Emaraaty Ana on course for Ascot after rain scuppered prep run

Soft ground saw Kevin Ryan’s charge miss out at York.

Emaraaty Ana will head straight to Royal Ascot for the Platinum Jubilee Stakes following his late withdrawal from the 1895 Duke Of York Stakes at the Dante meeting last week.

The Group One-winning sprinter was looking to leave behind some disappointing efforts at Meydan in his Ascot tune-up on the Knavesmire, but unsuitable ground saw him pulled out of the six-furlong contest at the 11th hour by trainer Kevin Ryan.

Ironically it was soft ground that ruled Emaraaty Ana out of an intended outing at the 2021 Royal meeting and his trainer is hoping the six-year-old gets optimum conditions at the Berkshire track.

Dante Festival 2022 – Day Three – York Racecourse
Trainer Kevin Ryan saddled two winners during York’s Dante meeting (Tim Goode/PA)

“He’s fine, the ground was just not for him at York. It was soft ground, he was already weighed out, but when the lads came in from the race before they said it was riding on the soft side and he doesn’t go on soft ground. He goes straight to Ascot now,” explained Ryan.

The Yorkshire-based handler was on the scoresheet during the three-day meeting with the talented filly Fonteyn, who took home the spoils in the Michael Seely Memorial Fillies’ Stakes to shed her maiden tag.

The daughter of Farhh showed plenty of guts to hold off the highly-regarded Grande Dame at the finish and Ryan was pleased to see the three-year-old justify his decision to run in the Listed race having previously gone down by a neck at Newmarket during the Craven meeting.

He continued: “She’s a good filly and she almost won at Newmarket and there is no point going and winning a little maiden somewhere when this race was the natural step. This would have been the aim after Newmarket if she had won, so there was no point altering the plan.”

Ryan also suggested a step up in trip is in order for his Dante fourth Dark Moon Rising, who was not disgraced in the feature Group Two behind the Derby favourite Desert Crown, and the colt will also be on the Hambleton Lodge Ascot squad.

“He ran a great race and it looks like a step up in trip will be on the cards for him. He’ll go to Ascot,” said Ryan.

Follow us on Twitter racing365dotcom and like our Facebook page.

Latest