Daiquiri Bay, a 10-1 chance trained by Alan King, claimed the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor at York on Saturday, holding on in an exciting finish to beat the Wathnan Racing-owned pair Hopewell Rock and Opportunity by a head and a neck.
Jockey Rossa Ryan was praised for inspiring the success on the final day of York's racing festival. Ryan had previously ridden the chestnut stayer to win the Copper Horse Stakes at Royal Ascot, where the horse lowered the track record.
King praises Ryan's plan
Not seen on a racecourse since Ascot, a 67-day break proved no problem for the upwardly mobile handicapper, who travelled nicely through the field and found just enough to hold on in a close finish.
"Full marks to Rossa, we sat down after Ascot and he said put him away and freshen him up," said King, delighted to go two places better than Salsalino's third when favourite in 2003. "He had a hard race and broke the track record. We haven't missed a beat in the last three weeks. He's a tough horse and it was a great ride. I'm blown away."
Ryan's week at York
Ryan had been disappointed to be pipped in the Yorkshire Oaks on the unlucky-in-running Sparan Nua on Wednesday and also had to settle for second in the Nunthorpe on Starlust, no match for US raider Bacio. However, his luck changed in the valuable handicap to close out the week, as the 1m 6f journey went to plan.
He was only freed up to ride at the meeting after a 28-day race-riding ban was reduced to ten on appeal, the original punishment handed out for easing Thunder Home prematurely at Sandown on July 23. The panel did not accept that the young thoroughbred would inevitably have won had the rider pushed out continuously.
Ebor gambles go astray
"The man's a genius," said Ryan about King, who has won numerous top prizes on the Flat and over jumps. "We've had a year where, luckily, we've been able to plan him out. After Ascot I thought I'd leave Daiquiri Bay and come straight here. Alan agreed and he had him spot on."
Ebor gambles on Willie Mullins' number one Love Me Tender (7-2 favourite) and another Irish raider Emit (4-1) from Joseph O'Brien's stable went astray. Ascending (28-1) filled fourth as the field of 22 horses passed the post, with Beylerbeyi (20-1) in fifth.
