Bellum Justum halved in price for the Derby after Andrew Balding’s colt won the Betfred Blue Riband Trial at Epsom.

While he took four attempts to get off the mark as a juvenile, the form of his win over Kevin Ryan’s Inisherin now looks much stronger than it did at the time and he took another leap forward here.

Ridden by Oisin Murphy, he was content to take a lead off Ryan Moore on Aidan O’Brien’s Chief Little Rock and with those in behind struggling to get on terms, it soon developed into a battle.

Bellum Justum held a narrow advantage for much of the final furlong but while he was well on top of the Ballydoyle runner close home, Roger Varian’s Defiance began to stay on strongly.

Without looking like winning, he closed to within three-quarters of a length of the 9-1 winner, looking promising for the future on just his third outing.

Bellum Justum was cut to 25-1 from 50s for the Derby by both Coral and Paddy Power.

“He had a setback about a month ago and he missed 10 days, so he’s entitled to come on for that today,” Balding told Racing TV.

“His form looked pretty strong and he improved a lot with racing last year and he’s entitled to improve from two to three, so we were fairly sure he’d be there or thereabouts but we’re expecting him to come on for it.

“He’s in the Dante and if he was going to run again that would be the likely target, we’ll just see how the Guineas goes and the other trials and we might end up coming back here.

“He’s out of an Oasis Dream mare but he’s closely related to Fox Tal who stayed a mile and a half.

“He’s up there with our best three-year-olds but unfortunately the one we were really excited about, Anzac Day, has had a setback.”

Crystal Delight (5-2) made a winning debut for Harry Eustace when leading home stablemate Ziggy in the Lilley Plummer Risks City & Suburban Handicap.

Previously trained by the now-retired William Jarvis, he was sent straight to the front by Jim Crowley and controlled matters from the outset.

He kicked clear over two furlongs out and came home five and a half lengths ahead of Ziggy, who stayed on without ever looking a danger.

“William came as he’s good friends with dad (James Eustace) and we ended up with a couple off him, this one and Duke Of Verona and it’s going well so far,” said Eustace.

“I thought he’d run well as he’s been training well at home. It was a small field and he likes making the running, so I thought we’d be able to set our own fractions and that’s what Jim did, it worked out well.

“I had a mile-and-a-half handicap at York in mind so we’ll see how we go.”

Eustace had to settle for third with Duke Of Verona in the Weatherbys Global Stallions App Great Metropolitan Handicap as Champagne Piaff (5-2 favourite) ran out an easy winner for Gary and Ryan Moore.

Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy will attempt to go back-to-back in the BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap with recent Kempton scorer Fire Demon at Newcastle on Good Friday.

The Kingsclere handler and his long-time jockey linked up with Desert Cop when the race was run as a conditions event 12 months ago, but look to have a strong hand once again with the six-furlong shootout now taking place as a handicap.

The Juddmonte-owned son of Dark Angel produced some solid form figures as a two-year-old but has really begun to take shape since dropped back to six furlongs from the turn of the year.

He has won two of his last three at that distance and arrives at Gosforth Park with connections hopeful of a bold bid.

“He’s been very consistent and had just one little blip this winter when he ran at Lingfield and Ryan (Moore) just felt the track didn’t suit him that day at all,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.

“He bounced back nicely on his last start and I think the track at Newcastle will suit him well.

“He’s going there with a live chance and it’s great prize-money and a nice race – and if we could catch it, then it would be lovely.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Balding, who added: “It was nice to see him bounce back at Kempton and win well, as he got very unbalanced at Lingfield the time before that.

“On a conventional track like Newcastle again, I think he goes there with a sporting chance.”

Fire Demon’s jockey will know plenty about one of his mount’s chief rivals Blue Prince, having ridden him to finish on the premises at Lingfield the last twice.

Prior to that, David Evans’ Blue Point colt was seen getting the better of Sommelier over course and distance and his handler feels he could make a return to the scoresheet in the north east.

Evans said: “I thought he was a bit unlucky in the trial at Lingfield. He has come out of it in good order and I think he has a nice chance.”

Meanwhile, Sommelier has been kept fresh since that half-length reversal to Blue Prince on New Year’s Day, with Marco Botti’s charge meeting his old adversary on much better terms despite having to shoulder the burden of top-weight.

“His preparation has gone to plan and we are very happy with him,” said Botti.

“We wanted to bring him here fresh after his run in the trial. It is going to be a tough race, especially carrying top weight, but he has already proven himself at the track.

“We have booked Rossa Ryan and he has been lucky for us in the past.”

Karl Burke saddled El Caballo to land this prize two years ago and has two chances this year, with the consistent Media Shooter given precedence over stablemate Bazball by the odds compilers.

Spigot Lodge number one Clifford Lee agrees and has elected to partner recent Kempton scorer Media Shooter, who was a little over a length adrift of Fire Demon on his penultimate start.

Bazball, meanwhile, will have to snap a five-race losing run if she is to hit her sprinting rivals for six.

Burke said: “Bazball is coming off a bit of a break, albeit she has a low weight.

“Bazball has won at the track and they both have chances, but I think Media Shooter goes there with stronger claims.

