Daiquiri Bay continued the momentum generated by his triumph at Royal Ascot by securing another valuable win in the Sky Bet Ebor at York. The four‑year‑old, long regarded as a shrewd handicap contender by trainer Alan King, has stepped up his performance since being gelded during the off‑season. The transformation was evident with a comeback victory at Newmarket and a hard‑fought runner‑up effort in the Copper Horse Stakes at the Royal meeting in June. For the £500,000 feature of the Ebor Festival, King chose to keep his horse fresh, and the decision paid off handsomely.
Rossa Ryan settled Daiquiri Bay in the middle of the field for much of the one‑mile‑six‑furlong race before making his move just after the home turn. The horse accelerated smoothly into the leading group, and with the inside rail on his near side offering a short‑cut, he dug deep in the final stages. In a nail‑biting three‑way finish he edged past the Wathnan Racing pair—Hopewell Rock and Opportunity—to claim the win.
After the race King exclaimed, "It was a great ride from Rossa and I'm just blown away. We still have plenty of hurdlers and he'd make a nice one, but I don't think I'll suggest that today!" He went on to explain the long‑term plan that had been in place since Ascot: "After that Ascot run, Rossa suggested we give him a breather before targeting the Ebor because he had a tough race.
He broke the track record at Ascot, so we were able to give him a little break and build him up." The day’s racing news also featured a 14/1 ante‑post tip for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and an 11/4 pick for the St. Leger, while Galopin Des Champs was retired, prompting owner Audrey Turley to pay tribute to the Cheltenham Gold Cup hero.
Sky Sports Racing highlighted upcoming fixtures at Chepstow, Windsor and Saratoga, and celebrated Hollie Doyle's success in the August Stakes with trainers Marquand and Haggas. In a broader industry update, the BHA expressed concern about the lack of rain ahead of the jumps season, while Sky Sports Racing also previewed meetings at Ffos Las, Fontwell and Sedgefield. King added, "His preparation has gone great, the rain came and I almost think he's a better horse on slow ground." Reflecting on the significance of the win, King said, "It's a very special day.
We had the favourite back in 2003 with Salsalino, but he only finished third. This race holds a lot of history for us. We came hopeful he'd run well and he was always in the right place, but I thought the Wathnan horses were coming to do me. He was entitled to do what he did and he was still on the up, so we hoped.
Horses we've brought here before have been more exposed. We actually needed him to go up after Ascot so he was guaranteed a run.
When you win these big races it is always emotional and we don't win as many as we used to. I've always tried to win an Ebor but you need one on the way up and this one was." When asked whether the Melbourne Cup might now be on his radar, King laughed, "I don't travel, you do well to get me to go to York!" Wathnan Racing adviser Richard Brown praised the second and third placings, noting that Hopewell Rock could be a contender for Australia's most prestigious race in November. Brown said, "It's one of those where you are delighted that they have run so well but you want to win – all credit to Alan King because his horse was so brave. I thought we were definitely getting there with Hopewell Rock, but they've run brilliantly.
The Melbourne Cup reps are here and I still need to find out if he qualifies for it, but that was the plan. Opportunity has not been an easy horse; he's actually been quite difficult so William (Haggas) and his team have done a brilliant job with him. He might be a Cup horse next year, we'll see.
He'll get better with age."