3 minute read
Kinross made it back-to-back wins in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes to provide Frankie Dettori with a fairytale last visit to York on his swansong season in the saddle.
On his final trip to the Knavesmire, Dettori had little to worry about throughout the six-furlong Group 2 prize as Kinross travelled powerfully down the middle of the track.
The 9/4 market leader never really looked like getting beat and stayed on strongly for a comfortable eased-down three-quarters-of-a-length success.
Sandrine (28/1), who looked the biggest danger to Frankie towards the far side, just failed to cling onto the second spot as Audience (20/1) got the better of that argument. The Brian Meehan-trained Isaac Shelby finished in third.
A jubilant Frankie Dettori told ITV Racing: "He's my favourite horse in training at the moment, he's super consistent and I love him to death,"
"He never runs a bad race and what a fitting moment if he is my final York winner...although I will try for another in the Ebor!
"It's difficult but we have this one in the bag and we can have a flying dismount now."
Ralph Beckett, who was completing a memorable across-the-card group race double after Angel Bleau landed the Celebration Mile under Hector Crouch, said: "He's an extraordinary horse, we won't have another like him."
The City Of York Stakes is now the richest Group 2 prize in Europe and Beckett added: "This race has to become a Group 1. Kinross is a proven Group 1 horse, with proven Group 2 horses behind him and Britain needs a Group 1 seven-furlong race. It will be too late for him sadly but that's okay and I'm pleased he's raising the profile of the race.
On future plans, the Kimpton Down Stables handler added: "I very much hope we can make the Breeders' Cup happen again this year, he'll go to the Foret in between, you never know he might go somewhere else too but that will depend on him and how the ground shapes up. I said he had a sore foot going into Goodwood, he had a shoe off for a week afterwards. He's done this on one piece of work and has an amazing constitution."
Paddy Power cut the winner from 10/1 to 8/1 for victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November, while the same firm went 3/1 from 4/1 for the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot later in the season.