Where can you find the best horses in British Flat racing? “Newmarket” is the answer that comes instinctively, especially in a week such as this, when yearlings are being sold at auction there for seven figures. But on at least one measure “Yorkshire” would be a more accurate response.
Five Group races are to be staged on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot a week on Saturday. The favourites for two of those valuable and prestigious contests are trained in Ireland. Another is based in France. The remaining two live in this country, some four to five hours’ drive north of the Queen’s track, where both were shown off to visiting reporters on Wednesday.
Ribchester, based at Richard Fahey’s Malton yard, is no bigger than 9-4 to land the £1m QEII and appeared in such high spirits that he briefly threatened to try scaling a brick wall, prompting cries of “Can you make him do that again?” from photographers. Fifty miles to the west Karl Burke’s Middleham stable houses Quiet Reflection, 7-2 favourite for the Champions Sprint and still looking a picture at the end of her long season as she cantered along High Moor.
Local racing fans are likely to have additional reason to take pride in the Champions Day action because Michael Dods, based another 20 miles to the north at Denton, County Durham, gave every indication that he wants to run Mecca’s Angel against Quiet Reflection in the sprint. His popular grey mare, twice a Group One winner at York but not yet further afield, is to be retired at the end of the season and Dods is minded to give her one last spin, despite a disappointing defeat in France’s Prix de l’Abbaye on Sunday.
Finishing third in such a hot race, beaten by less than a length, requires no excuses but, as Dods spoke, it became clear there was a list of possible explanations, starting with the way the race was run. Mecca’s Angel was asked to race prominently, to avoid becoming hemmed in from her mid-stall draw, but Dods notes that the two who beat her came from further back, suggesting she may have raced too close to a strong pace.
The ground may have been too quick, she may have been kept waiting in the stalls too long and it cannot have helped that, as they finally opened in front of her, she kicked out with enough force to open the doors behind her. “If she’s well, we’ll probably run her again,” he said, adding that a canter on Monday may decide the issue.
The race is a furlong longer than most of those Mecca’s Angel has contested but Dods feels she has been finishing her races strongly enough to offer hope. A bit of cut would be preferred but good going will be fine. “You dream about having horses like her,” he said. “She’s done the whole yard a lot of good and we dream we can find another one.”
Burke claims his Quiet Reflection has been more consistent at the highest level than Mecca’s Angel but the worry for him is the general health of his horses. “We have got a bit of coughing going round the yard; there’s a dozen horses coughing,” he said.
“I’m not overly concerned with her because she’s scoped clean; we’ve kept a good eye on that. She hasn’t coughed and she looks fantastic.”
Fahey frets that it has been a long year for Ribchester, the colt having had his first outing on 7 April, but adds: “His whole demeanour says he’s not over the top and we’re happy with him. I’m led to believe he’ll be in training next year. It would be a huge shame if he wasn’t. I think he’ll be better.”
