Charlie Johnston’s £1.1m Ancient Egypt is set for Derby as Karl Burke quartet primed for Guineas runs

The Amo Racing-owned Frankel colt cost 1,100,000 guineas as a yearling and was sent to Johnston’s Middleham operation and won his first two starts as a two-year-old before finishing second last in the Royal Lodge at Newmarket last autumn

He was sent off as the 16-1 outsider of the five-runner field for the ten-furlong contest – the second race of the three-day Betfred Guineas Festival.

But he looked anything but under jockey Rowan Scott as he battled it out in the final couple of furlongs with John and Thady Gosden’s My Love is King (10-3), ridden by Oisin Murphy.

He got on top to win by two lengths and looks set to head to Epsom for the Derby next month.

Johnston said: “Once he’d won his two novices we felt he had to dip our toe in the water at a higher grade at the back end of last year but I always felt we might be trying to run before we could walk.

“He’s still a baby and he is learning the job slowly, it was a disappointing run (in the Royal Lodge) but I didn’t lose faith in the horse.

“He’ll stay the extra two furlongs standing on his head, his next run will be at Epsom.

“I’m delighted, I don’t get sent many horses with this type of price tag so to deliver with them is important.”

Scott rides Billecart for Leyburn’s Karl Burke in this afternoon’s first Classic of the season, the Betfred 2,000 Guineas (3.35), at headquarters.

He is also owned by Amo Racing but is the outsider of the Leyburn-trained duo with Alparslan, partnered by Clifford Lee, ahead of him in the betting.

He won the Greenham at Newbury last month and has only suffered one defeat in his career, in the Dewhurst at Newmarket, when the reopposing Gstaad, Distant Storm and Oxagon all finished ahead of him, along with the ill-fated winner Gewan.

Grant Tuer’s Advertise will be hoping to turn the tables on Sovereign Spell when the two meet again in the six-furlong Turners Handicap (4.10).

Kevin Philippart De Foy’s inmate defeated his Jamie Spencer-ridden rival by half a length over course and distance last month when five pounds lighter.

Now the Tuer horse, with Oliver Stammers in the plate, is two pounds better off and connections will be hoping he can land the £25,770 prize.

The aformentioned Murphy says he is relishing the opportunity to reunite with superstar sprinter Asfoora in the HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes.

The Champion Jockey partnered the seven-year-old to victories in York’s Nunthorpe and the Prix de l’Abbaye last summer and said: “She’ll need the race and I don’t think HQ will be the perfect track for her, but it’s great to see her back and I’m looking forward to riding her.”

Doncaster stages a seven-race meeting this afternoon from 4.35, the opening meeting of its Meadowhall Summer Saturday Series.

Yorkshire has four representatives in tomorrow’s Betfred 1,000 Guineas with the highly-fancied Venetian Sun vying for favouritism at the top of the market.

The three-year-old filly, part-owned by Brighton and Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom, is trained by Burke who bidding for his first victory in the race.

Venetian Sun is due to be ridden by Clifford Lee and also holds an entry in the Irish equivalent, which the Leyburn handler won two years ago with Fallen Angel.

She won her first four races before losing out to the Guineas’ ante post favourite, Aidan O’Brien’s Precise, at the Curragh last September.

Burke also runs Evolutionist, the mount of Shane Foley, while Middleham’s Johnston is double-handed with the Jason Hart-ridden Venetian Lace and Timeforshowcasing, the mount of Silvestre de Sousa, who has won her last two.

Meanwhile, Thirsk stages its most valuable race of the season, the £60,000 Sky Bet Thirsk Hunt Cup, today.

Sixteen runners are set to go to post for the one-mile feature at 2.40, which carries record prize money courtesy of its new sponsor, including nearly £31,000 for the victor.

Last year’s winner, Flightplan, trained at Leyburn by Karl Burke, returns under Sam James, while former winner Redana, a shock 66-1 success in 2022, but now very much a veteran, has his fourth run in the race.

Upper Helmsley’s David O’Meara sends course and distance winner Mirsky to be ridden by Mark Winn and Mick and David Easterby’s A War Eagle, the mount of Billy Garrity is another leading Yorkshire hope.

Musselburgh winner Bellarchi, for Grant Tuer, is the other contender for Nick Bradley Racing as she bids to bring up a hat-trick.

Newmarket trainer James Tate’s improving four-year-olds Blue RC and City Of Poets give him a strong hand in North Yorkshire.

Blue RC, the mount of Connor Beasley, won over seven furlongs here last year and has recorded two other wins and three seconds in his last six runs.

His stablemate, City Of Poets, was runner-up at Thirsk on his debut last April, after which he went one better at Lingfield Park, Wetherby and finally, Wolverhampton.

Skipton-born William Haggas’ Sea Force is also among the leading contenders in the sponsors’ ante post market.