Regard is mutual as Louis is crowned Ebor king

The irony was not lost on the winning horse’s trainer Johnny Murtagh who tried, and failed, on countless occasion to add Europe’s richest handicap to his big race CV before retiring from the saddle last year.

“It’s a young man’s game!” joked Murtagh before revealing that it was Mutual Regard’s delighted owner Andrew Tinkler, a businessman associated with the Eddie Stobart haulage empire, who put Steward’s name forward.

“I never won this race as a jockey, but I was second a few times. This lad had been going well at home, he got put up 11lb for winning first time out and he then ran a nice race behind Pale Mimosa who won the Lonsdale Cup on Friday.

“I thought a fast pace and one-mile-six would suit him, and Louis gave him a lovely ride. I wanted Ross Coakley to ride but he’s suspended – Andrew looked at the stats and said this lad (Steward) is red hot. Ascot and the long distance race on Champions Day now might be on his agenda now, but we’ll see about the Melbourne Cup as he loves fast ground.”

Mutual Regard and Steward, 19, were always in the first three and the apprentice jockey’s five pound weight allowance was key to the winner repelling the David Probert-ridden Van Percy by just over a length with race favourite Pallasator back in fourth.

Yet the sportsmanship of Pallasator’s trainer Sir Mark Prescott in the winner’s enclosure will be one of the indelible images of the 2014 Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival which attracted a total crowd in the region of 80,000 racegoers.

Prescott was desperate to replicate Hasten To Add’s Ebor win 20 years previously and trained Mutual Regard until the horse was acquired by Tinkler last year for 60,000 guineas – a bargain considering Saturday’s first prize was just shy of £165,000.

From a Yorkshire perspective, a heavy shower came one hour too late for Peter Niven’s Clever Cookie who ran with credit to finish sixth – this dual purpose horse could now have a lay-off.

However, Steward was still coming to terms with his success yesterday – and the ordeal of the ice bucket charity challenge that he, and Murtagh, had to endure in the winner’s enclosure.

It meant he could not share this moment of success with his grandfather Eric who runs an amusement arcade in Yarmouth and who took Steward to the races at the East Anglia seaside resort and fuelled the latter’s interest in the sport.

Steward thought it was “a wind-up” when he was told by his boss Michael Bell, a leading Newmarket trainer, last weekend that he would be riding for Murtagh in the Ebor.

“I had a winner at Hamilton on Friday night and that filled me with confidence,” he told The Yorkshire Post. “Mr Murtagh just said to don’t worry where you sit, just get him to settle. Luckily they went a nice gallop, I probably hit the front a bit too soon but when the horses came to me he really quickened.

“I was in shock after the race – and then the ice bucket challenge left me in shock again. I’ll be back to earth on Monday mucking three out.”

After the defeat of Taghrooda in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks to Aidan O’Brien’s Tapestry, there was some compensation for Paul Hanagan when Muhaar took the six furlong Gimcrack Stakes for in-form trainer Charlie Hills. The former champion jockey said it was “just like old times” as he got the better of a compelling battle with his great rival Silvestre de Sousa aboard Mark Johnston’s Jungle Cat.

Nawton trainer David O’Meara and The Yorkshire Post’s racing columnist Danny Tudhope took the Strensall Stakeswith Custom Cut while Kevin Ryan’s Online Alexander took the finale under apprentice Kevin Stott.

However Ryedale apprentice Joe Doyle was involved in the racing drama of the day when the saddle slipped from Mantou just yards before the finish of the Melrose Stakes. Although his mount crossed the line in fourth place, stewards adjudged that the horse did not finish because 18-year-old Doyle’s foot grazed the Knavesmire turf just before the post.

The Wow Signal got the better of fellow Royal Ascot hero Hootenanny to maintain his unbeaten record in the Prix Morny at Deauville and provide Norton trainer John Quinn with his first Grade One winner on the Flat.

The colt’s odds for next year’s 2000 Guineas have been cut to 14-1 and The Wow Signal, the first leg of a big race double for Frankie Dettori, may return to France for Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp on Arc day.

“I wouldn’t say this is what we do it for, but these are the days you dream of,” said Quinn whose Countrywide Flame won at the highest level over hurdle. “Everyone works hard and you hope you might come across a horse like him.”