Horse racing reports for day three of the York Ebor Festival

Coltrane gained Royal Ascot revenge on Courage Mon Ami as he delivered a decisive blow in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes.

A standing dish in the top staying contests, Andrew Balding’s Sagaro Stakes winner had to play second fiddle to John and Thady Gosden’s new staying star in the Gold Cup at Ascot, but came home strongest this time around to go one better than last year.

Both Coltrane and Courage Mon Ami had no answer to front-running Quickthorn in the Goodwood Cup most recently and the defending Lonsdale Cup champion found himself in his customary position at the head of affairs as the runners rounded the first bend.

Although Frankie Dettori had Courage Mon Ami anchored in rear, the field as a whole were keen not to give Hughie Morrison’s charge too much rope on this occasion and Oisin Murphy in particular took up a stalking position travelling smoothly in mid-division.

Tom Marquand upped the tempo aboard Quickthorn swinging the turn for home but the pack were wise to the move and soon a whole host of contenders emerged to lay down their challenge.

Murphy hit the front abroad Coltrane (11-4) passing the two-furlong pole and although Yorkshire Cup winner Giavellotto and Courage Mon Ami dug deep in the closing stages, Coltrane finished full of running to register a one-and-a-half-length success over the staying-on Gold Cup winner, who edged out Marco Botti’s four-year-old for the runner-up spot.

It was a bittersweet win for the Baldings who saw their other runner, Nate The Great, pull up sharply.

Balding’s wife, Anna Lisa, said: “Hopefully the other horse will be OK. They’ve put a compression boot on him and taken him back to the stables. The vets are there and they are doing what they can.

“That was fully deserved for Coltrane, though, he is adored by everyone.

“He’s been incredibly consistent. At Goodwood Tom gave Quickthorn such a great ride he fully deserved that, but it was his turn today and he’s done it in brilliant style.

“I’m thrilled to win another Group Two for Mick and Janice (Mariscotti) as they have been incredibly patient.

“He had surgery two years ago, he hasn’t looked back but that is why he doesn’t go to Australia.

“He’s like a pet, he’s adorable. I think it will be Ascot (Champions Day) next as he ran so well in the race last year.”

Dettori said of the second: “He wasn’t keen actually, it took him a while to warm up and then he came good.

“The penalty and the half a mile less made Coltrane a better horse than me.

“We didn’t let Quickthorn go today, that made a big difference. That was the right result today – Coltrane and my horse, first and second in the Gold Cup and first and second today.

“The Prix du Cadran over two and a half would be tailor-made for him and I guess he’ll come back for the Gold Cup next year without me!”

John Gosden added: “He just ran out of track a bit, but at the end of the day look at the form of the Gold Cup and he had a 3lb penalty.

“The 3lb over two miles looked the difference. All being well he will go for the Cadran now, over two and a half miles, his favourite (distance), then we’ll put him away and all being well we’ll bring him back for the Gold Cup next year.”

Lake Forest lands the Gimcrack

Lake Forest highlighted his potential star quality when storming home to win the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York.

William Haggas’ charge was sent off 16-1 for the Group Two contest, but he arrived at the Knavesmire with some smart form in the book having finished second to Jasour in the July Stakes earlier in the season.

Archie Watson’s Action Point had led the field along for the majority of the six-furlong event, but it was those on the near side that came to the fore in the closing stages with the son of No Nay Never and Aidan O’Brien’s Windsor Castle second Johannes Brahms bursting clear to dispute the outcome.

It was Tom Marquand’s mount who pulled out extra and powered home to score by a length from the Ballydoyle challenger, with Ralph Beckett’s King’s Gamble a further length back in third. Kylian was the strong-travelling 9-4 favourite, and while ultimately disappointing he twice found trouble in running.

It was the Somerville Lodge handler’s second juvenile winner of the week following Relief Rally’s Lowther success on Thursday and Lake Forest was cut to 10-1 by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket next month.

The winner had been beaten at odds of 1-3 on his previous start, and Haggas said: “At Newmarket last time he just ran awful. He got upset beforehand, he was stupid to post, he was edgy in the stalls, whereas today he was really calm, good going down and we saddled him in the stables and walked him across.

“Newmarket can be like that when you box them up at home, but whatever happened he didn’t run at all.

“Prior to that he had run a very good race in the July Stakes. I had to just put a line through his last run, I had no choice.

“We had always planned to come for this, after his race last time it almost put us off but we thought why not have a go.

“He’s owned by a new syndicate so I’ve no idea who will do the (Gimcrack) speech. I probably put them off coming today, you couldn’t fancy him really although I did say to my son I thought he’d run well.

“We’ve had a good week and we’ve got a few chances tomorrow.”