ANDREW Balding is keen to land the Charles Clinkard Top Trainer at York title – and deny Ralph Beckett a new pair of shoes!
Kingsclere trainer Balding has enjoyed a season of success, not least on the Knavesmire, where he has already posted nine victories.
That has him three clear of his friend Beckett and just the two above David O’Meara, ahead of York’s final meeting of the year, staged this Friday and Saturday.
The trainer that finishes with the most winners at the course will claim a pair of Charles Clinkard shoes – as well as securing a £2,500 prize for their stable and a Team Christmas Party at York.
Balding joked: “That’s the number one drive – to beat Ralph Beckett to the new pair of shoes. That’s what I really want.”
Before the curtain descends on its 2024 action, the Master of Park House Stables has several intended runners bound for the Knavesmire. These include recent Chester winner Who’s Glen, set to line up in the William Hill Finale Heritage Handicap on Friday. And 24 hours later King’s Lynn is more than likely to tackle the Coral Sprint Trophy Heritage Handicap.
If Balding can send out the winner in either or even both of those respective £100,000 contests, it will cap off a long list of high-profile triumphs for him at the track since May.
At York’s curtain-raising Dante Festival he saddled Secret Satire, winner of the Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes. There have been a series of further stakes victories with Alsakib (Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup) and Flora Of Bermuda (Group 3 William Hill Summer Stakes) obliging before the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
The four-day summer showpiece saw Balding step up his bid to finish as the course’s leading trainer as Cool Hoof Luke (Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes), See The Fire (Group 3 Sky Bet Strensall Stakes) and Tropical Storm (Listed Julia Graves Sky Bet Roses Stakes) all delivered high-profile triumphs.
Lieber Power, Brighton Boy and Windlord have also scored at York for the team in 2024.
Balding said: “York’s fantastic, the prize money there is great.
“I think the Ebor meeting is on a par with Ascot, personally. We were very lucky this year and winning the Gimcrack was a huge thrill. So, it has been a really enjoyable year at York for us.”
Oisin Murphy heads up the Living North Magazine-sponsored race to finish as York’s winning-most rider for 2024. With £2,500 up for grabs, he has so far posted nine victories, one more than Ryan Moore and two clear of Tom Marquand.
York’s final two-day fixture kicks off on Friday at 1.30pm with the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Autumn Handicap. Saturday’s action also begins at 1.30pm with the first race being the Listed Coral Rockingham Stakes.
