After enjoying a great lead from Jim Crowley in the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Stakes, Crystal Delight is probably planning to make a trip back to York in August.
The mile-and-a-half race is always fiercely competitive, with the winner assured a spot in the £500,000 Ebor later in the summer, but Crowley dominated it from start to finish.
After a straightforward victory at Epsom using comparable strategies, he was raised to 9 pounds. Since taking over for the retired William Jarvis, he has improved his form to a whole new level.
Starting as the 18-5 favourite, Crowley had an easy time of it in front. Kihavah tried to catch up with him in the straight, but Crystal Delight was too strong and had moved away by four and a half lengths by the time he crossed the finish line.
It's likely that the handicapper will give him another big raise, but the five-year-old is definitely riding high.
Eustace said: “If you’d envisaged a way for the race to be run that was it and I thought the draw (stall 10) was a help as it gives you the space and the time to go where you want. Once he got the lead, he just got into a lovely rhythm and he’s all about rhythm this horse. At the start of the year I thought a mile and six would be within his remit and the Ebor is certainly on the radar. It’ll be hard, but I’d love to give it a try and I think it’ll be the plan. I don’t know (about Royal Ascot), riding that way is how he really enjoys it and I’m not sure Ascot would suit. We’ll work back from the Ebor probably, rather than Ascot. William kindly gave us the nod, he told us all about the horse and that’s helped in his training and we bear the fruits of it today, I suppose.”