York Thursday review: David Ord on Content's Yorkshire Oaks win

I hope the groundsman at the St Mary's Stadium wasn't listening when Aidan O’Brien said on Thursday that Breeders’ Cup Classic-bound City Of Troy would warm-up for his American trip by enjoying a spin at “Southwell or Southampton".

He need fear not and can put the white line marker away. It was a rare slip of the tongue from the master trainer. Not that he’s getting much else wrong this week.

And on Thursday he was part of another significant landmark. Content won the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks to give her late, great, sire Galileo a 100th individual Group One winner.

“That’s an incredible achievement,” O’Brien said. “John, Sue, Michael and Doreen raced Galileo from the start and brought him all the way through his career and bought the right mares for him and made all the pedigrees. It’s just incredible.

“You can see what has happened since we went to Ballydoyle. It was towards the end of Sadler’s Wells and then he arrives, wins the Derby and the stamp he’s going to leave on pedigrees for generations and generations to come is going to be incalculable."

And it was somehow fitting that the magic number was reached via another teak-tough performance from one of his progeny who has thrived on racing and never shirked a battle.

“When she was so keen through the race I thought the petrol tank would empty and Ryan said it was doing but she’s a typical example of Galileo, no matter if there’s no more left, if their legs will move they’ll put them out there," the trainer said.

"That's what she did, right to the end. 99% of horses will get faint-hearted at that stage and hold up the flag but they don’t. Whatever there is about them, they’re so genuine. They can get tired today, tomorrow and the next day and still come out and give their best again. It’s a very unusual trait in an animal and that’s obviously why we’re so excited about City Of Troy.

“He has all those traits as well. He’ll go hard and if he’s tired he’ll still keep putting out his legs. That's what excites us about the Justifys. We felt the Justifys were Galileos with more class, they just keep doing it.”

Gosden happy Emily revival is under way

Back in third was Emily Upjohn, headgear off and under a positive ride. And the mood in her camp afterwards was positive too.

"I did say after the Nassau at Goodwood last time that I’d like to take the hood off her which we did and let her enjoy herself. She ran a lovely race. The pacemaker was there alongside her and they’ve gone a solid pace the whole way and you do learn in life giving nine pounds at this time of year to improving three-year-olds is difficult so it’s notable that the Irish Oaks one-two have beaten her,” John Gosden reasoned.

“But she’s come back to her very best and we’ll probably look at something like the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp in the middle of September but it’s nice to see her showing her true form again.”

Emily Upjohn led the bulk of the field down the centre of the track in the home straight as the winner ploughed a lone furrow against the far rail. But for the beaten trainer track position wasn’t really a factor.

“I don’t think it made a whole lot of difference in the end,” he argued. “They did wander about it but I think we were perfectly happy. The filly that came on our right was second. It’s taken her a long time to come back to her best, but she’s proven she’s getting there now."

Differing emotions in the second spot

The second horses in the Sky Bet Lowther and Harry's Half Million By Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes returned to the same spot in the parade ring 40 minutes and change apart.

But the body language of the connections who were awaiting them was very different.

Harry Eustace and the team behind Time For Sandals were all smiles – and why wouldn’t they be? She’s come a long way in three starts now and a handicap mark of 86 which she brought with her to the Yorkshire, will be heading northwards itself on Tuesday.

But that matters not one jot. She’s now Group Two-placed and a very valuable asset, one her trainer feels is just going to get better and better.

“I was delighted. I think experience is what’s made the difference, but I think she’s a filly for next year and we felt this was as much as we could do with her to this point,” he said.

“We’ve managed to hit every target we’ve been aiming for and that’s down to her really. She might run once more, I don’t where and I don’t know in what. She actually qualifies for the Tattersalls Ireland Sales race which is worth quite a lot of money, there are Black Type races out there too.

“We’ll have a think but won’t do a lot more with her this year.”

And what sort of three-year-old will she make up into?

“I don’t really know,” Eustace admitted. “She saw that out very well today, but it is a sharp, easy six. I couldn’t tell you if she’s going to step up in trip as she strengthens up next year. It’s hard to know but she’s by a sprinter out of a half-sister to a good sprinter so bred to be a sprinter. We’ll just have to see.”

But Arizona Blaze, run down close home by Diligently in the sales race, returned to a team who were already deep in conversation.

Amo Racing chief Kia Joorabchian paced around as he re-watched the late change of lead on the big screen which made the difference of around £180,000 in prize-money.

Trainer Adrian Murray and Robson Aguiar were locked in talks with the owner as a thorough debrief took place with the former taking a positive spin when he broke away to speak afterwards. And the American dream they came to York with remains alive.

“He ran a blinder, I was delighted with him. He’s a tough horse who looked like he had it there 200 yards out, but the winner came very late at him. Had he come at him sooner we might have hung on and we were a little slow out of the stalls, or slower than he’d normally be, David Egan said that probably cost us the race,” Murray said.

“But look, we’re delighted to be here and involved. He’ll go back into pattern races now and I think Kia’s anxious we go to America with him, to the Breeders’ Cup or somewhere like that. I’d imagine it will be the turf race."

The same meeting is on Emily Upjohn’s autumn schedule too but today belonged to Content – or more pertinently her sire. A remarkable feat from a stallion who has been the bedrock of the longest period of sustained domination any breeding and training operation has enjoyed on these shores and in Ireland for many, many years.

Maybe Justify will indeed raise the bar even higher. But my word, he’s going to have to soar to even reach it in the first place.

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.