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FAIRYTALE horse Sovereign Debt rolled back the years to win his 15th race at the grand old age of nine yesterday.
The tough-as-teak grey showed a brilliant attitude to wear down hot favourite Arod in the £50,000 Ganton Stakes at York under Jimmy Sullivan.
The popular grey has been a star for Yorkshire trainer Ruth Carr and although he was winning for the first time this season he has now amassed more than £800,000 in career prize money.
Carr said: “He loves a battle. Once he gets eyeballing another horse he really wants it. He ran alright at Epsom last time and before that it didn’t just pan out for him at Windsor. The ground had gone very quick there.
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“He is nine and I keep thinking he is another year older and he can’t keep getting better but he definitely has a will to win.
“He has done us proud and it is a bit of a fairytale to still be doing it at this age. To win at York is very special when you’re not that far down the road.”
The Mark Johnston yard landed its 17th winner in the past fortnight and is ready to fire plenty of bullets at Royal Ascot next week.
The promising filly, Chapelli, made it two from two in the opening race with a cosy success from the Richard Fahey-trained newcomer Ventura Ocean.
But although she is unlikely to take up her entry in Wednesday’s Queen Mary Stakes, assistant trainer Charlie Johnston singled out one horse the Middleham yard is excited about at the royal jamboree. The yard’s Mildenberger was second to Roaring Lion in the Dante last month and is favourite for Friday’s King Edward VII Stakes. He would have run in the Epsom Derby if it was not for the presence of stablemate Dee Ex Bee, who ran a wonderful race to be second.
Charlie said: “You look at Dee Ex Bee and how much he has improved now he has stepped up to middle distances and we expect Mildenberger to do the same.
“We have always thought a huge amount of him. For all that we made the running and we were in control of the Dante, the race did not play to our strengths.”
Another Johnston horse, Threading, faces a huge task taking on Billesdon Brook, Teppal and Alpha Centauri, the winners of the English, Irish and French 1,000 Guineas, in Friday’s Coronation Stakes.
Charlie added: “You will struggle to find a hotter race. But she was impressive here albeit in a weakish race and she has earned the right to return to Group One level.”
Fahey, another northernbased winner machine, saw Society Red scoot home under Paul Hanagan. The Malton trainer then revealed his Royal Ascot big guns.
He said: “Sands Of Mali goes for the Commonwealth Cup and Cosmic Law runs in the Coventry and we’re pleased with him. Kodyanna is likely to go for the Queen Mary and Sabre is in the Norfolk and Gabrial will go for the Hunt Cup. He is 4lb well in although he’s nine years of age!”