Masamah aiming to follow up Bogart’s success for Ryan

Glorious Goodwood winner Masamah, the mount of Jamie Spencer, who is still buoyed from Arlington Million success in the USA at the weekend, is expected to provide a formidable challenge to the red-hot favourite Hoof It.

If Hoof It backs up his Stewards’ Cup success under Kieren Fallon, he will provide an emotional and belated 80th birthday present for Sheriff Hutton trainer Mick Easterby on the 35th anniversary of Lochnager’s triumph in the famous race that is now part of the Qipco British Champions Series.

However, while Easterby’s own career has entered the home straight, Ryan’s stable is gathering pace as it accumulates winners at a rapid rate after the Hambleton trainer joined forces with emerging Thirsk-based jockey Phil Makin.

While Bapak Chinta’s gallops injury on Wednesday was a disappointment – the grey knocked a hind leg while undergoing his last piece of work before today’s race – Ryan was compensated by Bogart’s imposing win in the valuable DBS Premier Yearling Stakes.

This race has particular resonance with Yorkshire followers of the form book – it was won 12 months ago by Richard Fahey’s Wootton Bassett, who then went on to win Group One honours under champion jockey Paul Hanagan.

The most significant race this season for two-year-olds, Bogart’s triumph came close to upstaging Frankie Dettori’s popular but expected Darley Yorkshire Oaks triumph of Blue Bunting, who has now entered the St Leger reckoning after a battling triumph.

Always in the front rank, Bogart and Makin hit the front two furlongs out and quickly skipped clear, at odds of 17-2, to score by a length-and-three-quarters from Hanagan’s mount Miss Work Of Art.

The most valuable race Makin has won, the winning jockey says Bogart can only improve after sauntering to victory with consummate ease. “He didn’t handle the track at Goodwood with the undulations – the ground was also a bit quick – but he’s a really nice horse,” said the rider who pilots Ryan’s second-string, Tiddliwinks, in the big race after Masamah’s owner, Dr Marwan Koukash, stayed loyal to the aforementioned Spencer.

“He has bags of speed, but I’m sure he’ll stay further. He gave me a great feel.”

Ryan said: “We had a bit of a hold-up with a bruised foot, he had to swim for three or four days and it was a team effort to get him here.

“He was never happy at Goodwood and he’s come back to prove he’s a good horse. He’s quite a weak horse and he’s going to improve and get stronger.

“Phillip always had a lot of faith in him. He worked him the other day and said to me that he’ll win.

“He bossed the race so he’ll obviously go for the other sales race at Doncaster (Weatherbys Insurance £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes on September 8) now.”