'We are expecting a big run' - who will come out on top in battle of the stayers in Yorkshire Cup?

Quickthorn is a horse who divided opinion last season. He appeared to be transformed by a switch to front-running tactics when completing a hat-trick of Group wins last summer and his victory in the Lonsdale Cup at this track was one of the most remarkable runs of the year.

He went to the front, built up a huge advantage and never looked like being caught. Come the line he had broken the field in relentless fashion to beat Coltrane easing down by 14 lengths.

It looked too good to be true and that’s why opinions were split. One school of thought took the victory at face value and the other suggested it was just a freak run never to be repeated.

I was among those in the first camp who took the performance at face value and that view was based largely on the time that Quickthorn recorded. He finished 2.20 seconds under standard and was the fastest per furlong on the card, so the clock doesn’t lie. Or does it?

Quickthorn’s three subsequent performances suggest maybe it does. He has since been beaten 42 lengths by Kyprios, ten and a half lengths by Trueshan and seven and a half by Broome. That latest defeat came in Dubai in March and Quickthorn is 3lb better off with Broome here.

Weight won’t matter if Quickthorn produces the same form that he showed in the Lonsdale, though, and it’s still too soon to conclude that was a one-off despite his three poor runs since.

Quickthorn hasn’t just been beaten three times since, he has run well below his best and there has to be a strong chance that he had such a hard race in recording that superb time in the Lonsdale Cup that it left a mark. His subsequent three Racing Post Ratings also point to that.

His first run after the Lonsdale Cup resulted in an RPR of just 82 at Longchamp, but he recorded 105 at Ascot next time and an even better 113 when sixth at Meydan last time.

That suggests he is gradually returning to form and this is the acid test. There will be no excuses for Quickthorn back at York and this is his big chance to prove it was no fluke.

Broome and Siskany both finished in front of Quickthorn at Meydan last time. They took first and second place in the Dubai Gold Cup, with Broome getting the better of the tussle by a neck. Siskany is weighted to reverse those places on 3lb better terms on this return to Britain.

They pulled four and three-quarter lengths clear of previous Gold Cup winner Subjectivist in third and this year’s Dubai Gold Cup was a Group 2 that has been rated to Group 1 standard, with Broome given an RPR of 122 and Siskany 121. They bid to justify those ratings here.

Eldar Eldarov is a Group 1 winner, but has to carry a 5lb penalty for his St Leger victory and an RPR of 117 for that Doncaster win was one of the lowest recorded in the final Classic. He flopped at Ascot next time and has a lot to prove, but is unexposed and could progress again.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

'It's a logical starting point' - St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov begins Cup campaign

Roger Varian hopes St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov will be able to stake his claim as Britain's leading stayer this season.

The four-year-old won the Doncaster Classic in September under David Egan, as well as the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot earlier in the season.

However, the son of Dubawi finished a below-par seventh in the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day on his final run last season and has to give 2lb away to the top-rated Broome.

Eldar Eldarov: St Leger winner makes his return in Friday's Yorkshire CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

Varian said: "He seems in good form. It's looking like it'll be a really strong running and it will be tough as he has a Group 1 penalty to carry. 

"However, this does look like a good logical starting point for hopefully bigger targets for the rest of the season."

Eldar Eldarov is 6-1 for the Ascot Gold Cup at the royal meeting next month and confidence is still high that he can blossom into one of the best stayers in Britain.

"We hope he can develop into a Cup horse for all those big races still like the Ascot Gold Cup," Varian added. "This race will tell us a lot first of all, but he's ready to run and it will set up the season."

Quickthorn out to be king of the Knavesmire again

Quickthorn put in a remarkable performance when a wide-margin winner of the Lonsdale Cup at the Ebor meeting last year and returns to the scene of his greatest triumph bidding to land another notable success. 

The Hughie Morrison-trained six-year-old was a 14-length winner from Ascot Gold Cup favourite Coltrane last August but has failed to win in three starts since, including in the Dubai Gold Cup on his seasonal return in March.

Oisin Murphy retains the mount on the son of Nathaniel, who also finished runner-up in the 2021 Ebor, and Morrison hopes he can build on his run at Meydan.

He said: "One was trying to do a difficult thing in heading for one run out in Dubai, but he seems to be in good form now. It might have been a once-in-a-lifetime performance, but I do think it was exceptional. Coltrane obviously didn’t run to his best, but Quickthorn absolutely dominated him."

What they say

Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Broome
He seemed very comfortable over the two-mile trip at Meydan and he's in good form. We had the choice of this or the Saval Beg and we decided to come here. We have been delighted with him since his win the last day.

Marco Botti, trainer of Giavellotto
He looks well and this has always been the plan after Dubai, where things didn't really pan out for him. This is a quality field, but we've had this in mind for a long time. The ground won't be a problem and he's getting 5lb from Eldar Eldarov this time, with the St Leger form looking strong too.

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Siskany
Siskany put up a couple of decent performances at Meydan over the winter. We felt that the two miles of the Dubai Gold Cup was right at his limit and dropping back to a mile and six furlongs will help. He brings a nice profile into the race and conditions look likely to suit, so we are expecting a big run.
Reporting by Matt Rennie

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