Race to be top jockey at York comes to end

Victories aboard Homage in the feature race, and then Old Time Boy, leave him on the nine-winner mark for the campaign.

Moore, the jockey who partnered Kevin Ryan’s The Grey Gatsby to memorable victories in York’s Dante Stakes, the French Derby and Irish Champion Stakes, can’t add to his tally as he is in action at Newmarket today.

Moore holds a one win lead over Ladbrokes St Leger-winning jockey Andrea Atzeni who is also at Newmarket. However, the former champion jockey can still be caught by The Yorkshire Post’s columnist Daniel Tudhope. He has four chances to add to his current tally of seven winners, including Watchable in the feature Coral Sprint Trophy.

Meanwhile, Tudhope’s boss David O’Meara is on course to be leading trainer at York for a second successive season.

He is on the nine-winner mark and saddles eight runners today. The biggest threat to Nawton-based O’Meara is likely to come from Malton’s Richard Fahey, who is two behind following Arctic Feeling’s success yesterday.

Fahey has 13 runners at York today with Akeed Champion his most likely winner in the coral.co.uk EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes.

To mark their achievement, the winners will be honoured with new, perpetual trophies.

Cast in bronze, by renowned sculptor, the late John Skeaping, they are from a limited edition commissioned for York in the late 1970s. A matched pair, the statues are of a walking horse with a jockey. Both are set on a polished wooden base to carry the names of the respective winners.

Anthea Morshead, assistant clerk of the course, said: “These bronzes are beautiful and to have one’s name engraved upon the base will be a huge tribute to the pilot and handler.”

n Saturday interview with David O’Meara: Page 12.