MUNT WORTH A PUNT

STARTS WITH THE BEST RACING Gosden cleans up

MUNTAHAA led home stablemate Weekender in the Sky Bet Ebor to round off a stellar week for training genius John Gosden at York.

The Newmarket handler had already seen Roaring Lion win the Juddmonte International before Stradivarius landed a £1million bonus with victory in the Lonsdale Cup.

He saddled two runners in yesterday’s £500,000 feature and they filled the first two places.

Top-weight Weekender, ridden by Frankie Dettori, committed for home early but he was collared by 11-1 shot Muntahaa in the hands of Jim Crowley and the latter came home best to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths.

Irish raiders Sea The Lion and Mustajeer filled the places. Willie Mullins saddled the first two in the betting but both Whiskey Sour and favourite Stratum never threatened to land telling blows.

Angus Gold, racing manager to Muntahaa’s owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “His ability was never in doubt. It was just a case of getting him in good form mentally.

“John said to me last week he had never had this horse better.”

Asked whether a tilt at the Melbourne Cup could be considered, Gold added: “If entries haven’t closed yet, we’ll put him in. Whether he’d take to it mentally with the hustle and bustle, I don’t know.”

Dettori was on the mark when Expert Eye saw off a classy field in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.

The one-time Classic contender quickened up smartly to grab the lead before Tom Hogan’s three-times Group One winner Gordon Lord Byron lunged at him late but failed to reel in the winner.

YEE-HAA: Crowley on Muntahaa