York Friday

Yorkshire Cup (Group 2)

STRADIVARIUS (John & Thady Gosden/Frankie Dettori) was again the big draw at York, and despite concerns about his fitness, the 6/4 favourite looked as good as ever.

In winning his third Yorkshire Cup, he quickened up to pass the front-running Thunderous (Mark & Charlie Johnston/Franny Norton), and held that rival’s renewed challenge to hold on by a length, with Tashkan (Brian Ellison/Ben Robinson) edging out Search For A Song for third, three lengths behind the winner.

Stradivarius looked vulnerable at times last season, but he has now joined Copper Knight and Thursday’s winner Dakota Gold as York’s most frequent winners, with six successes apiece.

This was his 20th career win in total, and while there have been reverses, such as in the Gold Cup last season, his remarkable turn of foot as a stayer has made him one of the great success stories of the modern era.

As an entire horse, it cannot be easy to keep him fit and enjoying life, and John Gosden spoke of tinkering with his training regime to ensure he retains an interest in his home work, while Dettori again pointed out that he tends to do no more than is required on the gallops, so great credit must go to the Gosdens and their team for getting him to the races in such good shape.

Credit must also go to owner Bjorn Nielsen, who speaks with both admiration and humility about his great champion and is under no illusion that Stradivarius will probably not be a commercially successful sire for all his positive qualities and is therefore happy to keep him racing as long as the horse is enjoying himself. He certainly seemed to be having a lovely time on Friday, and long may that last.

Pillow Talk smart prospect

The Listed Marygate Fillies’ Stakes looked a very strong race for the grade, with a dozen previous winners in the field, but it was one of the few maidens who came out on top, as the Karl Burke-trained Pillow Talk (Danny Tudhope) got the better of a duel with Yahsat (Clifford Lee) to win by a neck, giving the trainer his second one-two of the week after annexing the Westow Stakes on Thursday.

The pair tracked the early pace, with Yahsat the first to commit, but well-backed 5/1 chance Pillow Talk showed great resolution to draw alongside, and after a stirring tussle, edge ahead for a narrow win, with third-placed Jumbeau (Tom Clover/Hayley Turner) beaten three lengths.

Pillow Talk is beautifully bred, by Kodiac out of a speedy half-sister to British Champion Sprint winner Sands Of Mali, and she has inherited all of that speed, and an excellent attitude to boot.

She was unlucky to be beaten from a terrible draw on her debut at Nottingham but impressed with how she stuck her neck out there, and again looked to try her hardest when the chips were down here.

That combination of raw speed and willingness to do her best is sure to take her far.

The way the front two pulled clear suggests they are up to winning in better class, and Burke already has a very strong hand with his juvenile fillies.

Dramatised, who also races under Steve Parkin’s Clipper Logistics banner, was a wide-margin winner at Newmarket on her debut, which gives owner and trainer a Queen Mary-sized headache.

Karl Burke had this to say about the pair who fought this out, and how they compare with Dramatised: “They’re two very high-class fillies, it’s just a shame we had to run them against each other but that’s the way it is, different owners have got to take their chances. They’ve both got blacktype which is the main thing.

“Where we go with this filly, I suppose she should be aiming for the Queen Mary, but the owners have another filly ahead of this one at home. At the moment you’d put her in front of these on home work.

“Yahsat could step up to six if you wanted but she’s got a lot of speed as well, she’s got a different owner so she probably would take her chance in the Queen Mary.”

“Pillow Talk could go six furlongs [for the Albany], but I asked Danny that question and he wasn’t very definitive, so we’d probably stick to five. They’re nice problems to have.

“All winter the horses have run well, and it’s just carried on into the spring and hopefully the summer now. We’ve still got some very nice two-year-olds to run at home so there’s lots to look forward to.”

Fonteyn dances quickstep

The Listed Michael Seely Memorial, run currently as the Oaks Farm Stables Fillies’ Stakes, provided another grandstand finish, as Fonteyn (Kevin Ryan/Andrea Atzeni) fought hard to repel the sustained challenge of favourite Grand Dame (John & Thady Gosden/Frankie Dettori) to gain victory by a head at odds of 6/1.

Arion set quite a strong pace, which got the field strung out, and that filly was still on the bridle with three furlongs to go as most of her rivals were ridden along.

She was unable to find anything extra when eventually asked the question, however, and as she weakened, Fonteyn made her move on the far side, as Dettori moved up menacingly closer to the centre of the track.

The pair quickly settled down to fight it out, and it initially looked like the smooth-travelling Grand Dame would get the better of it, only for Fonteyn to dig in gamely and refuse to let her rival pass.

This was smart form from both fillies, but it’s worth remembering that the runner-up was having just her second start, and an entry in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot does not look fanciful despite this setback.