3 minute read

Johnny Murtagh never won the Ebor as a jockey but he's now won twice as a trainer.

Having saddled winners at Ascot and Goodwood, Murtagh was over the moon with the win of Sonnyboy in the Ebor, under the increasingly competent hands of Ben Coen.  Standing in the winner's enclosure in the pouring rain, Murtagh and wife Orla, head girl Valerie and jockey Ben seemed oblivious of the bucketing rain but the 19 year old Coen didn't come out for the trophies as he probably needed to get into some dry clothes.

It was a strange race as the rain was bucketing down and first one group of horses would go ahead and then another and then another until finally it was Coen who pushed his mount into the lead and held off the fast-finishing Quickthorn.  This may encourage Murtagh to return to Australia where he has been a welcome visitor since his apprentice days.

While it was still dry Real World won the Strensill for Saeed bin Suroor and Marco Ghiani whose baby son slept blissfully through the presentations.  Bin Suroor paid an emotional tribute to Sakhee who died this week at the age of 24.  Lord Glitters ran a huge race to take second and Duke of Hazzard was third home.

Godolphin's other trainer Charlie Appleby won the City of York with Space Blues but missed the quinella as his other runner Glorious Journey was third.  In between them was Highfield Princess 17/2.  Primo Baccio didn't like the going and was never in it.