Sky Bet Great Volitgeur Stakes report and replay: Continuous gazumps Gregory

By Ed Watson

Horse Racing

Wed August 23, 2023 · 1y ago

Continuous (4/1) turned the St Leger market on its head with an emphatic Sky Bet Great Voltigeur victory that saw odds-on favourite Gregory lose his unbeaten record.

Sky Bet slashed Aidan O'Brien's winner into 3/1 favourite for next month's Doncaster Classic after he came from last to first under Ryan Moore to beat Godolphin's Castle Way by three-and-three-quarter lengths.

Gregory, who was heavily punted into 8/11 favourite despite doubts about dropping back to 1m4f, was readily brushed aside when tackled and could only finish third after being taken on for the early lead by outsiders Artistic Star and Canberra Legend.

Continuous storms to victory in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York

That proved telling as Moore anchored Continuous in a detached last, four lengths off the held-up Castle Way, and was able to ease to the front as the leaders wilted.

Asked if a trip to Town Moor was next on Continuous' radar, O'Brien said: "It's very possible. I always thought he'd get a mile-and-a-half very well, he may get a mile and six.

"He's a very classy mile-and-a-half horse. He could go to the Leger and then come back in trip after that. We'll see."

Gregory, who landed the Queen's Vase over 1m6f at Royal Ascot on his last start, ran on again inside the final furlong and was bearing down on the runner-up come the line - a performance which left joint-trainer John Gosden taking positives out of defeat.

Gosden, whose Golden Horn colt is now as big as 6/1 for the Leger, said: "Yes, we went a strong pace and he had two others taking him on, but he's actually run a perfect trial for Doncaster.

"I asked the York course executive beforehand if they could possibly move the stalls back to the Ebor start!

"But you saw the way he finished off the race, I couldn't be more pleased as a Leger prep. When you see his size, it's all about next year too. He's a Cup horse in the making."

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