Doncaster date on the agenda for Yorkshire after Ingham success
Yorkshire (Snitzel) confirmed himself one of the most exciting performers in Australia with a powerhouse victory in his toughest test to date, Saturday’s $2 million The Ingham (Gr 2, 1600m) at Randwick.
Sent out a well supported $3.90 favourite after his victory in Rosehill’s Festival Stakes (Gr 3, 1500m), the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained five-year-old speared across from gate 13 in the huge Randwick mile field of 20, settling outside leader Rise At Dawn (Almanzor) under a relatively moderate tempo.
Zac Lloyd took Yorkshire to the lead at the 350 metres, and while that made him a target from a long way out, he beat off the stern challenge of last year’s winner Robusto (Churchill) by the 200 metres, was 1.5 lengths in front at the 100 metres, and had ample in reserve to beat Joe Pride’s fast-finishing $9.50 shot Estadio Mestalla (Galileo Gold) by 0.49 lengths.
Robusto held on for third at $26, ahead of Robbie Griffiths’ Enxuto (Lean Mean Machine) at $16. Topweight Gringotts (Per Incanto) managed only 11th as a $4.40 second elect, one spot ahead of $6 chance Sabaj (Manhattan Rain), who had vast ground to make up on the leaders from near last.
Yorkshire handled his grandest assignment with aplomb, taking his record to eight wins from 11 starts.
Co-trainer Charlton was delighted with yet another victory for the progressive and lightly raced gelding, which booked his spot in the autumn’s ATC Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m), and warned the best should be yet to come.
“I think he’s not the finished article now, which is excellent,” Charlton told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“He needed to improve again today and he had to do a bit of work from the outside gate. It looked like they got a bit of a breather in the mid sections so credit to Zac.
“He’ll have to keep improving but it [the Doncaster] is the type of race we’ll look towards for sure.”
Charlton said the victory was full of merit given it was Yorkshire’s third run in four weeks. He suffered heart arrhythmia and ran last of 16 when resuming in Newcastle’s The Hunter (1300m) on November 15.
“There were two-week turnarounds, these races, and full credit to the horse. He’s a real tough conveyance,” he said.
“We were probably going to bounce back, but whether we were going to get to a grand final four weeks later, and able to produce a performance like that, was probably up for debate.
“He’s wandering around up the running there. I think there’s more upside, which is obviously the key.
“He’s had a few setbacks along the way and he’s just got the best demeanour to be able to handle those things.
“Heart arrhythmia four weeks ago, and we were on the back foot. We were behind the eight-ball there in terms of his fitness. And only some horses can do that.”
Lloyd – who may have the choice of riding the son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) or his Group 1-winning stablemate Linebacker (Super Seth) in the Doncaster – was deeply impressed with Yorkshire’s Ingham effort, which came despite a little waywardness in the run home.
“He did it last start as well. He just wandered around a bit,” the winning rider said. “It will be interesting to see when he can maybe be in front on the rail and really concentrate to see how he will lengthen.
“He’s a good horse and he is definitely rising and maturing as well.
“He is progressing into such a good horse. Very push button to ride for me. He gets galloping and when he’s in that sort of mood, he is hard to get past.
“I gave him a click as we came into the straight, expecting him to pick up slowly, and he really let down and had a big Royal Randwick straight to look at.”
He added: “The O’Shea-Charlton team has another good horse [Linebacker] who fits that [Doncaster] profile, so I’ll leave it up to them and whatever they want me to ride, I’ll be more than happy to ride.”
Bought from Newgate Farm’s 2022 Inglis Easter draft by Mark Player and Robert Roulston’s PR Funds for $575,000, Yorkshire has now earned $1.67 million in prize-money.
Bred by Newgate associate SF Bloodstock, Yorkshire was clearly a standout at the sales. Two years later, his American dam Chanteline’s (Majesticperfection) only other progeny to be auctioned to date, a filly by Exceed And Excel (Danehill), sold to Hollymount Stud for $125,000. Now named Lady Of The Castle, she’s awaiting her first start for O’Shea and Charlton, and last Tuesday won a Kensington barrier trial.
Chanteline, who won four lower level stakes races in the US over 1100 metres, was bought by SF Bloodstock and Newgate for US$425,000 at the Keeneland November Broodmare Sale of 2018.
Yorkshire is the first of five foals for Chanteline, and the only one to race. The 13-year-old mare now has a yearling by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and a filly foal by Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) who was born on November 18.