“Media Shooter has performed really well on the all-weather and is probably going to be a bit sharper than her.”

Sprint king Mick Appleby is also double-handed in the race with G’Day Mate and Daring Legend, as the Oakham handler continues his quest to be champion all-weather trainer for a fifth straight season.

“I don’t think there will be much between them,” said Appleby. “G’Day Mate has more speed, so it will be a question of whether he gets home over the stiff six, while it was a bit of a rush to get Daring Legend qualified. I think they both have chances.”

There has never been an Irish winner of this particular Finals Day event, but Andrew Slattery will be bidding to change that with Dundalk regular Tarsus, who arrives off the ferry fresh from a success over all-weather veteran Harry’s Bar last month.

Slattery said: “Everything seems good with Tarsus. He has surprised us in some ways by how much he has come forward in recent months, although we thought he was a nice horse last year and he disappointed us.

“Declan McDonogh rode him the last day and said he would stay seven furlongs, so the stiff six at Newcastle should not be a problem.”

Connections of Eydon are retaining plenty of faith despite the five-year-old not reading the script on his return from a long layoff in the Winter Derby.

A one-time Derby hope when trained by Roger Varian, the son of Olden Times had been off the track for 665 days when making his stable debut for Andrew Balding in the Southwell Group Three last Saturday.

Sent off the 15-2 fourth favourite of six, he was always towards the rear of the field in the hands of Kevin Stott and trailed home seven and a half lengths adrift of the winner Military Order.

The post-race vets report stated that Eydon finished lame on his left hind, but he has since trotted up fine back home at Kingsclere, with his team now eyeing the turf season and Sandown’s Brigadier Gerard Stakes on May 23 mooted as a possible early objective.

“He was trotted up the next day and they said he was fine but scratchy behind, and then the day after he was at exercise,” explained Ted Voute, racing advisor to Eydon’s owner Prince Faisal.

“It said left hind in the vet report, so maybe he tied up, but I’ve talked to Andrew twice since and he said he’s been ridden and, as far as he is concerned, everything is fine. He may have tweaked something in the race after having so much time off.

“We’re not going to Dubai, but Andrew has talked about the Brigadier Gerard. I think the next week or two will tell us more, but so far there are more positives than the vet report.”

Oisin Murphy can call on some familiar names when he heads to Saudi Arabia for the world’s most valuable racing festival this weekend.

The 28-year-old has clocked up the air miles this winter riding across the globe and has picked up three plum rides on Saturday’s Saudi Cup card at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

Murphy guided The Foxes to Dante glory for long-time training ally Andrew Balding prior to finishing fifth in the Derby at Epsom, and now has the chance to go one better than when narrowly denied in the Belmont Derby last July.

The King Power Racing-owned four-year-old tuned up for his Middle East assignment in the Neom Turf Cup by running on the Tapeta at Southwell, with rivals in the $2million event set to include Aidan O’Brien’s Hong Kong Cup runner-up Luxembourg.

“The Foxes had his prep race at Southwell and I’ve ridden him at home in between and Andrew is very happy with him,” said Murphy.

“I should have won a Grade One on him in America in the Belmont Derby. He got no run then, but fast ground and left-handed suits him.

“I think apart from Luxemburg, on ratings he should be bang there, and I’m really looking forward to him.”

Murphy also enjoyed plenty of joy aboard Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte at the backend of last season and will be hoping to pick up some more prize-money aboard the top-class Irish filly.

The four-year-old has excelled over seven furlongs previously and with the trip for the $2m Turf Sprint run over a distance just shy of that number, the jockey believes a bold bid is possible.

“Matilda Picotte has a lot of speed and was brilliant last year,” continued Murphy.

“Her form in the autumn went up to another level and I think the distance is probably ideal – just under seven furlongs.

“She’s got so much natural speed and although it is a different type of track maybe to where her best performances have come – Doncaster and Newmarket – she has plenty of racing experience now and I hope I will get a nice draw on her.”

The Irishman, who away from the globetrotting is in red-hot form back on the all-weather in the UK, also rides Marco Botti’s Yorkshire Cup winner Giavellotto in the Red Sea Turf Handicap.

“Giavellotto is going to carry a lot of weight but he is a big horse and his form is really good for this sort of race,” added Murphy.

“I remember Andrea (Atzeni) winning on him at York and a repeat of that sort of performance would put him right in the mix.”

Military Order and The Foxes – both Classic trial winners from last year – meet for a second time as they headline a quality field for the BetUK Winter Derby Trial at Southwell on Thursday.

Both the trial and the Winter Derby itself were previously contested over a mile and a quarter at Lingfield, but have been switched to the Nottinghamshire track and edged up to 11 furlongs in distance.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Military Order and Andrew Balding’s The Foxes both won significant Derby trials last year, with the Godolphin runner taking the Lingfield Trial while the King Power Racing-owned The Foxes won the Dante.

However, neither could get close to Auguste Rodin in the Derby itself, with The Foxes in fifth and Military Order trailing home last of the 14 Epsom runners.

