Escobar cruises clear to land Balmoral under Adam Kirby

Escobar cruised past his rivals to comfortably win the Balmoral Handicap by two and a quarter lengths, pulling the curtain down on Champions Day for 2019.

The 16-1 shot found an extra gear a furlong from home to down well-fancied 3-1 favourite Lord North, going one better on his effort behind Sharja Bridge in the mile contest last year.

The five-year-old had finished third in the bet365 Challenge Cup at Ascot only two weeks before and has been in the mix all season, and Adam Kirby was delighted to finally got it right aboard his mount.

"I usually have to ride him for a place, but today he got excited and kept going for me," said Kirby. "I've always said when I first started riding him that here was a big one in him, and I'm really chuffed with him – he's a proper horse."

David O'Meara admitted he was worried Escobar would have too much going against him, but paid tribute to Kirby for giving the son of Famous Name a tremendous ride.

"We were worried about the ground and the draw (21) beforehand but he handled it well, and Adam gave him a lovely ride. He dropped him in and it's come off."

The 28-1 outsider Mitchum Swagger stayed on well to take third a length behind Lord North for Ralph Beckett, with Glen Shiel claiming fourth.

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