Quinault secured his tenth career victory at York

Prolific sprinter Quinault notched his tenth career victory with a dominant performance in the Starman At Tally Ho Stud Garrowby Stakes at York.

The four-year-old, trained by Stuart Williams, had an impressive seven wins last season and arrived at Knavesmire seeking a Listed-class hat-trick after previous victories at Chester and Newmarket in August.

Marco Ghiani set Quinault, the 6-4 favourite, to an early lead, guiding him to the preferred stands rail. From there, he controlled the race and held off Purosangue and Oisin Murphy to win by a neck.

Ghiani told Racing TV, "He’s a very nice horse with a strong will to win, and he always gives his best. I anticipated that Oisin and the other horse might challenge late, so I kept Quinault a bit reserved until the final furlong. Despite the ground not being ideal for him, he always finds a way to stay ahead when challenged. I walked the track beforehand and noticed the far side was less favourable, so I advised Stuart that we should move across, and he agreed."

Ghiani added, "He’s progressing well, maturing mentally and physically, and we’re very pleased with him. He’s on the right path, and we hope for a bright future."

Williams may target top sprint races with Quinault, noting, "Vadream finished fourth in the Betfair Sprint Cup yesterday and was behind us at Newmarket, so there’s not much between them. However, we still have next year to look forward to with Quinault; he’s a big, strong horse with plenty of potential."

In other news, Windlord impressed with a dominant performance in the British European Breeders Fund Novice Stakes, winning by five and a half lengths over Shah. The Andrew Balding-trained juvenile had shown promise in previous Sandown races and benefited from a two-month break to strengthen up. The 6-5 winner is by Dubawi and out of a daughter of the legendary French mare Goldikova.

Rider Oisin Murphy praised Windlord, saying, "He’s a lovely horse, a bit sleepy at times, and seemed keen to look towards the stands’ rail. However, he straightened up late and finished strongly. He’s well-bred and has a promising future. Based on his work at home, Andrew and Barry Mahon (racing manager for Juddmonte) always believed he was a nice horse in the making."

Murphy further solidified his position in the jockeys' championship with a win aboard Balding’s 6-5 favourite Brighton Boy in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Nursery Handicap. Having previously topped the table in 2019, 2020, and 2021, he is on track to reclaim the title.

Murphy reflected, "Those previous wins were quite some time ago when things seemed easier. It’s been a challenge to start from scratch, but I’m grateful to Qatar Racing and especially to Andrew for their support."