Horses are coming - October Finale

9th October

DODS DUO SET FOR YORK REMATCH IN CORAL SPRINT TROPHY

Michael Dods is aiming Northern Ticker and Commanche Falls at this Saturday’s Coral Sprint Trophy – the £100,000-feature race on the final card of York’s 2025 season.

The Dods-trained speedsters have been declared for the six-furlong handicap, which has attracted a full field of 22.

It means a Knavesmire rematch between the two geldings, who were separated by a mere head when Northern Ticker pipped Commanche Falls to win the Sky Bet Constantine Heritage Handicap on August 23.

Piercebridge-based trainer Dods reflected: “You don't really want to be beating a stablemate, having a one-two – it's harsh for the one that finishes second. But when you're in races like that, horses deserve to take a chance and they're out there to do their best. They both ran well.”

Three-year-old Northern Ticker underlined his ability with a bold show in the Ayr Gold Cup in which he finished sixth of 25 in the hands of jockey Paul Mulrennan last month.

Dods said: “I thought he ran well at Ayr. He was probably drawn on the wrong side and maybe a bit more pace would have helped him into the race. But he ran a good race, stayed on to the line.

“Paul Mulrennan sort of feels that next year he could develop and come back to five furlongs because he does have a high cruising speed in a race. He's a big horse, hence with the ground and one thing and another, he hasn't had a lot of racing this year, so we would expect there to be quite a bit of improvement going into next season.”

Commanche Falls also contested the Ayr Gold Cup, ending up in mid-division. And while the eight-year-old seems to bump into Northern Ticker at the racecourse, the stablemates don’t clash on the home gallops in County Durham.

Dods said: “They never go together. They’re both quite lazy workhorses, to be honest. Northern Ticker would need a lead horse to follow otherwise he wouldn’t do a lot. Commanche Falls is an old horse – we’d just canter him and he keeps himself fit, he’s not a horse we’d want to be too hard on at home. They race differently because Northern Ticker is a strong traveler whereas Commanche Falls is normally off the bridle.”

This weekend Commanche Falls will be 6lb better at the weights with Northern Ticker compared to their last Knavesmire clash.

Dods added: “Ideally, good ground would be nice for both.”

The seven-race card commences with the Listed Coral Rockingham Stakes. Andrew Balding’s Park House Stables is represented in the first six races as he bids to close out his pursuit of the Charles Clinkard Top Trainer at York title. Balding has so far posted 10 winners at the racecourse in 2025. He has a lead of two over William Haggas going into Friday’s card at the two-day finale meeting.

Rewatch all the action on Racing TV.

9th October

YORK LEGEND COPPER KNIGHT PRIMED AND READY FOR ‘HIS’ RACE

Copper Knight is all set to line up on Friday at York in the race staged to celebrate his course feats – ‘The Copper Knight Winning-Most Horse Handicap’.

The evergreen 11-year-old has emerged victorious from seven of his 34 starts on the Knavesmire, making him York’s most prolific modern-era achiever.

Copper Knight, under the banner of Ventura Racing, is the beloved property of the Denham family – four generations of whom are planning to cheer on the veteran in his latest assignment.

The Tim Easterby-trained speedster is part of a 20-strong field for the six-furlong handicap and recent signs suggest he’s as competitive as ever. Last Saturday, the gelding surged to a one-length success at Redcar – the 18th win of an extraordinary 115-race career.

Tom Denham, who works at Easterby’s Great Habton Stables to the east of York, said: “He’s just been an unbelievable horse to be involved with. He still loves getting up in the morning and going for a canter.

“People ask all the time – ‘when are you going to retire him?’ – but he just loves the job so much. There are no plans to retire him on Friday anyway.

“I’m lucky enough to work at Tim’s and get to see him most mornings. It’s just an absolute joy to be involved with him. We don’t take anything for granted. I’m hoping to be in racing for a very long time and I’m not sure I’ll ever have one as good as him.”

Tom and his brother James will be at York with their grandfather Keith and father, Tony. Tom will also be accompanied by his baby son Rupert, who was present when Copper Knight won at Pontefract in June.

But it's York that is Copper Knight’s and the Denham family’s favourite Yorkshire stomping-ground. Tom said: “We love coming to York Racecourse. To have a horse that loves it just as much as we do is an absolute dream for us. I think he always has a bit of a chance when he goes to York.”

Copper Knight is scheduled to be in action on Friday at 4.25pm – York’s seven-race card gets underway at 1.30pm with the William Hill Autumn Mile Handicap. The racecourse’s final fixture of 2025 takes place on Saturday afternoon with the £100,000 Coral Sprint Trophy as the feature race.

Catch all of the action from the season on Racing TV.

8th October

BALDING AIMING TO LAND BACK-TO-BACK TOP TRAINER TITLES AT YORK

Andrew Balding is closing in on a second Charles Clinkard Top Trainer at York crown – and another fine pair of shoes.

