Ralph Beckett© Photo Healy Racing
Starlust shone for Ralph Beckett and Hector Crouch when blazing to victory in the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes at York.
The three-year-old is a Group Three winner who was notably only a length and a quarter behind Big Evs in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita last season.
His two efforts at six furlongs this season saw him beaten in the Commonwealth Cup Trial and the Commonwealth Cup itself, but in between those runs he was the comfortable winner of a valuable five-furlong handicap on the Knavesmire.
Returning to the track at the same trip and in Listed grade this time, he ran a neat race as the 13-8 favourite and scored by a decisive length and a half from Tom Clover’s Rogue Lightning.
The victory brings into focus his entry in the Group One Nunthorpe at York later in the season, for which his odds were cut from 16-1 to 8-1 with Paddy Power.
“That was pleasing, he seems to enjoy the track here,” Crouch said.
“Everything went very smoothly for me and I’m very happy with the performance.
“He is getting quicker as he’s getting older and he’s turned into a real professional sprinter.
“The Hays (owners) always like to pitch them in the proper races, I’ll leave it to Ralph but I’m sure he’s earned his place if they wish to go to the Nunthorpe.”
Alsakib put his best foot forward to come out on top in the Group Three John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes for Andrew Balding and PJ McDonald.
The grey was four times a winner last season and has stepped up to staying distances this year, improving with each run when finishing third in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester and fourth when beaten two and a half lengths in the Copper Horse at Royal Ascot.
His trip to York required him to take another move forward under McDonald, who rode Flora Of Bermuda to win the Summer Stakes for the stable on Friday after returning from a spell out injured.
The trainer and jockey combination were again successful with another smart grey as Alsakib struck at 6-1 to prevail by a length and a half from Karl Burke’s Al Qareem.
“It’s been a dream start back,” the rider said.
“When you get a chance to get on these horses, you have to be so grateful. Hopefully I can make hay.
“This lad tested me a bit today, but we knew he’d enjoy the ground and would stay.”
Blue For You’s love affair with York continued as he landed the John Smith’s Racing Handicap for the second year running.
David O’Meara’s six-year-old was second in the race in 2022, beaten only half a length, and then won the contest last year when coming home three lengths to the good.
His form on the Knavesmire in general is consistent, with eight runs at the track now yielding three wins, two seconds and a couple of fine efforts in the Hambleton Handicap.
Under Daniel Tudhope, he was a 4-1 chance this time and ensured the trophy remained in the O’Meara yard with a smart length-and-a-quarter success.
“He seems to like the track, we’ve tried him at Ascot a few times and it’s never worked,” the trainer said.
“He’s bounced back from a terrible run down there last time, it’s horses for courses I suppose. He normally runs his race here.
“We’ll go to Goodwood for the Golden Mile and then come back here for the Clipper Handicap.”
The John Smith’s Nursery Handicap went the way of Kevin Ryan’s East Tyrone, who was ridden by Shane Gray to a 16-1 victory by a short head from Charlie Fellowes’ Sir Palamedes.
Tim Easterby’s Zimmerman relished the cut in the ground to take the John Smith’s Stayers’ Handicap by half a length under Sean Kirrane at 8-1.
The claxon sounded for a stewards’ inquiry after the horses passed the line, with the winner and the runner-up, Jacqueline Coward’s Valley Of Flowers, deemed to have collided in the closing stages.
It was a family affair as both trainers belong to the Easterby clan, and so too does the second-placed rider Joanna Mason, but after all parties had stated their cases, the placings ultimately remained unaltered.
“The second horse came into us, so I thought we’d be OK, but you never quite know,” said Easterby.
“It was a lovely run, I thought he’d go well. I don’t know what happened last time at Newcastle (beaten seven lengths), it was an odd race that was run very slowly.
“He likes this soft ground and he stays well in it, so we might be able to find something else on this kind of ground while it’s wet.”
Ray Vonn then provided Crouch with a double on the day when taking the concluding John Smith’s Sprint Handicap for Ben Brookhouse at a price of 11-1.
