Trio of top handlers battling to win this year's Top Trainer title at York

Malton’s Richard Fahey went into yesterday’s penultimate day of racing on the Knavesmire seemingly a short-price to claim the Charles Clinkard Trophy for a tenth time in his career.

Having had ten winners at his favourite track this term, he led by two from fellow Yorkshire-based Irishman Kevin Ryan and Skipton-born William Haggas.

But Haggas closed the gap to one when his Lordship (13-2) won the second race yesterday, the William Hill Finale Handicap over a mile and five furlongs under Adam Farragher.

Then Ryan did the same when his Apiarist (28-1) denied Fahey’s Sailthisshipalone (28-1) by a neck.

Ryan said: “He’s a big, raw horse and he’ll make a lovely three-year-old.

"It was a nice prize to win today.

"He’ll probably start back at the Dante meeting like most of ours.

“We’ve had a good year. I base it on prize money now, I used to be a numbers man but the big winners give you the appetite for the job.”

Things got even better for the Hambleton handler as he drew level with Fahey after Irish Nectar won the five furlong Parsonage Hotel And Cloisters Spa Nursery.

Fahey has the most runners today, at the time of going to press, with nine declared for the seven-card meeting which starts at 1.15.

Ryan is represented by seven, while Haggas sends three north from his Newmarket base.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, the Musley Bank handler, who won his last York title back in 2018, said he was keen to reclaim the trophy.

“It wasn’t through choice that I haven’t been leading trainer. I’ve been trying every year but just didn’t have the horses,” said Fahey, who had two winners at Newcastle last night, on a day he enjoyed his 100th winner of the season.

“It would be great to get 10 (titles). It hasn’t been on my mind, I’ll be honest. But to get 10 would be fantastic.”

It would mark yet another achievement in Fahey’s longstanding love-affair with York, where he has enjoyed so many successes.

Fahey said: “It’s my favourite course – I’ve never made a secret of that. It’s 25 minutes down the road, the facilities are fantastic, the owners love going there.

“It’s a racecourse where we don’t have to look after the owners. The racecourse does everything for us.”

Of his eight triumphs at the track this season, Spirit Dancer has recorded two. The six-year-old won a Sky Bet-backed Handicap in July and then delivered three wins in a month, with a surging success in the Group 3 Sky Bet and Symphony Group Strensall Stakes at the Ebor Festival.

Fahey said: “It was a huge performance that day, stepping up in grade. But he had been working his way to that grade.

“It was probably the manner in which he won – it was very impressive. But it was just great that he won.”

Whoever is successful in becoming Top Trainer, will see his stable receive £2,500, as well as a Christmas Party at York and a pair of Charles Clinkard shoes.

The race to finish Living North Magazine Top Jockey at York is led by William Buick with eight wins, one clear of Rossa Ryan, but both men are due to ride at the Newmarket meeting today.

Meanwhile, Tim Easterby’s Copper Knight failed to add to his record tally of seven wins on the Knavesmire yesterday when he finished sixth in his own race – The Copper Knight – Winning Most Horse At York Handicap.

The race was won by Middleham-based Ben Haslam’s 10-3 favourite Wen Moon, ridden by Jonny Peate, with the popular sprinter finishing in midfield under David Allan.

Today’s feature is the £100,000 Coral Sprint Trophy, over six furlongs, where the ante-post favourite is Malton trainer Julie Camacho’s Significantly.