10th October

CLOVER HAT-TRICK SEEKER GOES FOR GOLD AT YORK

INVICTUS GOLD will bid to make it three wins on the spin when he contests the Coral Rockingham Stakes at York on Saturday.

The £70,000 Listed race, staged over six furlongs, is one of the highlights of a seven-race card on what is the final afternoon’s racing of the season on the Knavesmire.

Trained by Tom Clover Invictus Gold will line up in the 1.30 curtain-raiser with glowing credentials after back-to-back victories at Southwell and Newmarket.

The latter success, on the July Course, was particularly impressive as the gelding skipped away in the closing strides to land a novice race by two lengths in the hands of Neil Callan.

The same jockey will be aboard at York where likely favourite Invictus Gold faces eight rivals on rain-softened ground.

Newmarket-based Clover said: “I’ve been very pleased with him – he’s trained well. His homework has been really pleasing and I would hope he’d shape up well.

“It’s that time of year when it’s hard to go in with lots of confidence – just because horses can tend to run a bit in and out this time of year. It’s a step up in grade but I feel that he deserves to take his chance in this sort of a race.

“At the moment the ground is soft, heavy in places and I don’t think there’s all that much rain forecast. So, if it’s just soft ground, it’s hard to be certain but I think he’d be okay.”

This weekend’s race is likely to play a key part in what lies ahead in the near future for Invictus Gold.

Clover added: “Our plan is to go Saturday and then think about what we might do in the winter. We’ll probably give him an easy two weeks after Saturday and then think whether we want to try and aim him towards something nice on the all-weather.”    

The £100,000 feature race of Saturday’s card is the Coral Sprint Trophy Heritage Handicap.

Also staged over six furlongs, this ultra-competitive race pits emerging three-year-old speedsters against their hardened elders.

Newmarket trainer William Haggas sends smart prospect Germanic and fellow three-year-old Room Service from the Yorkshire stable of trainer Kevin Ryan is also likely to feature at the top end of the market.

Strike Red will be among those from the older-horse contingent to attract interest, having come a narrowly-beaten second over course and distance at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival in the Constantine Handicap.

The two-day fixture gets underway tomorrow (Friday) at 1.30pm with the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Autumn Handicap. Watch all the races on Racing TV.

9th October

BALDING’S BID TO ADD SHOESHINE TO GLORIOUS 2024 AT YORK

ANDREW Balding is keen to land the Charles Clinkard Top Trainer at York title – and deny Ralph Beckett a new pair of shoes!

Kingsclere trainer Balding has enjoyed a season of success, not least on the Knavesmire, where he has already posted nine victories.

That has him three clear of his friend Beckett and just the two above David O’Meara, ahead of York’s final meeting of the year, staged this Friday and Saturday.

The trainer that finishes with the most winners at the course will claim a pair of Charles Clinkard shoes – as well as securing a £2,500 prize for their stable and a Team Christmas Party at York.

Balding joked: “That’s the number one drive – to beat Ralph Beckett to the new pair of shoes. That’s what I really want.”

Before the curtain descends on its 2024 action, the Master of Park House Stables has several intended runners bound for the Knavesmire. These include recent Chester winner Who’s Glen, set to line up in the William Hill Finale Heritage Handicap on Friday. And 24 hours later King’s Lynn is more than likely to tackle the Coral Sprint Trophy Heritage Handicap.

If Balding can send out the winner in either or even both of those respective £100,000 contests, it will cap off a long list of high-profile triumphs for him at the track since May.

At York’s curtain-raising Dante Festival he saddled Secret Satire, winner of the Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes. There have been a series of further stakes victories with Alsakib (Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup) and Flora Of Bermuda (Group 3 William Hill Summer Stakes) obliging before the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

The four-day summer showpiece saw Balding step up his bid to finish as the course’s leading trainer as Cool Hoof Luke (Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes), See The Fire (Group 3 Sky Bet Strensall Stakes) and Tropical Storm (Listed Julia Graves Sky Bet Roses Stakes) all delivered high-profile triumphs.

Lieber Power, Brighton Boy and Windlord have also scored at York for the team in 2024.

Balding said: “York’s fantastic, the prize money there is great. 

“I think the Ebor meeting is on a par with Ascot, personally. We were very lucky this year and winning the Gimcrack was a huge thrill. So, it has been a really enjoyable year at York for us.” 

Oisin Murphy heads up the Living North Magazine-sponsored race to finish as York’s winning-most rider for 2024. With £2,500 up for grabs, he has so far posted nine victories, one more than Ryan Moore and two clear of Tom Marquand.

York’s final two-day fixture kicks off on Friday at 1.30pm with the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Autumn Handicap. Saturday’s action also begins at 1.30pm with the first race being the Listed Coral Rockingham Stakes.

All the races will be live on Racing TV.

8th October

MENUISIER BELIEVES YORK IS WHERE MASTER BUILDER CAN PROGRESS FROM SURE FOUNDATIONS

DAVID Menuisier is hoping progressive middle-distance prospect, Master Builder, remains on the right side of the handicapper for the valuable £100,000 contest at York, on Friday.

The three-year-old currently heads the market for the William Hill Finale Heritage Handicap, staged over a mile and three-quarters of the Knavesmire.

The lightly-raced Master Builder showed he is on an upward curve with a two and a quarter length victory for jockey William Buick, in a similarly valuable Class 2 race at Haydock a month ago. 

That success came off the back of a fine third-place effort at York in the Sky Bet Melrose on the closing day of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

The gelded son of Mastercraftsman has now risen to a career-high official rating of 95, but Menuisier reckons there is more to come from the likeable grey.

Confirming connections’ intentions to run Master Builder on Friday, Pulborough-based trainer Menuisier said: “That was my main target after the big handicap he won at Haydock the last day. And he ran really well in the Melrose as well, so it just makes sense to go back to the crime scene and try and do better!

“We always felt he was a backward horse but with ability, so we are delighted that he didn’t let us down first of all. And he is an improver – he is a horse we want to preserve for the future as well.

“It’s likely to be the last race of his season unless he comes out of it really good and we have a pop in the November Handicap. But we’ll see.

“He won really well at Haydock and he’s the type that doesn’t do a great deal in the morning so he is like a slow burner. Those types you never know how much you have left in hand until you try. But chances are we haven’t seen the best of him.

“It’s only good to firm I’m trying to avoid, because I do think he prefers softer ground. So, the ground would be ideal on Friday I’d say.”

The race will see Danny Tudhope aboard Master Builder for the first time. 

The trainer added: “He actually asked for the ride at Haydock and I had William lined up already, so I kind of owed him one.”

Friday sees the start of York’s final two-day fixture with a scheduled seven-race card set to get underway at 1.30pm with the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Autumn Handicap.

Saturday’s action also begins at 1.30pm with the first race being the Listed Coral Rockingham Stakes. Before the 41st race of the York season to offer at least a six-figure purse, the £100,000 Coral Sprint Trophy.

Catch all the action on Racing TV.