Ebor Festival: Voltigeur is ‘right race’ for Los Angeles

A huge team of contractors, ground staff, and racing media are busy preparing for the York Ebor Festival a four-day race meeting held at York Racecourse. Pictured Elizabeth Anderson, Marketing Assistant at York Racecourse, holding the Sky Bet Ebor Festival winners trophy.

Aidan O’Brien has added a real touch of class to Wednesday’s Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes with the decision to supplement Irish Derby hero Los Angeles.

While losing his unbeaten record to stablemate City Of Troy in the Derby, he left Epsom with his reputation enhanced and duly added Classic glory of his own at the Curragh. He is favourite or joint-favourite with another stablemate, Jan Brueghel, for the St Leger at Doncaster and his performance at York on Wednesday could have a bearing on where he goes next, with the Camelot colt entered in virtually every race worthy of a mention.

“We just thought this looked the right race for him to run in, even with his penalty, so we were happy to supplement him,” said O’Brien, who will also saddle Illinois and Euphoric.

“There’s lots of places he can go after it. Obviously there’s the Leger at a mile and six, he could go up to two miles or having won the Irish Derby, he could always go back to a mile and four.

Adrian Kay, head groundsman cutting the lawns ahead of the four-day Festival.

“This race might help us decide where he goes, and we’ve got Illinois in there as well who won at Ascot (Queen’s Vase) and then we took him to France when he ran a great race (Grand Prix de Paris).”

King’s Gambit is a worthy opponent to the Ballydoyle duo, and appears due a change of luck after having very little of it in the York Stakes over this course and distance.

“He’s run well of late and through no fault of his own has just not come out with a win at Ascot and then at York it was a bizarre race,” said trainer Harry Charlton.

“We knew it would be and he’s done the donkey work in what I was told was the slowest run 10-furlong race at York ever, which was never going to suit him being a potential 12-furlong horse up against speedy 10-furlong horses.

“I thought he ran well and more than anything it gave us confidence that 12 furlongs would be within his compass because he was deeply relaxed, lobbing along in front when the others were keen. It will be interesting how we get on as we are going in potentially against some stayers and he’s the one coming up in trip, so it will be interesting to see. He might be the one with the speed and they will want to go a nice tempo, which he likes.”

Also interesting is the Owen Burrows-trained Deira Mile, who has been aimed at the Leger since his fourth at Epsom, with William Haggas represented by Space Legend, who was disappointing up in trip in the Bahrain Trophy but had looked progressive prior to that.

Ruling Court, the early ante-post favourite for next year’s 2000 Guineas and Derby, puts his reputation on the line against The Lion In Winter in today’s Tattersalls Acomb Stakes.

A change in the conditions of the race has resulted in an increased field of 11 runners this year, with contenders including Aidan O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter, Ruling Court’s main rival in the Derby betting.

“We were obviously delighted with Ruling Court on his first start at Sandown and he has definitely come on for the run,” said Appleby.