Point Lynas secured an overdue victory at York on Thursday. © Photo Healy Racing
Point Lynas secured an overdue victory at York with a determined display from the front in the Oakmere Homes Hambleton Handicap.
Ed Bethell’s charge had made four previous visits to the Knavesmire and on three occasions had to make do with the silver medal.
The five-year-old actually passed the post in front in a valuable contest at the 2022 Ebor Festival, only to get demoted by the stewards for causing interference, while last season he was beaten a head in May and again in August.
Making his first appearance since finishing fourth in the Group Three Superior Mile at Haydock in September, Point Lynas was a 6-1 shot in the hands of Callum Rodriguez and while he looked sure to be claimed by course specialist Northern Express in the closing stages, Bethell’s charge refused to bend and passed the post a neck to the good.
Bethell said: “I thought we were going a bit fast but he has one way of going and you just have to let him do it. Callum gets on with him great.
“He deserved to win a nice one like this today, on his last three visits to York he’s been beaten in two photos finishes and been thrown out by the stewards (after winning).
“I’m delighted for the Martins (Julie and David) and Dan (Hall) who own him and Liam who does a fantastic job on him at home because he’s not straightforward.
“It’s great to have a winner at York, this is where we all want to have winners and it’s not easy to win here.
“He was a class-dropper, he ran in a Group Three last time out but I’d say that was a career-best. We’ll probably look at something better than a handicap, I’d say we’d have to now but Ascot is not really his track, you can’t really make the running there.”
Tom Marquand showed no ill effects following a nasty incident on Wednesday when steering Clarendon House (8-1) to a smooth success in the Lindum York Handicap.
Marquand was brought down on Tiber Flow in the Group Two 1895 Duke of York Stakes, but thankfully horse and rider escaped unharmed.
Partnering Robert Cowell’s speedster in the day two opener, he was content to follow the rapid early pace set by Tees Spirit and readily picked them off in the final furlong, beating Looking For Lynda by a length and a quarter.
Tom Palin, racing manager for owners Middleham Park Racing, said: “I didn’t think it was going anywhere near to plan to be honest, he’s normally in the front rank but Tom said he gave him a great feel and they were clearly going plenty quick enough.
“The pace has has sort of collapsed in front of him, Tom’s timed it really well and he’s seen it out really well. He’s kind of coasted home in the end and the only worry was whether the gods were shining on us at York – after two seconds yesterday, I couldn’t celebrate until he was past the line.
“He’s clearly a very fast horse and it will probably the Epsom Dash next. I guess we might come back here for the Nunthorpe at the Ebor meeting as well, he’s ran in that before and this track clearly plays to his strengths.
“He’s not an easy horse to train, so it’s a great training performance from Robert. He’s the sprint king and that is exactly why we sent him this horse.”
There was a winner for Aidan O’Brien in the concluding Collective Green Energy Handicap where London City rallied gamely after looking beaten to score at odds of 11-2.
The son of Justify, who is out of 1000 Guineas winner Winter, holds plenty of nice entries moving forward and her rider Ryan Moore feels there will be more to come.
He said: “He’s sill learning and is a nice, big horse. There’s plenty more to come from him and he’s still just putting it all together.”
