Curtain up at the Knavesmire

10:22am Wednesday 14th May 2008

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All roads lead directly to York this week for the opening action of the season on Knavesmire and, while most eyes will be on Derby favourite Twice Over in Thursday's Dante Stakes - a stepping-stone, which has uncovered three of the last four Derby winners - one Ryedale trainer will have eyes only for his unbeaten juvenile 24 hours later.

Paul Midgley is pitching Dispol Kylie in at the deep end in the Marygate Stakes, a Listed event, sponsored by Langleys Solicitors, which carries prize money of £25,000.

The Westow trainer is under no illusions that his two-year-old filly, a bargain buy, who has already won at Doncaster and Thirsk, faces a stiff task.

"She needs to improve again if she's to win," said Midgley. "She'd done everything asked of her so far, but there are no easy routes for her now and we've nothing to lose by putting her in a Listed race. If she's going to make an impression at that level, it'll probably be now, rather than later in the season when the better two-year-olds have started to appear."

Jamie Moriarty, who has ridden Dispol Kylie, owned by Ripon enthusiast Bill Imison, in her two starts to date, will again be in the saddle at York.

"Highland Warrior gave us our first winner on the course last year, but it would be nice to have a two-year-old winner there," said Paul.

Ryedale horses will be out in force at York's curtain-raiser, with Richard Fahey, leading trainer on the course for the last two years, aiming to run a whole raft of horses.

Rain is forecast later in the week and Fahey is keeping his fingers crossed that it comes in time to offer Anna Pavlova - Ryedale's top-rated mare - the green light in Friday's £140,000 Yorkshire Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airlines.

"She's ground dependent and I wouldn't be keen to run her unless the word soft' appeared in the going description," said the Malton handler. "She's in as good form as I've ever had her, so I really do want to run her, but it all depends on the weather."

Wyatt Earp, a three-times York winner, Flying Clarets, another previous Knavesmire winner, the in-form Benandonner and Green Park, and new recruit Mighty Moon are among other runners from Musley Bank at the meeting.

John Quinn, who has struck form with a vengeance in the last week, is another trainer with strong chances.

Lincoln Handicap runner-up Blythe Knight leads his charge in the Hambleton Handicap, a race the gelding won 12 months ago. "He's run very well in two Group races since the Lincoln, without being quite good enough to win. He's on a higher mark this year than last for the York handicap, but he's in good order."

Quinn, who, after a series of near misses, saw Pacific Pride win narrowly at Ripon last Friday night, followed up with a Hexham-Thirsk double the following day, courtesy of Or D'Oudairies and Winthorpe. Island Music followed suit at Redcar on Monday to keep the Highfield bandwagon rolling.

"The horses had been running well without winning, which is frustrating, but this is a very competitive game and that's how it goes sometimes," said Quinn. "It's pleasing to see the winners coming now, and it's deserved reward for good owners and good staff."

Among Quinn's other intended York runners are the sprinters, Zomerlust, Fantasy Believer, Fantasy Explorer, Know No Fear and new recruit, Mastership.

Tim Easterby is never a man to underestimate on his local track. Wing Collar, who has shown his best form on the course, is lined up for the Reland Jorvik Handicap on Friday, after his respectable sixth-placed effort in last week's Chester Cup, while Hamish McGonagall and the evergreen Thewhirlingdervish are also worthy of attention.

Brian Ellison is on the mend after a five-hour operation to treat a kidney problem.

The Norton trainer underwent his surgery last Saturday at a private hospital in Leeds, and although the first few days afterwards were not the most comfortable he's ever experienced, his wife Clare and daughter Lorraine are hoping that he will be fit enough to be allowed home this weekend.

Lorraine, who is holding the fort while her father is laid-up, said: "It was a bit of a shock to see him after the operation, with tubes coming out of him, but everything went well. The surgeon had to unravel the tubes to his kidneys and they were in such a mess, it was thought that it may have been caused by a kick from a horse years ago. He's been having problems for at least two years, and it's a relief that he's finally got things sorted."

Ellison will be under strict instructions to take things easy once he's discharged from hospital. "Apparently, he can't do anything strenuous for three months, but I expect he'll manage to go racing, even if he might not be able to saddle horses and girth them up," said Lorraine, who added, "I would like to thank everyone who has telephoned, asking how dad was, following the operation."

Ellison has plenty to look forward to. Last week at Chester, he came nail-bitingly close to victory in the Chester Cup with third-placed Tilt, while Carte Diamond, himself a former invalid, also ran a blinder to finish third to Macarthur in the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes.

More immediately, Ellison has a good chance of a York victory on Thursday with Mister Arjay in the Ripleyconnection Handicap over two-and-a-quarter miles.

A return to Beverley is on the cards for Deadly Encounter, who made a spectacular debut on the course last week.

The two-year-old, trained at Malton by Richard Fahey, who also bred him with owner John Staunton from the mare, Cautious Joe, coasted home by nine lengths in the maiden race, providing stable apprentice Barry McHugh with an armchair ride in the process.

"We'll probably take him back to Beverley for the Brian Yeardley Two-Year-Old Trophy later in the month," said Fahey. "That race will tell us much more about him, and where we should be going. Whether he's a Royal Ascot horse, we'll have to wait and see, but he's a horse we've liked ever since we started working him, and he's done everything asked of him at home."

Atlantic Beach, who was also among Fahey's winners last week, scored in grand style at Ripon, making it third time lucky for the season, after failing to see a racecourse last year as a juvenile.

The son of Kyllachy is owned by David Brotherton, who bred him from his mare Amused, at Whitwell-on-the-Hill.

Members of the northern racing press came from far and wide to pay their respects to the late Steve Boggett at Thirsk last Saturday evening when a race was staged to honour the memory of the former Ryedale reporter and race-reader.

Steve, who died, aged 59, last August, after a gallant battle with cancer, spent some 30 years working for Raceform and the Sporting Life, and was also a regular columnist on the Sporting Life Weekender.

In covering racing throughout Yorkshire, and also much further afield, from his long-time base at Skewsby, Steve was a well-known face on racecourses throughout much of Britain.

It was fitting that a race was held for him at his local course, and entirely appropriate that, far from being a memorial event, it was named the Steve Boggett Celebration of Life' Handicap to encompass the passion and enthusiasm Steve had for life, and for racing.

Steve's widow Judy, along with his daughter Sarah, presented the winner's trophy amid a large throng of family and friends, a number which was further bolstered by Steve's former colleagues.

Among those present were Alan Amies, who worked with Steve for many years on Raceform, Will Lefebve, formerly of the Press Association, and also a close personal friend of the Boggetts; Tim Richards, David Grouse, John Morgan, Dougie Fraser and Matty Seymour.

Several others came from away, with Doug Moscrop making the journey from Newcastle, Colin Russell and Richard Young arriving at Thirsk hot-foot from working at Hexham in the afternoon, Walter Glynn, another of his former Raceform colleagues, coming on from an earlier stint at Nottingham, and Ray Gilpin, Darren Owen and Nick Bentley getting across to Thirsk from Haydock.

Steve's race was won by 15-2 shot Osteopathic Remedy, trained at Darlington by Michael Dods, who said; "I knew Steve well and I am very pleased to have won his race."