York Ebor meeting next week..

Yeah non runner yesterday R5m prize money and 4 runners,not a single entry from the UK...

The 4/7 looks good now,some might not have been impressed but i was,Mastercraftsman is probably the "second best " 3yo in Europe..

And a new course record a full second faster..

Quote from Mick Kinane..

"I asked him to go and quicken up between the two Ballydoyle pacemakers, which was probably a bit risky, but I wanted to follow Johnny (Murtagh, on Mastercraftsman) through.

"So I let him quicken up and then eased him down. Then Johnny quickened and found a couple of lengths and his horse has run a hell of a race.

"Just a combination of those things made it more difficult than maybe it should have been."

Best horse in my lifetime "Sea the Stars"..so glad we get to see him race..must say this is one area where TT are my heroes..

well done to shaheen for showing us the head on and prize giving etc ,much appreciated

Good evening all, just home from a long day and lots of travel/meetings and look forward to watching the replay.
My "great horse" gets better by the day, wonderful stuff.

What a STAR!

Sea The Stars asserts class again in Juddmonte


Report: York, Tuesday

Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1) 1m2½f, 3yo+

SEA THE STARS, the world's best racehorse, wore down the gallant Mastercraftsman to add the Group 1 Juddmonte International to his impressive seasonal haul.

The Guineas-Derby-Eclipse hero, sent off the 1-4 favourite, smashed York's 1m2½f track record when coming out on top of a prolonged duel with Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Mastercraftsman (3-1).

After the withdrawal of Tartan Bearer on Monday, it was left to trainer Aidan O'Brien, who saddled the other three runners in the race, to try to lower the colours of the John Oxx-trained superstar.


As the quartet broke from the stalls, Georgebernardshaw adopted the pacesetting role, shortly followed by Set Sail with Mastercraftsman in behind and Sea The Stars out the back.

The complexion of the race changed with four furlongs to run as Johnny Murtagh weaved Mastercraftsman through a gap in between his stablemates, but Mick Kinane audaciously followed on the Sea The Stars.

The two outsiders began to toil and left the way clear for the highly touted confrontation between the two big guns, with Mastercraftsman a couple of lengths clear as the tempo increased.

Sea The Stars cruised in behind and as Kinane began to ask the son of Cape Cross to go and win the race he closed the gap, gradually finding top gear to wear down his rival.

Oxx said: "They probably went a steady pace and of course Mastercraftsman is no tourist. He took it to him there at the end and just made him work.

"He's just had to fight a bit and he onlyjust does enough, but as long as he keeps winning we won't worry."


Kinane added: "I asked him to go and quicken up between the two Ballydoyle pacemakers, which was probably a bit of a risky manoeuvre, but I wanted to follow Johnny [Murtagh, on Mastercraftsman] through.

"So I let him quicken up and then eased him down. Then Johnny quickened and found a couple of lengths and his horse has run a hell of a race.

"Just a combination of those things made it more difficult than maybe it should have been."

Delighted winning owner Christopher Tsui said: "I'm feeling great and it's just unbelievable.

"It did look in doubt for a second, but I saw Mick and he was just waiting and waiting for the right moment. It was just unbelievable to watch that."

O'Brien said of Mastercraftsman: "This fellow loves to get into a battle, but Mick rode a brilliant race on Sea The Stars. It was a great race and the winner is a great horse.

"He's not short on speed, ourfellow, but he can run either over a mile or a mile and a quarter. I'm not sure where he will go now - all options are open to him."

Murtagh added: "He ran his heart out and I'm very proud of him. The distance was no problem today, and we nearly got there."

Paddy Power make Sea The Stars the 1-2 favourite for the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes - his intended next race - while William Hill make him 4-7 (first show).

Hills also left Sea The Stars unchanged at 4-1 for the Qatar Prix l'Arc de Triomphe and 7-2 for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Mullins denies O'Brien as Sesenta takes Ebor


Report: York, Wednesday

Totesport Ebor (Heritage Handicap) 1m6f

CHAMPION Irish jumps trainer Willie Mullins gave leading Irish apprentice Gary Carroll the most high-profile win of his short career when the diminutive Sesenta held off the Aidan O'Brien-trained Changingoftheguard to take the£130,851 prize at 25-1.

In the market there appeared only one winner, with Changingoftheguard well-backed to give his champion Flat trainer a second win in Europe's richest Flat handicap, but the 15-8 favourite reared in the stalls and found himself and Johnny Murtagh in last place.



In contrast, Gary Carroll, five winners clear of Shane Foley in the race for Ireland's apprentice crown, got a good start on Royal Ascot second Sesenta and was happy to sit in mid-division until rounding the home bend.

Top-weight Warringah had led all the way and bravely pulled several lengths clear of the chasing pack with only a quarter mile to run.

Murtagh tried to slip through up the rail but was forced to snatch Changingoftheguard up and switch around four horses. At the same time the 5lb claimer and the winner were driving hard through the pack as Warringah began to tire.

In the nick of time Murtagh ignited Changingoftheguard, but as the pair charged towards the leaders it was too late as Carroll and the petite-battler hit the line first,winning by merely a head.

Mullins joked: "She's the smallest horse in my yard. She's only 15 hands high so she's not going novice chasing next that's for sure.

