Betway Yorkshire Cup
Group 2, York 15:15 £150,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 6f, Class 1
Friday 15th May 2015

1 Snow Sky 5/2
2 Brown Panther 13/8F
3 Havana Beat 12/1
6 ran Distances: ½l, 1½l, 2¾l
TIME 2m 57.64s (slow by 0.64s)

Snow Sky (Ryan Moore) gets the better of Brown Panther to win a tremendous renewal of the Betway Yorkshire Cup

Snow Sky

There were three in line with two furlongs to run as Romsdal led them, but Brown Panther and, on the outside, Snow Sky looked very threatening.

As Romsdal weakened, Brown Panther took a narrow advantage, but Moore had yet to ask for everything on Sir Michael Stoute's four-year-old (5-2), who had something left in the tank and edged clear in the final 100 yards to score by half a length.

Brown Panther arrived on the crest of a wave having won in Dubai, but he was carrying a 5lb penalty for his win in the Irish St Leger last season and the extra weight told in the Group Two contest.

Havana Beat stayed on stoutly, passing Romsdal to claim third.

Moore said: "They went quite steady. I just wanted to get him wound up and he picked up a lot sooner than I thought and he was in front too early.

"For his first run of the year he needed to tough it out and he did. He's been a little bit late getting going, so he's done well to win here early on."

Asked whether he would get the Gold Cup trip at Royal Ascot, Moore added: "I wouldn't have thought so, no. Not two and a half."

Stoute said: "He had to dig deep, Ryan said he was in front a bit soon and he just looked about a bit, but I'm thrilled.

"I think a mile and six is his limit, and he's a very effective horse over a mile and a half. I think I'd like to finish up in Melbourne (for the Melbourne Cup), I think it would be worth throwing a dart.

"We need to stop and think how we are going to programme him now."

Brown Panther
© Caroline Norris

Trainer Tom Dascombe said of the gallant runner-up: "He's run a great race. It's disappointing to lose as it always is, but I'm proud of him. We gave the winner 5lb and he's only just been beaten. We'll carry on to Ascot (for the Gold Cup) as if nothing has happened."

Part-owner Michael Owen added: "We're thrilled, the penalty has just cost him in the end,. The winner won on merit, he was given a great ride and is trained by a great trainer, so he's lost nothing in defeat. We're disappointed but not sickened as he's run a great race.

"Myself and Andrew (Black) said it would be Dubai and Ascot with a race in between, so it's the Ascot Gold Cup next and then we'll plan the second half of the season."

Joint-owner Black said: "He ran a perfectly respectable race giving 5lb to a high-class field. This is possibly not his optimum trip on that ground and it will hopefully be a different kettle of fish over two miles. I don't see why he has damaged his prospects for the Gold Cup."

Betway Yorkshire Cup (Group 2)
(British Champions Series)
£150,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 6f, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places