KINROSS made up for a somewhat unlucky defeat in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood by landing the Group 2 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes on Saturday, gaining revenge over Lennox winner Sandrine, and giving Frankie Dettori his first winner of the meeting. There was extra pleasure for Dettori as he was riding for a personal friend in Marc Chan, who purchased the Ralph Beckett-trained gelding on the rider’s recommendation.

Confident

Art Power set a strong pace, and Dettori rode a confident waiting race, producing the five-year-old towards the stands side to hit the front just inside the distance. The 5/1 chance crossed the line with a length and a quarter to spare over Pogo (Charlie Hills/Kieran Shoemark), with Sandrine (Andrew Balding/David Probert) a length and a half back in third.

Ralph Beckett said: “I thought he was unlucky in the Lennox at Goodwood, and we thought this race would really set up well for him and so it proved. As he’s got older, he’s got hardier, he was quite fragile as a young horse and didn’t really come to maturity until he was gelded, and everything started to work out from there. He’s definitely not ground dependent now and that’s great.

“He might go to the Park Stakes, and I’d drop him back to six for the Haydock Sprint Cup if it came up soft, but he’ll definitely go for the Foret all being well.”

THE Owen Burrows-trained Alflaila came from last to first under Jim Crowley to take the Group 3 Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes at York, turning the tables on a disappointing Mighty Ulysses, who had beaten the winner at Newmarket in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes.

Good gallop

Masekela, dropping markedly in trip, set a good gallop and was still in front until tackled by Finest Sound (Simon and Ed Crisford/Silvestre de Sousa) with just over a furlong left, but it was the slow-starting Alflaila who finished best, and the 3/1 second favourite pounced in the final 100 yards to run out an impressive winner by two and a quarter lengths.

Marie’s Diamond (Roger Fell/Danny Tudhope) was always prominent and was beaten three lengths into third, just denying Masekela for that spot on the line.

Bahrain

Burrows suggested that the winner may step up another furlong in trip given how he saw this out, and he is entered in the Prix Dollar on Arc weekend. He is now qualified to run in the Bahrain International Trophy in November, and that cash-rich Group 3 is also likely to figure on his agenda.

PADDY Twomey and Billy Lee may have been out of luck in the Ebor, but the pair quickly made amends with the win of the speedy Treasure Trove in the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes, the daughter of Siyouni proving too strong for favourite Rocket Rodney (George Scott/Dan Muscutt) in the five-furlong contest.

The 4/1 shot came from last to first, and was comfortably on top at the finish, more so even than the winning margin of one and three-quarter lengths would indicate. She heads to the Curragh today to contest the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes.

Sandown Saturday

SIR Michael Stoute’s Potapova has been disappointing since finishing second in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom in June, but she bounced back to her very best to get the better of Grand Dame (John and Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin) in the Group 3 JRL Group Atalanta Stakes at Sandown, winning by one and a half lengths at the rewarding odds of 18/1.

Mrs Fitzherbert (Hughie Morrison/George Rooke) was the same distance back in third.

Richard Kingscote did the steering and having held her up at the rear of the field, he produced the daughter of Invincible Spirit with a strong run down the outside of the field to pass all her rivals in the last furlong.

She’s not the most reliable, and it’s possible that she is flattered by the way this race panned out for her, but she deserves credit for producing what appears a career-best performance on the figures.

Silver streaks

The Group 3 Fasig-Tipton Night Of The Stars Solario Stakes looked very open on paper but turned into a one-sided affair in reality with Silver Knott (Charlie Appleby/Pat Dobbs) scoring by an easy three and a quarter lengths over Wahaaj (Patrick Owens/Louis Steward), who in turn was two lengths ahead of Desert Hero (William Haggas/Cieren Fallon).

The 9/4 winner was following up a novice victory at Kempton but looked much improved in doing so. Out of Park Hill and Premio Lydia Tesio winner God Given – a half-sister to Postponed – he will benefit from middle distances in time and looks a candidate for the Royal Lodge Stakes over one mile at Newmarket in October.

MARK Johnston celebrated the 5,000th domestic victory of his training career when Dubai Mile scored at Kempton Park on Wednesday evening. The son of Roaring Lion was always in the box seat in a mile contest for novices and was pushed clear in the straight to win by four lengths.

Middleham-based Johnston saddled 4,874 winners under his own name before son Charlie joined him on the licence at the start of the current season. Johnston became Britain’s winningmost trainer in 2018 when beating the 4,145-winner total set by Richard Hannon Sr, and continues to set new records. Hannon Sr formally retired in 2013, allowing his son and namesake to start out with a clean slate.

Johnston’s first winner came with Hinari Video in 1987, when training from a yard in Lincolnshire, but he relocated to Kingsley House in Middleham the following year and has produced a regular flow of winners since.