THE fact the 105-rated Sandrine finished third in last Saturday’s City of York Stakes means it is unlikely the race will be upgraded to Group 1 status next year.

Such decisions are determined by official ratings and even though Kinross (119) won the contest for a second successive year and is a dual Group 1 winner himself, the horses placed in behind him will have a bearing on the decision.

Either way, the time has come for a Group 1 over seven furlongs in the UK. As things stand, the only Group 1 over the intermediate trip in Europe is the Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp, which is due to be staged on October 1st.

Ralph Beckett’s six-year-old has won both races and earned his connections £168,058 in France last Autumn. Last Saturday, the winning prize money on the Knavesmire was a much stronger £283,550. Seven furlongs is a specialist trip – too far for sprinters and too sharp for milers.

The ground in Paris in early October is invariably on the slow side and therefore a top-class, seven-furlong horse requiring top of the ground is most unlikely to encounter their optimum conditions. Neither the Group 2 Lennox Stakes (£102,078) and Hungerford Stakes (£62,381) offer enough prize money.

The Cheltenham Festival bends over backwards nowadays with mares’ only events – surely the flat race pattern board can find room for a Group 1 over seven furlongs, preferably the City of York Stakes.

Crouch a crucial cog in Beckett operation

Frankie Dettori rightly captured the headlines at York’s Ebor Festival with three winners from nine rides, including Mostadhaf’s success in the Group 1 Juddmonte International and Absurde’s narrow victory in the Sky Bet Ebor on what is expected to be his final ride on the Knavesmire.

It could have been even better had Free Wind reeled in Warm Heart in the Yorkshire Oaks. The Italian’s weighing room colleague Hector Crouch was making his own headlines nearly 300 miles south of York last Saturday when recording his first domestic Group 2 win aboard Angel Bleu in the Celebration Mile at Goodwood.

The 26-year-old, who was born and raised in Chichester, learned his trade on the pony racing circuit before riding in point-to-points. Having taken out his licence in 2016, he rode his first pattern winner three years later and enjoyed his best season in 2021 with 64 winners, including a Royal Ascot victory on Surefire in the King George V Handicap.

That tally looks set to be surpassed this time around with 51 winners on the board already – 24 of those were trained by the in-form Ralph Beckett.

Crouch steered Balance Play (Goodwood) and Nigiri (York) to win for the Kimpton stable at two of the season’s biggest summer festivals. Actions speak louder than words and Hector Crouch is happy for his riding to do the talking.

Haggas stars on comeback trail

WILLIAM Haggas enjoyed a productive four days at York with three pattern race successes, including Group 2 wins for juveniles Relief Rally and Lake Forest in the Lowther and Gimcrack Stakes respectively, while Sea Theme took the Listed Galtres Stakes on only her third start.

On day three, I spoke to the head of Somerville Lodge and he passed on a positive update on a couple of his four-year-olds who have yet to see a racecourse in 2023.

Hopes were high that Maljoom and Sense Of Duty would play leading roles in some of the top prizes this summer and form the backbone, along with My Prospero, of the stable’s older horses. Unfortunately, injury earlier in the year sidelined the pair, but both are back in full work and, provided everything goes to plan, they could be in action later this month.

Maljoom, a German 2000 Guineas winner who is unlucky not to be unbeaten, may reappear in either the Group 3 Superior Mile at Haydock next Saturday (September 9th) or the Listed Fortune Stakes at Sandown (September 20th).

Sense of Duty hasn’t been seen since taking the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle in June last year. The daughter of Showcasing is being aimed at the Qipco British Sprint at Ascot on British Champions Day in October.

However, in the meantime, she could return to action in the Listed Garrowby Stakes at York tomorrow week (September 10th). Fingers crossed they get a clear run between now and then because they are a pair of high-class four-year-olds.

Smart juvenile for the Gosdens

WHILE the world and his wife were focusing on York’s Ebor Festival, John and Thady Gosden extended their advantage over Aidan O’Brien in the trainer’s title with another winner at their local track courtesy of juvenile Eben Shaddad.

By the stable’s former Coventry Stakes winner and first season sire Calyx, he was purchased for €190,000 at the Arqana Breeze-ups in May and, while he reportedly hasn’t been the easiest to train, there was no mistaking the talent he displayed on the July course last Saturday.

Partnered by Benoit De La Sayette in a six-furlong novice stakes, which was won by subsequent Group 1 Middle Park Stakes runner-up Jash five years ago, he was handy throughout. Green when initially asked, he picked up well and pulled nearly four lengths clear despite hanging to his left inside the final furlong.

Eben Shaddad covered the fourth and fifth furlongs in 11.19 and 11.11 seconds and proved a class above his 10 rivals.

Entered in the Dewhurst Stakes on the Rowley Mile in October, it will be interesting to see if he gains more experience in another novice stakes or takes in something like the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting (September 15th).

Gosden has won the seven-furlong event on three occasions, including with his Epsom Derby winner Benny The Dip in 1996. Only the yard’s second two-year-old winner of 2023, he is a colt with a bright future.

Need for better timings

TV viewers are likely to have been left frustrated last Saturday, especially those looking forward to watching the Sky Bet Ebor at York, which was due to take place at 3.35pm.

Ten minutes earlier, there was a three-mile-and-one-furlong handicap chase at Cartmel (3.25), which started a minute late and took 6m 35 secs to run. Five minutes after the Ebor, there was a two-mile-and-six-furlong handicap hurdle at Killarney (3.40), which left little margin for error.

Even though Killarney delayed the start of their race by two minutes, the Ebor didn’t get underway until 3.46pm, with Absurde being walked to the start.

Horses aren’t machines and there are unforeseen circumstances on occasions, but the authorities could help themselves with better race planning.