Happy memories as York’s Ebor meeting draws to a close

The end of a magnificent week’s racing at York features the historic Ebor Handicap and a collection of other notable races on Saturday, but those lucky enough to have attended all or any of the four days will leave Knavesmire with great memories.

Dubawi, Darley’s super stallion, continues to produce stunning results.

Seven stakes winners in eight days is an incredible achievement, and while he sires horses of the calibre of Lah Ti Dar, the 10-length winner of York’s Listed Galtres Stakes, his name will always be up in lights.

A capacity field of 20 runners line up for the Ebor and with Godolphin without a runner, William Buick has been snapped up for capable dual-purpose horse, Whiskey Sour, trained by Willie Mullins.

Whiskey Sour finished fifth in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot before a seventh in the Galway Hurdle earlier this month.

He could easily figure in the finish of a typically open Ebor and later feature in other major staying races before the end of the season.

Saratoga continues to showcase the best American racing at this time of the year, with Saturday’s G1 Travers Stakes promising to live up to its reputation as the midsummer Derby.

Good Magic, winner of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, comes to the Spa off the back of a fine win in the G1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth and with the opportunity of further enhancing his reputation.

Gronkowski, runner-up in the G1 Belmont Stakes, and improver Vino Rossi are the main opposition, while Mendelssohn is attempting to regain his old juvenile form.

The chance to re-examine the credentials of America’s top three-year-olds is undermined only by the absence of Triple Crown winner Justify, who has been forced to retire through injury.