Ryan on a high

Amadeus Wolf delighted the massive Ebor day crowd with a stylish victory in the Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes at York to give local trainer Kevin Ryan his first domestic Group-race success.

The Thirsk-based handler has a powerful team of youngsters and fresh from saddling Palace Episode to win the Listed Acomb Stakes on the opening day, he was on the mark once again in the juvenile division with Amadeus Wolf.

Kieren Fallon had been on Tuesday’s winner with stable jockey Neil Callan serving a ban, but the latter was back in the plate this afternoon.

He settled the well-backed 7-1 shot just off a hot pace set by Mutawajid and then Saville Road.

Two furlongs out Red Clubs, winner of the Coventry Stakes here at the Royal Meeting, went on but was nailed close home by Amadeus Wolf, who quickened clear to score by a length and a half.

Assertive kept on well for third a further length and a quarter away.

Ryan said: “It’s a great thrill to win, particularly at York.

“I felt he was a better horse coming here today than he was at the Royal Meeting. I think he’s probably grown up a little bit and his work at home has been exceptional.

“We’ve always thought he was a very good horse and he’s rubber stamped it today.

“Neil is a great stable jockey and he works very hard for us and I’m delighted for him.

“This is my first Group winner in the UK – I’ve had two in Ireland. Eastern Promise set the ball rolling, but it’s been a long wait since – this makes it all worthwhile.”

As for plans for his Group Two winner, Ryan added: “I wouldn’t be in a rush - he’s had a hard enough race today. We’ll give him an easy two or three weeks and then we’ll see where we go with him, but he’s a very exciting horse.”

Red Clubs’ trainer Barry Hills blamed the colt’s 5lb penalty for his Royal Ascot win for his defeat.

He said: “It’s an anomaly really. The penalty is a killer. He wins the Coventry, he then has to carry a penalty all year except for Group Ones – it messes up the year. The 5lb has found him out.

“They should address it and do something about it.”

On a good afternoon for Northern trainers, David Nicholls, who is based not far from Ryan at Sessay, got on the scoresheet himself with Johannes, ridden by his son Adrian, in the newitts.com Convivial Maiden Stakes.

The 9-1 shot was soon bowling along in the lead and he kept up the gallop right to the line to shatter more than one tall reputation in the process.

King Johannes was sent off the 5-6 favourite but could never land a blow after missing the break and was eighth of the 10 runners.

Johannes had finished second to Palace Episode on his debut at Catterick last month and Nicholls said: “The owners wanted to run him here and I was a bit apprehensive, but the form got a big boost yesterday.

“There were some nice horses walking round the paddock and he was one of them. I suppose in a way he’s galloped them into the ground.

“His life is in front of him now.

“We are lucky we’ve three nice two-year-olds and he’s one of them.”

Richard Whitaker bypassed the Gimcrack in favour of the Costcutter Roses Stakes with Tabaret and the move paid off as the 7-1 chance rallied strongly for Dean McKeown to pip Godfrey Street by a short head.

The Scarcroft, near Wetherby handler said: “We had the option to go for the Gimcrack or this.

“We took him to Ripon the other day and gave him a racecourse gallop and Dean said keep him to five furlongs – he’s so fast on this ground.

“He battled back well because I thought he was beaten. It will have done him good because he learned to battle today.

“It will be the Flying Childers next. I would like to take him to France in October, but the ground might have got too soft for him by then.”

Realism had the locals cheering as early as the opening race after running out the convincing winner of the Motability Supported By Royal & SunAlliance Handicap.

The five-year-old is trained just down the road at Malton by Richard Fahey and had run well on his last visit to the Knavesmire when he was third in the John Smith’s Cup.

Realism (12-1) was always handy under Tony Hamilton in before being kicked on three furlongs out.

The gelding soon had his rivals at full stretch and came home two lengths clear of Star Of Light with another half back to Motive.

“I’m delighted. He deserved that,” said Fahey.

“He was second in a Derby Day handicap and third in a John Smith’s Cup and it looked like he wasn’t going to win this year.

“In the John Smith’s Cup he was a bit keen because the front-runners were trying to pull the race up, but they went a good sort of gallop today and he settled.

“I’ve put him the Cambridgeshire and a big handicap at Newbury on September 17. He’ll probably go to Newbury and then for the other one.”

There was 20p in the pound deducted from bets after 100-30 favourite Rohaani refused to go into the stalls – for a second time at York.