By Sean Cronin
With Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) having annexed the G2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood just 20 minutes earlier, 'TDN Rising Star' Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}–Ceilidh House {GB}, by Selkirk) stepped forward to register a quickfire double for the Marc Chan-Ralph Beckett axis by successfully defending his title in Saturday's £500,000 Sky Bet City Of York S. on the Knavesmire.
Last term's G1 Prix de la Foret and G1 British Champions Sprint hero backed up a third in Newmarket's G1 July Cup with a second renewal of Goodwood's G2 Lennox S. earlier in the month and raced in mid division until turning for home. Making eyecatching headway on the bridle in the centre of the track in the straight, the 9-4 favourite quickened in style to seize control entering the final furlong and was comfortably in command from there as Frankie Dettori afforded himself the luxury of an early salute to the masses. The winning margin at the line was 3/4-of-a-length back to Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who finished a head in front of Sandrine (GB) (Bobby's Kitten).
“It's great, what a horse and on my last day [riding at York], boom, have that,” beamed Frankie Dettori. “He is my favourite horse, he's a great horse and I love him, I had Stradivarius last year and Enable the year before. I've got a pretty nice route. Take him to Ascot [for the G1 British Champions Sprint], France [for the G1 Prix de la Foret], then Hong Kong and be off, be gone. I thought this could be my last one so I'm going to enjoy it. I rode right to the end, waved to everyone, bye!”
Beckett added, “He's an extraordinary horse and we won't have another like him. He's a proven Group 1 horse and I very much hope we can go for the [GI] Breeders' Cup [Mile] again and the Prix de la Foret in between. He had a sore foot going into Goodwood and had a shoe off after a week. He's done this off one piece of work and has an amazing constitution. What a horse he is. To have done what he keeps doing is extraordinary, but he's happiest on a racecourse and that's the bottom line. If he's taking it well we'll keep going, what's the point in hanging around? He's a gelding and what else are we going to do with him? He could go everywhere.”
Pedigree Notes
Kinross is the fifth of six foals and one of four scorers out of Listed Gillies Fillies' S. victress Ceilidh House (GB) (Selkirk), herself kin to the dam of G3 Solario S. winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up First Selection (Spa) (Diktat {GB}). His dual stakes-winning second dam Villa Carlotta (GB) (Rainbow Quest), herself a daughter of multiple stakes-winning G3 Rockfel S. second Subya (GB) (Night Shift) from the family of G1 Irish Derby-winning sire Law Society (Alleged), is a half-sister to GI Hollywood Derby second Battle of Hastings (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) and to the stakes-placed dam of South African Grade 1 performers Mljet (SAf) (Jet Master {SAf}) and Felix The Cat (SAf) (Black Minnaloushe).
Absolute scenes!
Kinross and @FrankieDettori absolutely fly home to win back-to-back renewals of the @SkyBet City Of York Stakes @yorkracecourse @RalphBeckett is simply on fire pic.twitter.com/FZrGFqsPk7
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 26, 2023
Saturday, York, Britain
SKY BET CITY OF YORK S.-G2, £500,000, York, 8-26, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:22.57, g/f.
1–KINROSS (GB), 134, g, 6, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Ceilidh House (GB) (SW-Eng), by Selkirk
2nd Dam: Villa Carlotta (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Subya (GB), by Night Shift
O-Marc Chan; B-Lawn Stud (GB); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £283,550. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng & Fr, GISP-US, 26-10-1-3, $1,957,171. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Audience (GB), 134, g, 4, Iffraaj (GB)–Ladyship (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £107,500.
3–Sandrine (GB), 131, f, 4, Bobby's Kitten–Seychelloise (GB), by Pivotal (GB). O/B-Kirsten Rausing (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £53,800.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 2. Odds: 2.25, 20.00, 28.00.
Also Ran: Isaac Shelby (GB), Sacred (GB), Al Suhail (GB), Mutasaabeq (GB), Olivia Maralda (Ire), Jumby (Ire), Pogo (Ire), Covey (GB).
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