Desert Order makes no mistake in Convivial Maiden

Group-race assignment on the radar for Appleby colt.

Desert Order added his name to the illustrious roll of honour in the British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden at York.

With GBP 80,000 up for grabs, it is hardly surprising the seven-furlong contest has been won by several high-class types, with Molatham, Naval Crown and Hoo Ya Mal the last three to strike gold.

Molatham went on to score at Listed and Group Three level, Desert Order’s stablemate Naval Crown landed the Platinum Jubilee at Royal Ascot and Hoo Ya Mal found only Desert Crown too good in the Derby.

Having been placed on his first two starts, Desert Order was the 10-11 favourite to make it third time lucky for Charlie Appleby and William Buick and made much of the running.

Desert Order leads them home at York
Desert Order leads them home at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

Glenfinnan lunged late, but the market leader had enough in hand to hold on by half a length.

Appleby, completing a double on the card following the earlier success of Noble Style in the Gimcrack Stakes, said: “William said he showed a lot of natural pace there and I think we just got outstayed over the mile at Sandown last time by a very nice horse (Arrest) who we respect going forward.

“He’s done it the hard way today as he brought experience into it and that definitely told towards the finish. He’s a nice horse going forward.

“He could be a horse for something like the Somerville (Tattersalls Stakes). Off the top of my head that could be a nice target for him at Newmarket.”

State Occasion (right) leads the way at York
State Occasion (right) leads the way at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

State Occasion and Rossa Ryan supplemented Glorious Goodwood success with another impressive display in the Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies’ Handicap.

A 5lb rise for scoring on the Sussex Downs proved nowhere near enough to prevent Ralph Beckett’s charge from following up as she cruised to the front and passed the post two lengths clear of 85-40 favourite Amanzoe, who was bidding for a fourth successive win.

Beckett said: “To win a handicap here and at Goodwood takes a bit of doing. Not too many can do that, so it’s testament to her resilience and durability.

“We’ll probably look for some black type next – it looks like I’m going to have to finally move out of handicaps with her.

“She did it really well today – it was a proper effort.”

Farhan (left) won the opening race at York on Friday
Farhan (left) won the opening race at York on Friday (Mike Egerton/PA)

John Butler registered his second winner of the week when Farhan returned to winning ways in the Sky Bet Handicap.

Winner of the November Handicap last season, Farhan had been out of luck in his two efforts to date this term.

But Butler, who struck with Designer at 14-1 on Wednesday, was celebrating again on the Knavesmire as Neil Callan brought the 20-1 chance with a powerful run inside the final furlong.

Silvestre de Sousa had made a bold bid for home a long way out on Party Island, but he was treading water inside the distance as the challengers closed in.

Farhan beat Thundering by three-quarters of a length with the same back to 6-1 favourite Mahrajaan.

“I’ve had my wife and kids up all week, they’ve been guests of Steve Parkin of Clipper Logistics, but she’s taken the youngest home and the older two are staying up and are going to Kevin Ryan’s with me in the morning,” said Callan.

“They both have a love for racing and love riding out. It’s great they were here.”

He added: “I was always confident, John told me he was in fantastic condition and that he’d have loved to have run him by now but the ground hadn’t been soft enough. He thought this was the safest ground he could run him on.

“To be fair he let down quite well and it was a good win.”

Point Lynas followed up last month’s Redcar success, despite being sent off at odds of 25-1 in the concluding Sky Bet Mile Handicap.

The James Bethell-trained Iffraj gelding, ridden by Ray Dawson, got the better of Master Richard by a nose.

Dawson said: “It was always going to be a tough race, but the horse shows he stays and if you get the right position on him, he will always run a good race. It was very close.”

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