"This season we've just entered her in the biggest handicaps hoping for a light weight. We didn't claim last time at Ascot so we thought we'd come here and try claiming.

"Gary [Carroll] rode for me last year and I thought he was one of the bestkids I have ever seen on a horse. It's his first ride for me this year."

Carroll, apprenticed with Michael Halford in Ireland comes from a long line of jockeys and said: "She got shuffled back early on and turning in I was abit further back than I wanted, but she is all heart and was always hanging on.

"I just tried to ride it like any normal race, otherwise you start panicking, and if you are on the best horse it usually works out.

"It's my first ride here and my third ride in England and a win here is absolutely fantastic. It's only my second season as an apprentice and I can't believe how it's going."


Mullins added: "The only big meeting she has missed this year is Aintree.

"We will have to try for some black type now - she is in a Listed race this weekend but that will come too soon."

Paddy Power halved Changingoftheguard in price to 6-1 from 12-1 for the Ladbrokes St Leger and his trainer said: "He ran a great race, we will see where we go now. He is a young horse and it was a great experience for him."

Hits OnlyVic (16-1) was three-quarters of a length adrift in third, with Nanton (40-1) taking a close-up fourth in a photo-finish for the minor honours. Warringah's weight burden told close home and he dropped back to finish fifth.

Trainer Declan Carroll said of Hits Only Vic: "He has run a great race, I think he was beaten less than a length.

"The ground was probably a bit too quick for him, but that's how it goes and he will definitely go for the Totesport.com Cesarewitch now and hopefully he will get conditions to his liking."

Sariska ground concerns eased as York waters


MICHAEL BELL’S concerns about running red-hot favourite Sariska were eased on Wednesday night after watering resumed at York, a move that will go a long way to ensuring his double Classic-winning filly makes the line-up for the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday.

After two dry days at York, Bell was concerned that he might not be able to run Sariska in the Group 1 without the intervention of rain or watering, but the decision to turn on the taps has, in all likelihood, rid him of a tricky dilemma.

"I would hope that given they are now watering that conditions would be fine," he said.

Sariska is set to face only five other rivals as she bids to emulate Alexandrova and Ramruma by completing the Investec Oaks, Darley Irish Oaks and Darley Yorkshire Oaks hat-trick.

The filly won at a canter at the Curragh and her Epsom victim Midday has subsequently franked her form by landing the Blue Square Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Bell is keen on taking Sariska to France for the Qatar Prix l'Arc de Triomphe though he wants to get the Yorkshire Oaks out of the way first.

He added: "Sariska is in very good form. I've been really pleased with her. She looks great and has been working well. She is healthy. She had a buck and a kick this morning and was in really great form. It's probably best to discuss targets after the race rather than before but in an ideal scenario we will aim at the Arc after York."

The day's other feature is the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes in which owner Jaber Abdullah, who has won the Group 2 three times with Queen's Logic (2001), Flashy Wings (2005) and Nahoodh (2007), will have high hopes of a fourth triumph with Lady Of The Desert, who has already a Group 3 winner after success in the Princess Margaret Abu Dhabi Stakes.

Bruce Raymond, racing manager to the owner, said on Wednesday: "She came out of the Princess Margaret well and everything is fine with her. It was a quality performance at Ascot and on that, she goes there with a favourite's chance, I feel. They have got to improve to beat her."

Lady Of The Desert is the only one of the 12 contenders tofeature in the ante-post market for the Stanjames.com 1,000 Guineas and victory would seal her place as a leading Classic hopeful.

Gold Bubbles will provide a useful guide to her claims having run fourth behind Lillie Langtry, the 1,000 Guineas favourite, on her latest start in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes.

Previous winners out for more Nunthorpe joy


CONNECTIONS of the last three winners of the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes were on Thursday hopeful to varying degrees about their chances of a repeat win at York on Friday.

Borderlescott, whose Nunthorpe victory last year came at Newmarket, Kingsgate Native and Reverence are among 17 sprinters who will be vying for Group 1 glory on the Knavesmire, with the Nunthorpe carrying a first prize of £136,248.

Kingsgate Native is general 5-2 favourite to cap his return from a failed stud career with a second Nunthorpe victory, his first having come as a juvenile.

The four-year-old was an impressive winner of the Group 3 Audi Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time, and shades two-year-old Radiohead at the summit of the Nunthorpe market.

Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, the colt's owner, said on Thursday: "He came out of the Goodwood race well. He had a little bit of swelling in a joint but that has settled down.

"Michael Stoute was happy with the way he blew out and can hopefully improve again. He impressed at Goodwood and if he can put his best foot forward again he should be right there."

"I don't believe the problem has hindered his preparation. He hasjust been a bit ring-rusty as his muscles and joints are retrained to perform again After six months off it takes time for everything to click back into place."

Borderlescott, one of the most popular sprinters in training, is a general 8-1 chance to win back-to-back Nunthorpes, and was fourth to Kingsgate Native at Goodwood last time.

His trainer Robin Bastiman said on Thursday: "He's in fine form, absolutely spot-on, and I am pleased with him.

"I'm hoping that it doesn't rain as he wants fast ground. He is drawn near the pace so should run well."

Hoping it does rain is Eric Alston, trainer of 2006 winner Reverence, the outsider of the trio of repeat-victory challengers, at 66-1.

Alston said: "He will run only if York gets some rain. He wouldn't want the ground too firm."