Go Racing in Yorkshire Festival raising the bar for Classic-winning trainer Adrian Keatley

Irishman Keatley was speaking at the launch of the 15th annual Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival, sponsored by Sky Bet, held at Catterick racecourse yesterday.

This year’s festival launches at Pontefract on Friday evening and takes in eight of the county’s nine racetracks, finishing at York on Saturday week.

He said: “It’s a very important Festival as I never realised the divide between northern racing and southern until I came over here and recently more so than ever.

“I got a phone call Sunday morning asking about Julie Camacho’s big success [Shaquille’s victory in the Group 1 July Cup] and I had to remind them that John Quinn had the best Group 1 sprinter last season [Highfield Princess], just two miles down the road; Richard Fahey is doing it year in, year out and so is Kevin Ryan.

“They sounded surprised like it was a big Group 1 winner at Newmarket. It inspired me to do better and up the quality because I think it is a bit unfair that there is any divide because the tracks up here are as good and if not better than a lot of the southern tracks.

“York is unbelievable and a great place to go. Anyone who comes over from Ireland they love the place so hopefully, it is going to be a big meeting for us and if we can find a winner, even better.”

Kihavah may provide one for Keatley as he ponders a drop in trip for the in-form horse in the Sky Bet York Stakes on Saturday week ahead of a potential crack at the Ebor next month.

The handler feels his stable star, who has a handicap mark of 98, may have to win another race to ensure a place in the Sky Bet-sponsored feature handicap.

Having won his previous four races, including once over hurdles, Kihavah finished second to Saeed bin Suroor's Live Your Dream at Newmarket last week.

“We might run Kihavah at York as a prep run for the Ebor as he's short a couple of pounds on 98, he might need another couple to make sure he gets in,” said Keatley, who won the 2016 Irish 1,000 Guineas with Jet Setting.

“He's got his confidence back, he had a couple of issues with his wind in the past, which we've played around with, and we seem to have found the key to him now.”

On the track, Ann Duffield’s course specialist Quercus brought up a fourth success at the track with an all-the-way win under Joe Fanning in the 5th Regiment Royal Artillery Handicap at Catterick.

Fresh from his first Group One-winning exploits in the July Cup on Shaquille, Rossa Ryan made the journey north and was rewarded with a double, both trained by Ralph Beckett. Campaign Trail was sent off the 2-5 favourite in the Watch Racing TV Now Restricted Maiden Stakes and had little trouble in seeing off two rivals, with Diamond Vega (2-1fav) later landing the Download The Vickers.Bet App Handicap.

Dates of the Go Racing in Yorkshire Festival

Friday 21st July – Pontefract

Saturday 22nd July – Ripon

Saturday 22nd July – Doncaster Evening

Sunday 23rd July – Redcar

Monday 24th July – Beverley Evening

Wednesday 26th July – Catterick

Thursday 27th July – Doncaster

Friday 28th July – Thirsk

Friday 28th July – York Evening

Saturday 29th July – York