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The race was worth 340,620 pounds to Christopher Toui, the owner of Sea The Stars. The Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown is the next race for the John Oxx-trained sophomore. For the Arc at Longchamp in early October, Sea The Stars is a 4-1 chance. William Hill offer 7-2 on Sea The Stars to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in early November.
Trainer Oxx said, “They probably went a steady pace. Of course, Mastercraftsman is no tourist. He took it to him there at the end and just made him work. He just had to fight a bit and he only does enough, but as long as he keeps winning, we won’t worry.”
Jockey Kinane, enjoying a phenomenal run this year, explained his ride. “I was following Johnny (Murtagh on Mastercraftsman) and I let him quicken up and then eased him down. Then Johnny quickened and found a couple of lengths. Just a combination of those things made it more difficult than may be it should have been.”
Aidan O’Brien spoke about Mastercraftsman. “This fellow loves to get into a battle. It was a great race and the winner is a great horse.”
John Murtagh commented. “Mastercfratsman ran his heart out and I’m very proud of him. Distance was no problem today and we nearly got there.”
On Tuesday at York, the opening day of the Ebor festival, Elusive Pimpernel made it two for two. The Elusive Quality colt left the maiden ranks in July at Newmarket. Ridden by Eddie Ahern, Elusive Pimpernel won the 1400-metre Acomb Stakes. J L Dunlop is the winning trainer.
In the Voltigeur Stakes, a Group II race over 2400 metres, also run on Tuesday, went to Monitor Closely, a 28-1 outsider. Jimmy Fortune rode the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained Monitor Closely who won by four and one half lengths.
The Wednesday card at York had three races worthy of mention. The Group II Lonsdale Cup was won by Askar Lou, a 5-2 chance, ridden by Ryan Moore and trained by Marcus Tregoning. The Lonsdale Cup was run over two miles and 88 yards.
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The Totesport Ebor (Heritage Handicap) went to Sesenta, a 25-1 longshot. G F Carroll was the rider. Nineteen ran in the 2800-metre race. Sesenta beat Changingoftheguard, John Murtagh up, in a tight finish. Changingoftheguard was the 15-8 favourite.
Thursday’s feature at York is the Group I 2400-metre Yorkshire Oaks. Sariska, winner of the Epsom and Irish Oaks, is the 4-11 favourite. It is a field of six. Dar Re Mi, winner of Curragh’s Pretty Polly, is the 4-1 second choice.
Michael Bell, Sariska’s trainer, spoke about the going at York. “I have not spoken to anyone yet. I will walk the course on Wednesday. They are looking to maintain the course and as long as they do, we should be fine. Obviously, we’re mad keen to run but we’re dependent on a little bit of help.”
The taps are on at York. Conditions have been dry. Two records have been broken in the first two days of the Ebor meeting.
Last Sunday at Emerald Downs, a Seattle-based horse kept the Longacres Mile trophy home with a clever win in the $300,000 Grade III race. Jockey Gallyn Mitchell celebrated his 47th birthday on Saturday. Breaking from post 12 in the 12-horse field, jockey Mitchell left with Assessment and dropped in as a three-horse battle developed. No winner since 1935, the inaugural running of the event, had come out of post 12. Assessment, the 7-1 third favourite, swept past tiring horses turning for home and held the fast-finishing Awesome Gem, the favourite and the mount of Russell Baze. Trainer Howard Belvoir won the 2008 Longacres Mile with Wasserman who was also in the 2009 field. Assessment gave trainer Belvoir two Longacres Mile wins in succession.
Winning trainer Howard Belvoir spoke. “It worked the way we planned it. Three speed horses were going and we dropped in. We got a better trip than we thought we would.”
Jockey Mitchell described his ride. “I could not have drawn it any better. I got to save a little ground and I peeked up and saw the leaders going pretty fast. Before I knew it, I was running them down.”
Russell Baze, Awesome Gem’s rider, explained his difficulty. “I kept him in the clear. We lost too much ground. He closed well but he had to use his move to get up there.”
Assessment got a berth in the BC Dirt Mile at Santa Anita. The five year-old gelding by Jump Start has now won seven races from 25 starts for earnings of $355,980.
On Sunday at Del Mar, Magical Fantasy staged a scintillating to rally to win the Maebee Handicap, a Group I race over 1800 metres. Magical Fantasy, the 2-1 choice, was in the rear and found a seam turning for home. She stormed home four wide and ran on. The race was run in 1 47.17 seconds. Alex Solis was aboard the Paddy Gallagher-trained filly. Magical Fantasy won the G I Santa Barnara at Santa Anita. She won Hollywood Park’s Gamely, another G I, in her next start. The Maebee was the third G I race in a row. A berth awaits Magical Fantasy in the BC Filly-Mare Turf in November.
Jockey Solis spoke. “She (Magical Fantasy) was full of confidence. She loves it here at Del Mar. There is more to come.”
Mine That Bird underwent surgery on Tuesday in New York to repair an entrapped epiglottis. It is the mechanism that helps easy breathing. Trainer Chip Woolley, Jr talked about the procedure. “It went excellent. We got it done. If you looked in there, you would never know he was entrapped before. It is real clean. He went to eating and acting normal. I am real happy. We are hopeful about the Travers and we are aimed that way.”
William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr, part owners of Curlin, have been sentenced to 25 and 20 years in jail. The two attorneys defrauded 400 clients of million of dollars, money realized from a suit against the manufacturer of fen-phen, a diet drug that caused heart problems. The one-fifth ownership in Curlin that these two have will be sorted out by the courts.
I spoke to trainer Padmanabhan. “In the Bombay 2000 Guineas and in the Derby, Icebreaker was only two lengths off Set Alight. My filly had given every indication she can hold her own. In The Nizam’s Cup, Icebreaker was getting two kilos. That gave us a distinct advantage.”
“Jockey Smith took advantage of an opening. In Grade I races, you have to make the best use of what is presented. The result did not come as a surprise. My target is the Invitation Cup. Icebreaker has a light frame and she should be ready for the Invitation. I will not give her a run before that. Smith will be with me until end of October. I have not made plans for the winter,” Padmanabhan concluded.
