Azure Blue (12/1) beat Highfield Princess and Commanche Falls to win Group Two 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes on day one of York's Dante Festival; Bielsa bounces back to winning ways in the Churchill Tyres Handicap
Wednesday 17 May 2023 17:50, UK
Azure Blue outbattled defending champion Highfield Princess to claim her fourth straight victory in a thrilling edition of the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes at York.
The four-year-old won three of her last four outings last term and, following a reappearance victory in the Kilvington Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month, she extended her winning streak on the Knavesmire to lead home a fantastic one-three for Darlington-based handler Michael Dods.
There was plenty of pace on show in this six-furlong affair and as the runners entered the business end, it looked like John Quinn's Highfield Princess was about to pick up from where she left off last season.
However, Paul Mulrennan aboard Azure Blue was always lurking dangerously in her shadow and, having drawn alongside in the final furlong, the duo edged their way to the front as the winning post loomed.
Half a length separated the pair at the finish, with Azure Blue returned the 12/1 winner and stablemate Commanche Falls a further length and a quarter adrift in third.
Dods said: "She's done nothing but improve since the end of last season. We didn't feel we had her ready at Newmarket as she'd had a few issues, nothing serious but we just didn't feel we'd got the work in. She went there and did it well and I knew there was improvement to come.
"It was a big step up to go from a Listed mares' race to today, but looking at the calendar there wasn't a lot else coming up in the short term, which is why we came here.
"I think today she's shown she's a proper Group One horse."
Azure Blue is not entered in either the King's Stand or the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, but Dods - who memorably claimed back-to-back wins in the Nunthorpe at York with Mecca's Angel - did not rule out supplementing if conditions in Berkshire are in her favour.
He added: "I don't know where we'll go now. Because today was the start of her career really in these races, we hadn't made any plans and didn't have her in some of the early-closing races.
"I wouldn't be frightened to come back to five furlongs with her on slow ground, so there's plenty of targets for her and a lot to look forward to.
"You would have to look at that [Prix de l'Abbaye], that would be on my radar, but we'll have to see what we do in between times.
"She's not entered [at Royal Ascot] so we'll discuss and see. I'm not sure what the supplementary price is and we wouldn't want to run on ground any faster than today, so we'll make a decision nearer the time.
"Mecca's Angel was different, she was all speed and everything was five furlongs. This filly set off at six, but she's getting that speed a bit later on now as a four-year-old. She is in that class."
Mon Na Slieve appears to have earned himself a place on Kevin Ryan's Royal Ascot squad after making an successful start to his career in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Novice Stakes.
A field of seven juveniles went to post for the five-furlong contest, with Karl Burke's unraced colt Kylian all the rage as the 11/10 favourite amidst positive pre-race chatter.
The Richard Hannon-trained Mashadi set the standard on form following a narrow defeat on his Newmarket debut 10 days ago - but while he and Kylian came to the fore, both were ultimately unable to land a glove on the impressive Mon Na Slieve.
The 190,000 guineas purchase was a 17/2 shot to provide Ryan with another win on a track where he has enjoyed plenty of success in the past and raced on the speed from flag-fall under Tom Eaves.
Mashadi emerged as his biggest threat racing inside the last of five furlongs, but Mon Na Slieve never really looked in any danger of being reeled in and had a length and three-quarters in hand at the line. Kylian was a length and a half further behind in third.
The Kevin Ryan-trained Bielsa got back on the winning trail in the Churchill Tyres Handicap.
The eight-year-old had not managed to get his head in front since lifting the 2021 Ayr Gold Cup, but as a result was 3lb lower in the weights ahead of his latest assignment on the Knavesmire.
Fresh from a runner-up finish on his seasonal bow at Redcar, Bielsa quickened up to grab the lead with over a furlong still to run in the hands of Oisin Murphy and had enough in hand to repel the challenge of Lethal Levi by a neck. The winner's stablemate Magical Spirit was best of the rest in third.
Hayley Turner teamed up with Andrew Balding to win the first race at York in 2023 on Scampi.
The five-year-old had finished fifth in a recent pipe-opener at Epsom and stripped much fitter for the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap.
Carrying the colours of microshare ownership group RaceShare, Scampi was sent off at 16/1, but those who took that price were never unduly worried as Turner smuggled him into the race travelling extremely well with two furlongs to run.
Having hit the front a long way out, Scampi was kept up to his task and had plenty in hand in beating Sam Cooke by half a length, with favourite Real Dream another half a length away in third.
Sean Levey was gifted on easy lead on Richard Hannon's Dark Thirty (10/1) and took full advantage in the Conundrum HR Consulting Handicap.
Highly-tried as a juvenile after winning on his debut at Newbury, he looked one of the more exposed runners in the 14-runner field but just held on from the closing Catch The Paddy by a neck.
Adrian Keatley's Kihavah landed the closing Stuey Weston & Friends Getting Out Handicap for a second successive year.
Ridden by Tom Marquand, the 7/1 shot repelled the challenge of 9/2 favourite Vega Sicilia to win by a length.
