Darley's class act (From Gazette & Herald)

Darley's class act

A Classic win was the reward for a classic performance at Newmarket on Sunday for Sheriff Hutton jockey Kevin Darley, who landed an unforgettable victory on Attraction in the 1,000 Guineas.

The filly, now unbeaten in six races, is trained at Middleham by Mark Johnston and became the first 1,000 Guineas winner from North Yorkshire since Mick Easterby sent out Mrs McArdy to land the spoils under Edward Hide in 1977.

For Darley, whose only previous British Classic success was achieved two years ago in the St Leger on the Tim Easterby-trained Bollin Eric, Sunday's triumph was an extra-special occasion.

"She has oodles of class and is a brilliant filly," said Darley, who elected to make every yard of the running on Attraction over the straight mile, despite the fact that she had never previously raced beyond six furlongs.

"There was no point complicating the job by trying to hold her up, and she took the sting out of them with her early pace and then just kept going."

Attraction, who had won at Thirsk and Beverley last season before going on to complete the prestigious Queen Mary-Cherry Hinton Stakes double at Royal Ascot and Newmarket, ended the season as the top juvenile filly - but with a fractured pedal bone after an accident in her stable.

For Johnston, who won the 2,000 Guineas ten years ago with Mister Baileys, to bring Attraction back after such a serious injury to win a Classic was a training performance of some magnitude, and the only 'outside' help he had was a racecourse gallop at Ripon the previous weekend.

"It's the stuff of dreams," said Johnston. "She's the first champion I've trained, the first European champion, and the second British Classic winner. It can't get any better."

Updated: 11:09 Wednesday, May 05, 2004