John Smith's Cup
Heritage Handicap, York 16:05
£125,000 added,
3yo plus,
1m 2f 56y, Class 2   
Saturday 10th July 2021

SureWIn

1 Johnny Drama 22/1
2 Cockalorum 40/1
3 Strait Of Hormuz 14/1
4 Dawaam 14/1
5 Fishable 18/1
20 ran NR: Data Protection, Palavecino
Time: 2m 11.82s (slow by 3.52s)

Apprentice Bryan, riding by far the biggest winner of his career, had 22-1 shot Johnny Drama up with the pace from the outset and stayed on best in the final strides to get the better of long-time leader Cockalorum.

Balding, who won this major handicap with Pivoine two years ago, is enjoying an outstanding season and was following up big-race success with Sandrine in Newmarket’s Duchess of Cambridge Stakes 24 hours earlier.

Johnny Drama was a prolific winner on all-weather surfaces last winter, having also twice been successful on turf in Ireland two years ago.

He began his career by finishing seventh to Cockalorum in a Leopardstown maiden three years ago – and it was that same rival, sent off at 40-1 this time, who got closest to him again.

But Balding’s six-year-old, running for the first time since finishing last of five in the Winter Derby at Lingfield in February, who proved strongest by just a head – with Strait Of Hormuz and Dawaam a nose and two lengths further back in third and fourth respectively.

Trainers Quotes

Bryan said: “That was amazing, Johnny Drama is a gutsy horse.

“He can be a bit slow out of the gates, but he pinged the lids today and we got a lovely position.

“I got a lovely run up and I thought I had the leader on my right beat, the horse on my inside came late on and he only won because he tries so hard and he put his head down.

“I’ve been there (at Balding’s) since I was 16 as an apprentice, I’m 21 now and I lost my claim in March so that’s a great way to start.

“I’ve had a couple of rides here, I actually won a pony race here back when I was 15 but I don’t think that really counts, you don’t get the same prize money!”

BetZone

John Smith's Cup (Heritage Handicap)
£125,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 2f 56y, Class 2
20 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (1)     Johnny Drama 6 8-13 Andrew Balding Joshua Bryan 22/1
2 (3) hd Cockalorum 6 8-10 Roger Fell Rowan Scott 40/1
3 (10) nse Strait Of Hormuz 4 8-6 Jedd O'Keeffe Thore Hammer Hansen 14/1
4 (19) 2 Dawaam 5 8-12 Owen Burrows Jim Crowley 14/1
5 (18) shd Fishable 4 8-10 Tim Easterby David Allan 18/1
6 (9) 2 Hartswood 4 9-0 5ex Richard Fahey Connor Murtagh 40/1
7 (22) nk Aaddeey 4 9-1 Simon & Ed Crisford Mark Crehan 15/2
8 (5) ½ Winter Reprise 4 8-13 David Menuisier Jason Watson 20/1
9 (13) ½ Good Birthday 5 8-7 Andrew Balding Callum Hutchinson 33/1
10 (2) hd Victory Chime 6 9-3 Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch 40/1
11 (11) nk Lucander 4 9-0 Ralph Beckett Laura Pearson 10/1
12 (14) nk Astro King 4 8-13 Sir Michael Stoute P J McDonald 4/1J
13 (6) 1 Ascension 4 9-1 Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni 14/1
14 (7) 1½ What's The Story 7 9-6 Keith Dalgleish Callum Rodriguez 20/1
15 (16) ½ Nicholas T 9 9-0 8ex Jim Goldie Ben Robinson 20/1
16 (12) 7½ Sky Defender 5 9-3 Mark Johnston Connor Beasley 66/1
17 (4) ¾ Dark Pine 4 8-12 David Loughnane Cameron Noble 33/1
18 (20) nk Al Zaraqaan 4 9-8 William Haggas Paul Hanagan 18/1
19 (8) 11 Bright Start 4 8-10 Saeed bin Suroor Pat Cosgrave 18/1
PU (24) Surrey Pride 4 8-11 Joseph Tuite Paul Mulrennan 4/1J
NR 1 (21) Palavecino 5 9-10 Brian Meehan NON RUNNER
NR 21 (23) Data Protection 6 8-7 5ex William Muir & Chris Grassick NON RUNNER

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