3 minute read

John and Sean Quinn enjoyed notable success when Breege bounded clear of her rivals to take the Group 2 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes at York on Saturday.

The talented daughter of Starspangledbanner was sent off an unfancied 33/1 chance after finishing a well-beaten seventh group 3 in the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last month, but she quickly defied her starting price when running on strongly from the rear of the field to claim the £500,000 Group 2 prize. 

Victory in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom earlier in the year would be the first group race success for Sean Quinn after joining the license with his father John. 

The last-time-out Group 2 Lennox Stakes hero Audience, who was a close second in this contest twelve months ago, was as short as 4/7 to follow up in this seven-furlong prize, but after travelling strongly, backers of the market leader soon knew their fate when Rab Havlin's mount failed to find under pressure. 

Breege's task was made slightly easier when Lake Forest was withdrawn having played up in the stalls, while the defending champion Kinross was also a notable absentee. 

Audience, a close second in last year's renewal, was expected to take all the beating in the seven-furlong Group 2 having won the Lockinge Stakes and Lennox already this season but things didn't go the way of the 4/7 favourite on the Knavesmire.

Shouldvebeenaring looked to throw down a serious challenge down the centre of the track, but Richard Hannon's grey couldn't match the kick of Breege, who burst through between rivals to win by a length and a half under Irish jockey Colin Keane. 

The 22/1 chance Vafortino ran on strongly to claim the silver medal spot, with Shouldvebeenaring taking third place ahead of Audience. 

"This filly has got a very, very good pedigree. Her mother is a half-sister to the best two-year-old we trained, The Wow Signal," said John Quinn on ITV Racing. "We trained her mother; she was a good, honest filly but this filly has always shown a bit of class and she'd been placed, before she won a Group race, in five Group races and then she won her Group race at Epsom.

"We worked her last Monday, and we had her in the Celebration Mile and in this. I rang Andrew Black (owner), and I said I'm not saying she'll win but I've never seen her work as well and I said the money that York put up, which we're very, very grateful for, is immense. I said she's not short of speed and he said we should go to York, and I'm delighted we did."

Colin Keane added: "It was a little bit of a surprise.

"She had good form; she was running well in these races. Talking to John and Sean beforehand, they said ride her to come home well, and it worked well."