THE LION IN WINTER 2000 Guineas & Derby favourite following awesome Acomb win

The Lion In Winter roared loudest at York to come out on top in a Tattersalls Acomb Stakes showdown with Ruling Court.

The duo were dominating the top of the markets for next year’s Classics having both impressed in their respective debuts and a change in race conditions saw the stellar two-year-olds lock horns on the Knavesmire on just their second career outings.

Charlie Appleby’s son of Justify was billed as the star attraction following his spectacular display at Sandown and was settled in mid-division by William Buick, as Ryan Moore aboard The Lion In Winter was at the head of proceedings alongside Hugo Palmer’s The Waco Kid.

Buick asked the even money favourite to move into contention as the race entered the final quarter mile but there was no way past Aidan O’Brien’s son of Sea The Stars, who grew stronger the further he went.

The Lion In Winter came home with a length and three-quarters advantage as the 2-1 second favourite, with Ruling Court eventually giving way to Wimbledon Hawkeye for second, James Owen’s colt outrunning odds of 22-1.

The winner was made 8-1 favourite for next year’s 2000 Guineas with Paddy Power, with the firm also making him the 6-1 market leader for the Derby.

O’Brien said: “He won very well the last day and people gave him a very high rating, everyone thought he was a very good horse.

“Wayne (Lordan) rode him and loved him. He’d been working very well, he’s always been a lovely straightforward, uncomplicated horse.

“We came here as we wanted to give him experience ahead of the Goffs Million as we felt it looked a lovely race for him. We thought it could be sharp enough for him but he hit the gates well and Ryan had him in a lovely position, he didn’t even touch him with the stick and he broke the track record, so obviously he’s a very smart colt.

“I’m delighted, you couldn’t be happier really. The Goffs Million was the target, we have Henri Matisse going for the Futurity this weekend to split them up but the lads will decide – they always do.

“We came here for experience but we were a little bit afraid as this place can be sharp enough. It’s a quick seven furlongs but obviously he has loads of class. You’d have to be very impressed.

“He’s the only Sea The Stars we have, he’s very good looking which is why the lads bought him, you’d have to like everything he’s doing at the moment.

“I think he’d be OK at the top level this year looking at what he did there. We knew the third horse was very good but we know having come through the breeze-ups, sometimes they take a few runs to show how good they are, so he might not have been as good as he was at Sandown so we knew he might be vulnerable today.

“It looked a good Acomb, looking at him he’d have no problem at a mile and further next year.”

Owen expects his colt to move up in distance now.

He said: “He’s run a great race and I think we’ll definitely step him up to a mile – he’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse for me all over.

“We’ll see how we go, the Gredleys (owners) know more than I do and hopefully we’ll get it right.

“Beforehand I would have been delighted to come in the first three and I’m over the moon.”

Alex Merriam, Appleby’s assistant trainer, felt Ruling Court had fallen a little short of expectations.

He said: “On the face of it it’s disappointing, he looked like he travelled into it quite nicely and then just slightly flattened out.

“Ryan was on the front end and it might just turn out we were beaten by a better horse. The first three pulled clear, (but) it is a little bit disappointing.”

Asked whether he felt Ruling Court was better than he showed, he added: “It’s hard to say, you’d like to think so and we’ll see what comes out in the wash.

“He hasn’t totally disgraced himself and finished out the back, but we were excited about him.”

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