'She's as good as any I've had in a while' - Winter Power romp delights Easterby

Sprinters old and new made it a day to remember for Tim Easterby – and had bookmakers taking evasive action.

Winter Power was halved in price to 10-1 from 20 for the King's Stand Stakes by Paddy Power after bolting up by three lengths with another five to the rest in the Listed Westow Stakes over 5f.

Easterby could not hide his enthusiasm for the King Power Racing-owned three-year-old, and said: "She's a natural. She's so relaxed. She's always been able to gallop but it’s just taken a while to get it all right.

"She's a good-sized filly now, she's really grown and she's done well and filled out. She's just a professional and you get a good horse like that every once in a while.

"Pipalong was the same and they hardly blow after their races these good horses. She'd be as good as any that I've had in a while. The King's Stand has been the plan the whole time and she's just a really straightforward filly."

Tim Easterby: 'She's a natural. She's so relaxed'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Earlier, seven-year-old stablemate Copper Knight earned a possible crack at the Epsom Dash after getting the better of a big field of handicappers over the same 5f.

His half-length success under Jimmy Sullivan, in a race he also won the last time it was run in 2019, was his eighth overall since joining Easterby and his fifth at York.

"He's a star," the trainer said of Middleham Park Racing's winner. "He ran great first time out last year then he went up 7lb, that snookered him and he went off the boil so he got himself re-handicapped.

"He ran well at Chester last week and they dropped him 1lb for being third but he likes it here. He was just cocking his lugs a bit but he was always going to hold on. We might run him in the Dash at Epsom."

Reflecting on Copper Knight's longevity, Easterby said: "When he first came he was a bit stressy and he took a bit of settling down but he's very easy to train.

"Kirby Fentiman, Duran's wife, rides him out every day at home and he just goes round the back on his own, he doesn't do anything fancy – and it works."

Copper Knight returned to winning ways in the 5f handicapCredit: Edward Whitaker

Queen reigns at last

Queen Power had not won for five days short of two years but you would never have guessed it from the way she routed her rivals in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes.

The 6-4 favourite ended a seven-race losing run as she bounded up by eight lengths under Silvestre de Sousa.

Sir Michael Stoute trains the winner, and his assistant James Horton said: "We've never thought she wasn't genuine.

"She won nicely at Newbury a couple of years ago and nothing's quite gone right for her since. It went right for her today and she relaxed and got into a nice rhythm.

Queen Power: victorious for the first time in almost two years with a runaway success in the Group 2 MiddletonCredit: Edward Whitaker

"She's a Group 2 winner now and whatever we do with her we'll have to try improve on that. She'll make a lovely broodmare and we have to keep that in mind with the way we race her and where."

Chester promise fulfilled

Kynren had run a huge race from a poor draw when third at Chester last week and confirmed that promise by taking the mile handicap for trainer David Barron.

"He's a bundle of consistency and ran a mighty race at Chester last week," said jockey Connor Beasley.

"He travelled into it very well and loved the easier ground. He got a little bit checked at the two and a half pole but once I got him back in a rhythm he went all the way to the line."

Replays, results and analysis

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The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a three-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday