Spirit earns Royal ticket
Invincible Spirit booked his place in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot by landing a gamble at York.
The five-year-old goes for the big sprint on the fifth day of the Festival which carries Group One status for the first time and was previously known as the Cork & Orrery.
Michael Kinane came fast and late to win the Duke Of York Stakes on the five-year-old, having ridden him only once before when taking the Ripon Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy in 1999.
Invincible Spirit was certainly all the rage in the betting ring before the Group Three contest and the 3-1 favourite justified the confidence in style, winning by a neck from Mugharreb with pacesetter Lady Dominatrix back in third.
Trainer John Dunlop’s travelling head lad, Robert Hamilton, said: ‘‘He needs luck in running, fast ground and a good draw and everything went right for him today.
‘‘He ran a good enough race first time up at Newmarket and Mick was riding him for the first time since he won on him at Ripon.’’
The five-year-old is now likely to be aimed at the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot but Johnnie Lewis, the racing manager of winning owner Prince Faisal, warned: ‘‘This could be as good as he is - he has struggled to win Group One races before.
‘‘He has been a very unlucky horse and he broke his pelvis when he was three so I suppose he has done well to come back.
‘‘He is a beautifully-bred horse and I am just pleased that the rain stayed away for once.’’
Another Vodafone Derby hopeful was shot down in flames as odds-on favourite L’Oiseau d’Argent flopped in the Michael Seely Memorial Glasgow Stakes.
Like so many of the winners on the Knavesmire this week, Richard Hills used front-running tactics to good effect on the winner, Imtiyaz.
The 11-4 chance scored by six lengths from L’Oiseau d’Argent with Nysaean, the only other runner, almost pulled up having failed to handle the fast ground.
Imtiyaz, a son of the ill-fated 1000 Guineas winner Shadayid, had looked a useful prospect last season and has clearly done well from two to three, judging by this effort.
‘‘I don’t think we will be stepping him up in trip,’’ said Godolphin’s racing manager Simon Crisford.
‘‘In fact we might drop him back a furlong for the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on French Derby day.
‘‘They rather played into his hands a bit by giving him the lead today but he is a nice horse with
plenty of potential.’’
Robert Winston, who was on the receiving end of a four-day suspension on Wednesday for misuse of the whip had another two days added to his holiday after winning the opening Langleys Solicitors Rated Stakes.
He was found to have used his whip in an incorrect place on the 6-1 winner.
Chookie Heiton’s trainer Ian Semple had high hopes of a double in the last race with Kelburne.
But the 9-4 favourite could finish only fourth as Johannian defied top-weight in the TSL Telecoms Services to Racing Handicap.
Trainer Michael Jarvis said: ‘‘Last year we were trying to make him stay trips that he didn’t really want and I think this extended mile and a quarter is just what he wants almost to the yard.
‘‘This was a nice handicap and we might come back here for the John Smith’s Cup over the same distance.’’
