Swift revels in York glory

Moyenne Corniche and apprentice rider Dale Swift were the toast of York on Saturday as they teamed up for a local success in the Betfred Ebor.

The one-mile-six-furlong contest is the namesake of the entire meeting and Rotherham-born Swift, 25, admitted it had always been an ambition to win the big handicap. He employed excellent waiting tactics aboard the 25-1 shot to come from the rear to claim Europe’s richest handicap by a length from the Queen’s horse Tactician, with Investissement third and Modun fourth.

“It’s great for me being a Yorkshire lad, there’s nothing better for me than to win this race,” said Swift. “To ride in a race like this is really important and to win it is something special. It’s amazing and it might take a week to sink in.”

Malton-based trainer Brian Ellison wallowed in a personal triumph, also sending out the fifth-placed Saptapadi as Moyenne Cornice became the first Yorkshire-trained winner since Les Eyre’s Far Ahead in 1997. “The plan was to hit the front late, I knew he would love the ground and I said to Dale he wouldn’t be out of the first four,” said Ellison.

“It’s fantastic. We like to target races like the Northumberland Plate, the Ebor and the November Handicap.

“I said to Dale, the first thing you do is to ride him for a place then go and win it.”

The Ebor apart, the day belonged to Frankie Dettori as the ever-popular Italian weighed in with a 199-1 treble on Parlour Games (9-1), Opinion Poll (3-1) and My Propeller (4-1). His first two winners were for Godolphin and trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni.

Parlour Games galloped on stoutly to outstay Whiplash Willie by three-quarters of a length in the Betfred Melrose Stakes, while Opinion Poll won the Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup for the second year running as he outstayed Yorkshire Cup winner Duncan.

Dettori completed his trio on My Propeller for soccer star owner Joey Barton and trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam in the Julia Graves Roses Stakes.

Six-times champion Kieren Fallon enjoyed a double on Risky Art (6-1) and York Glory (5-2 favourite) in the last two races to be crowned top jockey at the four-day meeting with four winners.

He beat Dettori, who also had four, by having two thirds to the Italian’s one.

Meanwhile, leading owner Khalid Abdullah enjoyed another notable big-race one-two as Announce just denied Timepiece in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville yesterday. The four-year-old fillies had the race between them in the final furlong, and at one stage it looked as though Tom Queally would lift the Group One prize on the Sir Henry Cecil-trained Timepiece.

However, Maxime Guyon had other ideas on Announce and drove Andre Fabre’s charge into the lead in the last 100 yards to grab the spoils by a short neck.