Another Dante triumph for Yorkshire as Pride Of Arras follows in Economics' footsteps

Copgrove Hall Stud can now claim responsibility for two successive Dante winners after the exciting Pride Of Arras followed in the footsteps of Economics to land the York Group 2. 

Emphatic winner and subsequent Irish Champion Stakes hero Economics was bred by the Yorkshire stud and Pride Of Arras was raised there too, being a homebred for David and Vimy Aykroyd. Appropriately enough, the stud's manager Brian O'Rourke was on hand to witness the bay landing the spoils by a length and a quarter from Wathnan Racing's Frankel colt Damysus. 

The three-year-old had made an eyecatching debut at Sandown last August, winning by three and a quarter lengths. He was rewarding the loyalty of his owners, who have been clients with Ralph Beckett since he began training, and also had the Ed Bethell-trained Old Cock win the Oakmere Homes Hambleton Handicap earlier on the card in their pale blue and white colours.

Beckett said afterwards: “New Bay has been a lucky stallion for us and it’s great for Mrs Aykroyd, for whom I've trained for all of my 25 years of training.”  

Pride Of Arras is the fourth foal out of Oasis Dream mare Parnell's Dream, a winner on the all-weather over a mile and a half. 

It is likely the 13-year-old gets her stamina from her Sadler's Wells dam Kitty O'Shea, a Listed-winning sister to St Leger and Racing Post Trophy winner Brian Boru, Hardwicke Stakes scorer Sea Moon and Soviet Moon, the dam of Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce. That Juddmonte star finished second in the 2010 Dante before Epsom and Longchamp triumphs for Sir Michael Stoute. 

Pride Of Arras hails from the family of the top-class WorkforceCredit: Edward Whitaker

Adding to Pride Of Arras's own Derby hopes, his rider Rossa Ryan noted another useful connection in that he had ridden two of the colt's siblings, Patient Dream (by Al Kazeem) and Sweet Fantasy (Wootton Bassett) to success in middle-distance races around Epsom's cambers already.

Pride Of Arras is the 21st individual stakes winner for Ballylinch Stud's New Bay, the source of top-level winners Saffron Beach, Bay Bridge and Bayside Boy. Other Pattern scorers of his include Bay City Roller, Devil's Point, Jumby and Alcantor.

Beckett has shown his affinity with the progeny of New Bay, having also trained his Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes winner New Mandate as well as Royal Hunt Cup scorer Jimi Hendrix. The son of Dubawi stands his third consecutive year at a fee of €75,000.

See proves too hot to handle

See The Fire is bred to love York given her illustrious parents, Arabian Queen and Sea The Stars, both landed the Juddmonte International and Jeff Smith's homebred claimed her second Group success with a 12-length rout in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes.

The filly won the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at the track last summer, having finished a narrow second behind Opera Singer in the Nassau Stakes the start before. She was also third in the Fillies' Mile at two and third in the Sun Chariot Stakes last autumn. 

The four-year-old is the product of two champions and is a half-sister to winners including Royal Playwright, who finished ninth in the Dante some 30 minutes after. 

See The Fire with connections after her striking York victoryCredit: Edward Whitaker

Arabian Queen, now 13 years old, is by Dubawi and out of Smith's tough and talented dual Group 2 Lancashire Oaks winner Barshiba, a daughter of Barathea. She has a two-year-old colt by St Mark's Basilica named Venetian Prince and a yearling filly by No Nay Never. 

Yulong at the juvenile double

It was a good couple of days on the Knavesmire for Zhang Yuesheng's Yulong and Richard Hannon as Mehmas two-year-olds First Legion and Ballistic Missile obliged at the first time of asking. 

The Littlejohn Bloodstock-bred First Legion was purchased by Yulong for 500,000gns at last month's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, having been picked up by Tally-Ho for €50,000 at the 2023 Goffs November Sale. He is a half-brother to unbeaten Listed winner Lady Of Spain, with the pair being out of Navette, a half-sister to dual Group 2 winner Real World and Listed Cheshire Oaks winner and Group 2 May Hill Stakes runner-up Dubai Fountain. 

Wednesday's winner Ballistic Missile, meanwhile, was bred by Jim Moore and is out of the winning Night Of Thunder mare Taawfan, herself a daughter of 1,000 Guineas heroine Ameerat. He was bought by Yulong for €260,000 at last year's Goffs Orby Book 1 Sale, having sold to Pier House Stud for €100,000 as a foal at the Goffs November sale the year before. 

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