Doncaster delight for Ryedale but Ellison misses out on Melbourne Cup

They won four of the eight races, most notably the mile-a-quarter Listed Virgin Bet-sponsored Gillies Fillies Stakes which went to the David O’Meara-trained Estrange, who was partnered by James Doyle.

Owned by her breeders, the Cheveley Park Stud, for whom David has a fine record, Estrange was having only her third career outing.

She had won a Goodwood maiden on her first outing back in August, and although a bit disappointing on the faster ground next time, the return to soft ground proved just the ticket for her on Saturday when she came from off the pace to win by a length and three-quarters from the favourite, the Newmarket-trained Danielle. 

After the race Matthew Sigsworth, who was representing the owners, said: “This filly has always had a lot of ability but it didn’t really work out at Yarmouth last time as she got behind a wall of horses and also the going was a little bit too firm for her. We’d been waiting for this race on easier ground over an ideal trip. 

“She’s still learning and will be a better filly next year. Hopefully it’s Group races next year. She’ll get a good winter under her belt and come back next spring, she’s only going to get better.”

The day had started with a win for the old-timer Zip from Richard Fahey’s Musley Bank yard. Now an eight-year-old, Zip loves soft ground and is usually in his element at this time of year. 

He had been running well without winning, but partnered by Warren Fentiman, the son of jockey Duran Fentiman, he made all the running in the first division of the apprentice handicap to score by three-quarters of a length from the Tim Easterby-trained Temper Trap.

Bought at the St Leger Yearling sales in August 2017, Zip has raced for the Fahey team throughout his career. He has run 71 races, and Saturday was his 11th career win with winnings of nearly £175,000. 

Although he failed to win as a juvenile (he was second on three occasions) he has won at least one race in every year since and has been a magnificent horse for Richard and his owners, the Knavesmire Partnership.

For his young rider, it was a second career success on just his tenth ride, and he is likely to be in demand on the all-weather tracks during the winter.

Eye of Dubai scraped home to win by a nose for John & Sean Quinn. (Image: PA)Half an hour later the six-year-old It Just Takes Time from the Cornborough yard of Mark Walford maintained his fine end to the season when taking the second division of the apprentice handicap in the hands of Olivia Tubb.

Although not at his best on the all-weather at Southwell on his previous start, the six-year-old had previously won at Beverley and Leicester and he made it three consecutive wins on turf when scoring by half a length having shown up well from the outset.

His rider said afterwards: “He made it look easy and relished the ground which slowed the others down but he’s a very simple ride. I popped him out and dropped my hands and that’s his style. He hits a flat spot but never gives up. He’s very game.”

Like Zip, It Just Takes Time was winning the 11th race of his career having started in November 2020, since when he has run in 50 races and won almost £100,000 in prize money.

Not bad for a horse who was originally bought by Langton trainer Nigel Tinkler as a yearling for 5,500 euros.

Ryedale’s fourth winner at Doncaster was the soft-ground specialist Eye of Dubai from John and Sean Quinn’s Settrington yard. 

Partnered by Jason Hart, he scraped home by a nose from the Irish-trained favourite TV Star to land the 15-runner six-furlong handicap which was worth £23,000 to the winner. 

He’s another horse to have had a fine season, for this was his third success of the year and as he’s also been placed on five occasions his career statistics are now five wins and five places from just 12 races.

“Eye of Dubai has done well to do what he has this year,” said Sean Quinn. 

“When he won at Ripon he beat older horses, just as he did today. He should make into a really decent handicapper next year.”

It was very nearly five Ryedale winners at Doncaster’s finale meeting for Julie Camacho’s as Art Design failed by just a short head to land the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Nursery for two-year-olds, running on well after getting a bit behind after being bumped at the start. 

The main jumps action is just beginning to get into full swing now and on Saturday Ruth Jefferson sent out her fourth win of the current season when Lunar Chief won the staying novice hurdle at Kelso. 

The six-year-old, who was bred by her late father Malcolm, won a bumper at Newcastle in March 2023, but had been off the course for nearly a year having shown promise in two novice hurdles last autumn.

But he was spot on for his seasonal debut with regular rider Sean Quinlan bringing him through to tackle the favourite Tommys Law after the final flight before going on to win by two and three-quarter lengths. 

Another winning Norton-trained jumper to score was the Brian Ellison-trained Dream Jet who took the two-mile novice handicap chase at Hexham on Friday in the hands of Craig Nichol. 

It was the six-year-old’s second win of the season as he won a similar event at Market Rasen in July.

There was disappointment for Onesmoothoperator and Brian Ellison at the Melbourne Cup. (Image: PA) Earlier in the week, Brian had high hopes of winning one of the world’s top races, the Lexus Melbourne Cup, with Onesmoothoperator, who had been so impressive when winning the Northumberland Plate in June and also when beating the Australian horses to win the Geelong Cup on his Australian debut last month.

But things didn’t go his way in the big race on Tuesday, as he was shuffled back early on and never looked like getting into contention, eventually coming home 12th in the two-mile event that was worth more than £2.5m to the winner.