in honour of the Duke Of York who became King George V from 1898. So, any connection to Prince Andrew is through the title and it wasn't named in any shape or form for him–it has been run as a pattern race since 1971 and he did not become Duke of York until 1986.”

The Duke Of York S. has been run over six furlongs since 1968 and has been a Group 2 race since 2003. It was won last year by Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), who went on to earn champion sprinter honours.

“It is something we have gone around the houses with a bit, because it is a recognised name and the whole point of pattern races is that the name can be tracked down through the equine generations by bloodstock agents, trainers, racegoers etc,” Brennan said. “You change a pattern name with caution. But what we wanted to do, so the race could be left to be 'the race' and so we can talk about the next generations of Starmans and those sorts, rather than obsessing about the title in the current climate, was the proposal to the Pattern Committee to clarify its history and the man that it honours by just inserting an '1895' prefix. The application will go for the 1895 Duke Of York S. and I wouldn't want to second-guess the European Pattern Committee, but it would seem a reasonably straightforward request, you'd have hoped.”

Prince Andrew is being sued by Virginia Giuffre for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17. Giuffre claims she was trafficked by the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein to have sexual relations with Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew has denied the allegations and is fighting them as a private citizen after being stripped of his military titles by The Queen. He has also stopped using his 'HRH' title.

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Dubawi’s Space Blues Takes The City Of York

Godolphin's Saturday at York had started in ideal fashion and got better as TDN Rising Star Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) came back to near his peak over his favoured trip in the seven-furlong G2 Sky Bet City of York S. Last year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest hero had needed his European return when fourth in Goodwood's G2 Lennox S. July 27 and was kept away from the frantic speed duel up ahead anchored towards the rear by William Buick. Making smooth progress wide to take control passing the two-furlong pole, the 11-8 favourite employed his superior speed from there to score by 1 1/2 lengths from Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), with another Godolphin runner in Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) a neck away in third. “He settles well in his races nowadays, but the loose ground on top was a bit of an unknown–it's shifting a bit beneath the horses–and he was struggling with it early on,” Buick explained. “When he changed gear and lowered himself, he really found his stride. The Lennox didn't work out as we hoped it would and he was entitled to come on for that run. I think he is quick enough for six furlongs, but I'm not sure that he is at his best over that distance. A stiff six on good or softer ground might suit but, when you look through his form, the best of it is over six and a half and seven.”

Space Blues, whose record at this distance reads seven wins from 10 starts, had continued his winning sequence in Riyadh's 1351 Turf Sprint Feb. 20 but lost his sheen of invulnerability when only ninth in the six-furlong G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Mar. 27. Charlie Appleby was happy to see him back to his smooth-travelling best here and said, “We were very pleased with Space Blues, who went into the race as the one to beat and did it nicely. The aim now will be to go straight to the [Oct. 3] G1 Prix de la Foret on Arc weekend. We have tried to get him to that race for the last couple of years, but hopefully we can get a clean run with him this time.”

The dam Miss Lucifer (Fr) (Noverre) was also at her best over seven furlongs, winning the G2 Challenge S. and Listed October S. at the trip. She is also responsible for the four times group-winning Shuruq (Elusive Quality), who is in turn the dam of the GIII The Very One S. winner and the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. runner-up Antoinette (Hard Spun) and the GIII Jimmy Durante S. runner-up Javanica (Medaglia d'Oro). This is the family of the G1 Premio Roma heroine High Hawk (Ire), who is renowned as the dam of the triple group 1-winning Breeders' Cup Turf hero and leading sire In the Wings (GB), the G1 1000 Guineas heroine Virginia Waters (Kingmambo) and the G1 Matron S. heroine Chachamaidee (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). Miss Lucifer has the unraced 3-year-old filly Beautiful Future (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) and a yearling filly by Dark Angel (Ire).

Saturday, York, Britain
SKY BET CITY OF YORK S.-G2, £213,000, York, 8-21, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:22.60, gd.
1–SPACE BLUES (IRE), 132, h, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Miss Lucifer (Fr) (GSW-Eng, $193,403), by Noverre
2nd Dam: Devil's Imp (Ire), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
3rd Dam: High Spirited (Ire), by Shirley Heights (GB)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £120,792. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Fr at 5-7f & G1SW-Fr, 17-9-3-1, $1,313,807. *1/2 to Shuruq (Elusive Quality), Hwt. Older Mare-UAE at 7-9.5f, MGSW-UAE, GSW-Tur & GSP-Eng, $658,709. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Highfield Princess (Fr), 129, f, 4, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Pure Illusion (Ire), by Danehill. (29,000gns RNA Ylg '18 TATDEY). O/B-Trainers House Enterprises Ltd (FR); T-John Quinn. £45,795.
3–Glorious Journey (GB), 132, g, 6, Dubawi (Ire)–Fallen For You (GB), by Dansili (GB). (2,600,000gns Ylg '16 TATOCT). O-HH Sheikha Al Jalila Racing; B-Normandie Stud Ltd (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £22,919.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.38, 8.50, 8.50.
Also Ran: Sir Busker (Ire), Safe Voyage (Ire), Pogo (Ire), Fivethousandtoone (Ire), Primo Bacio (Ire), Lord of the Lodge (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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