Kingsclere trainer Balding won some new footwear, courtesy of Charles Clinkard, after sending out the most winners on the Knavesmire in 2024.

This season he has again been the dominant force at York, posting 10 winners to date, ahead of the racecourse’s two-day finale fixture, which gets underway on Friday.

That double figure tally was enough to secure his first crown last year and in 2025, his Park House Stables team hold a lead of two over Yorkshireman-in-exile, William Haggas, with fellow Newmarket-based team John and Thady Gosden on seven winners.

The trainer that finishes with the most winners on the Knavesmire will be able to put the perpetual trophy, a wonderful Skeaping bronze, on their mantelpiece, plus claim a pair of Charles Clinkard shoes – as well as securing a £2,500 prize for their stable and a Christmas party for the team at York.

If Balding can land back-to-back Charles Clinkard Top Trainer titles, it will be a fitting end to his wonderful campaign at the reigning RCA Showcase Champion track.

At York’s season-opening Dante Festival, the Balding-trained See The Fire produced a mesmerising performance to win the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Stakes by 12 lengths, the filly has flown the flag with honour in Group One company since May.

Success in Yorkshire continued to flow with Park House representative, Fox Legacy, claiming the 66th John Smith’s Cup in July.

The Sky Bet Ebor Festival proved a triumph for team Balding as it recorded four winners at the flagship meeting in August; including the G3 Tattersalls Acomb victory for Gewan, who remains in the mix for the Group One Dewhurst Stakes on Saturday.

Balding said: “It’s a place we love running horses – every aspect of York is appealing to trainers and owners. I think it’s a very fair track, great prize money, great facilities. We’re always keen to support the meetings there, so it’s no coincidence we’re targeting them. It’s just nice to get the results we have.

“Some very happy memories from this season, certainly. Probably the highlight was See The Fire winning the Middleton, which was hugely impressive – and Never So Brave winning the City of York. In between, winning the John Smith’s Cup gave us a lot of pleasure.”

A place in Knavesmire history was secured as the Sky Bet City of York Stakes was upgraded to a Group 1 for 2025 and Never So Brave’s victory felt appropriate, given Balding secured the first of his five wins in the race back in 2003, when it held Listed status.

Balding said: “It's an important race in the calendar because it thoroughly deserves Group 1 status. It is a race, potentially, where you could have a July Cup winner running against a Sussex Stakes winner. I think it really has a place at that meeting and I hope and expect it will just get stronger and stronger.”

Balding plans to run horses both days of York’s final meeting of 2025. On Friday he has declared Ghost Mode for the British EBF £100,000 Final, Jupiter Ammon for the William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap and Sands of Spain for the Parsonage Hotel and Cloisters Spa Nursery.

Balding said: “Ghost Mode’s in great shape and I hope he’ll run very well.”

Catch all of the action from York's October Finale on Racing TV.

7th October

HAT-TRICK SEEKER MALACHY’S WISH BOUND FOR YORK

Jamie Osborne has confirmed Malachy’s Wish is an intended runner in this Friday’s British EBF £100,000 Final for colts and geldings to be held at York. The talented two-year-old son of Showcasing is targeting a hat-trick after comfortable victories at Ffos Las and Newcastle respectively. William Carver rode him on his last start and is booked to resume the alliance on the Knavesmire. Malachy’s Gift is now rated 86, which suggests others are more favoured at the weights for the valuable race. And Lambourn-based trainer Osborne laughed: “It’s breaking every rule in my book! The way the penalty structure is, he will be giving weight away to horses rated higher than him.

“Now, if I didn’t think there was a chance he could progress, then I wouldn’t take that risk – but he’s work in progress. Each run, he’s improved a fair chunk and I don’t think he’s finished improving yet.

“If you look at the handicap marks of the others, we are ‘wrong’ with several. But potentially we are on an upward curve, where some of the others may not be. That is my hope.”

Any underfoot ease in the ground is unlikely to concern Malachy’s Gift, whose winning has been done at Friday’s race-distance of seven furlongs.

Osborne said: “He won on soft ground at Ffos Las and then he won on the all-weather surface at Newcastle. I’d say he’s pretty flexible on that front – he gets seven (furlongs) well. Other than the way the penalties are structured, this is an ideal race for him.”

Friday’s seven-race card commences at 1.30pm with the William Hill Autumn Mile Handicap. Saturday brings York’s final Knavesmire raceday for 2025 and the highlight is set to be the £100,000 Coral Sprint Trophy.

The two-day fixture will see the conclusion of the season-long race to land the Charles Clinkard Top Trainer at York crown. Kingsclere’s Andrew Balding – bidding to retain the title – leads on 10 winners, two ahead of William Haggas. The Living North Magazine Top Jockey at York title will also be decided with Oisin Murphy and William Buick tied at the top, both having booted home nine winners on the Knavesmire in 2025.

Catch all of the action on Racing TV.