Lords, Musicians, Natives & Almost a Lady: The Coolmore Nunthorpe

LORDS, MUSICIANS, NATIVES AND ALMOST A LADY

THE COOLMORE NUNTHORPE

Plenty of people have good reason to wish 2020 would hurry up and end, but the passing of time will offer further cause for celebrations, as the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival in 2022, will see two of the Trinity of Group 1 races reach landmark renewals. It’ll be the 50th Juddmonte International, and the 100th running of the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, one of Europe’s biggest sprints, so a race which is all about one word- speed. York’s flying five furlongs has seen so many great races, and the fact it is open to juveniles, who, armed with a significant weight allowance, square up to their seniors adds an extra dimension. Many remember how the last two-year-old to win the race, Kingsgate Native, ridden by Jimmy Quinn stormed home to beat Desert Lord and Dandy Man in 2007 - it was some way for the speedball to lose his maiden tag!

Kingsgate Native

The Nunthorpe began life as a selling race before its present format - and has always had the ability to throw up a shock - backing the Nunthorpe winner would often be enough on its own to pay for your day out. Recent years also bring back memories of desperate finishes. While Battaash got it right, and in record-breaking style a year ago seeing off Soldiers Call and So Perfect, he had been a spectator in fourth the previous two years when the winning margin was the minimum - a Nose. Back in 2018 it needed all the skill and patience of Judge Di Clark to weigh the evidence that locally trained Alpha Delphini had pixled out Mabs Cross; a year after Frankie Dettori had celebrated victory on the US raider Lady Aurelia, only to find the Judge and the photo saying otherwise - it was to be Marsha’s afternoon after all.

Mecca’s Angel

It’s a race full of memories- the emotion after County Durham based Mecca’s Angel for David Metcalfe, Michael Dods and Paul Mulrennan won back to back renewals in 2015 and 16 still brings a smile, while it’s almost 20 years since Aidan O’Brien last won it - and he needed those two musical immortals Mozart and Stravinsky to strike the right notes. In the modern era only one horse, Sharpo has won the Coolmore Nunthorpe three times, yet still more rare is that a female rider has claimed the crown on two occasions. Trailblazing, as often was her lot, Alex Greaves was part of a thrilling dead heat back in 1997 aboard Ya Malak. Roll forward and the 2011 race, like many others, was won by an outsider - 20-1 shot Margot Did, with Hayley Turner, now of ITV racing fame, up top.

Alex Greaves

Hayley Turner

So, sit back and enjoy another renewal that is likely to throw up more stories, but stay alert, you’ve only got a minute to concentrate.

Adapted from an article by Mike Vince, first published on sportinglife.com.