'It'll make a hell of difference to the lads' pool money' - George Margarson delight after 40-1 Ropey Guest lands big pot

There can not have been many more popular 40-1 winners than Ropey Guest in the £150,000 Clipper Stakes. The smiles were widespread after he finally landed the big prize he deserved – and not just in the betting ring.

The six-year-old has suffered numerous near-misses in top seven-furlong events, being placed in the last two Bunbury Cups and second in last year's Buckingham Palace at Ascot where he has also made the first six in two Victoria Cups and been third in a Jersey Stakes.

Plenty were pleased too for popular, hard-working trainer George Margarson, who was landing much his biggest prize since winning the Lowther Stakes here with Lucky Kristale in 2013. And many were happy for Tom Queally, who rode a positive race on the six-year-old's step back up to a mile and made sure the winner had enough left in the tank to hold on by a head, giving the rider his first success at York for more than eight years.

It was only Ropey Guest's fourth win in 39 starts but Queally said: "He's not a rogue and he does try but he's campaigned in all the big races and there are no easy pickings. When you're competitive in those races, the handicapper doesn't give you any chance.

"I'm delighted for George. I've ridden for him from the time I've come to England and he's always been very consistent and loyal to me. I enjoy riding for him, he's a very experienced horseman and that's a quality that's overlooked nowadays."

Margarson was overjoyed with his seventh winner of the season and said: "It's unbelievable. This is a big pot, it's £70,000 to the winner, that means a lot. It will make a hell of difference to the lads' pool money – and there's only six of them!

"I'm more pleased for the horse than anything. He's six and we haven't shirked anything. He was third in the Acomb here as a two-year-old and was only beaten four lengths in the Coventry."

No catching the Leader

Clive Cox was left with the sort of dilemma any trainer would love to have after Dragon Leader executed a long-term plan hatched by himself and owners Kennet Valley Syndicates to land the lucrative Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes.

Such was the dominance of the winner over his 21 rivals, connections would be entitled to be dreaming of the major juvenile Group races towards the end of the season but, after landing a first prize of £147,540 with such authority, similar sums on offer in sales races at Doncaster and Redcar could prove too tempting to resist.

Dragon Leader and Ryan Moore are well clear in the Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

"That's three from three so it's no surprise but to do it quite as comfortably as he did was great," said Cox after the £45,000 yearling purchase scored by four and a half lengths under Ryan Moore.

Cox added: "Ryan is top drawer but a lot of thanks goes to John Fahy, who worked very hard on this horse in the spring as well. It means a great deal to win Harry Beeby's race too because he was a very close friend."

Asked about which route he was favouring next, Cox said: "We've got a lot to consider. His medium value qualifies him well for a few races, so there's some good prize-money angles to think about, but we'll be thinking properly about Group company as well."

Top team at the double

The Lowther-winning team of William Haggas and Tom Marquand struck with another talented filly when Sea Theme took the British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes.

"She did that well as she's pretty inexperienced," the trainer said. "She had a race today, they took no prisoners, but she could possibly run in the Park Hill is she's all right."

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