While The Foxes went on to finish second in the Belmont Derby, Appleby’s runner was then off the track until September, when he registered another disappointing effort when last upped to 14 furlongs at Chester and the full-brother to Derby winner Adayar was subsequently gelded.

Appleby said: “This will be Military Order’s first start since being gelded and I have been pleased with his preparation.

“He has been running over further, but I feel that dropping back in trip is going to suit. He won over 10 furlongs at Newbury at the start of last season and then over a sharp mile and a half around Lingfield in the Derby Trial.

“This looks a decent race, with The Foxes probably bringing the strongest form into it. If we can be competitive against horses like him, it should hopefully steer us in the right direction for the coming months.”

Claymore won the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022 but has been unable to add to that Group Three success in five subsequent runs, although trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam is taking plenty of heart from a recent Listed second at Deauville.

She said: “Claymore has been in good shape since Deauville and is ready to go with a view to coming back for the Winter Derby.

“It was really good to see him bounce back last time, although this looks a tough little race. I suspect with a furlong to go that it will be wide open!

“I think a mile and three furlongs will be fine for him. If you look at his Deauville run, he was really finishing, so I don’t have any concerns.

“I already have Blanchland pencilled in for (All-Weather) Finals Day and Claymore could join him. We will see how things go between now and then.”

Following Oh So Grand’s success in the Winter Oaks last weekend, Simon and Ed Crisford field Base Note, while Group Two winner Sir Busker and Ian Williams’ Enemy complete the six-strong line up.

Anzac Day earned quotes for the Derby following an impressive display at Newmarket in the Visit racingtv.com Maiden Stakes.

Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by James Doyle, the well-named son of Australia stepped up markedly on his debut showing when fourth at Goodwood.

Always to the fore, he bounded five lengths clear of Tribal Star and is 25-1 with Paddy Power for the premier Classic.

Sue Johnson, of owners Brook Farm Bloodstock, said of the 13-2 winner: “He was absolutely fantastic. We expected him to come on for the run at Goodwood but not to win in the style that he did.

“He was slow away at Goodwood, but he was just learning on the job. Jason (Watson) said once he clicked at Goodwood he really went and he finished encouragingly.

“We are dreaming of the Derby next year but we need to talk to Andrew first. We are the dreamers and he is the realist, but you buy into racing for the dream.”

Charlie Appleby’s string are ending the season in fine form and Point Sur (13-8 favourite) was another winner in the Visit racingtv.com Maiden Stakes.

“He put his experience to good use. He is a horse with a nice pedigree and we know his family. Next year stepping up in trip he is a horse we will see further improvement from,” said Appleby.

“He was a horse that we were keen to get another run into. The ground is testing out there and probably in some ways I don’t think he handled the ground, but it brought his stamina into play as on pedigree he has an abundance of it.

“To be fair Kevin Stott, who rode him last time, said you could probably leave the hood off but I thought I will give him one more experience in it up here then put him away.

“He won’t go out to Dubai, and he will winter here before we look at something in the spring. It could come into the category of being a Feilden (Stakes) type of horse next year.”

Appleby and William Buick doubled up when Mountain Song (11-2) won the Every Race Live On Racing TV Fillies’ Handicap.

Another trainer to celebrate a double was Ralph Beckett. His Shemozzle got up late in the opening racingtv.com Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes.

“I trained her mother (Sibilance) and she was quite good as she was placed in the Michael Seely Stakes. She was quite good and hopefully this filly can do the same.

“She didn’t come to me until quite late and she has pretty much got there on her own. I’m very pleased she has won for her owner. She will get a mile no problem.

“The other filly (So Logical) had the rail, but she still showed a good attitude to get past her.”

Feigning Madness (9-4) completed Beckett and Hector Crouch’s brace in the British Stallion Studs EBF Future Stayers Novice Stakes when getting up in the final stride.

Alsakib looks set to head for Qatar during the winter after continuing his steep upward trajectory in the £120,000 bet365 Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket.

The grey son of Kingman had won three of his four previous starts for Andrew Balding, most recently landing a valuable handicap at Ascot last month.

With James Doyle in the saddle, Alsakib was the 100-30 favourite to defy a 9lb rise and land another lucrative prize on the Rowley Mile and he eventually reeled in Shadow Dance to prevail by half a length.

“He’s a lovely horse who has done nothing but improve and stays well, which has slightly surprised me,” said Balding.

“At Goodwood (finished third over a mile and a quarter) it looked like he might stay a bit further and he’s now unbeaten over a mile and a half. He’s definitely going the right way.

“I doubt we’d go again this season in England. The hope, certainly for the owner, is that he might run in the Qatar Derby in December. That would be dropping back to a mile and a quarter, but that was always the intention after putting him in training with me, so we’ll look towards that.

“If he comes back next year, anything is possible.”

Devoted Queen made an impressive start to her career in the first division of the Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

A Kingman half-sister to the high-class One Ruler, Charlie Appleby’s youngster was the 15-8 favourite to make a successful debut and quickened up smartly to beat Vicario by two and a quarter lengths in the hands of William Buick.

Appleby and Buick were completing a double following the earlier success of Dance Sequence in the Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes, and the trainer said: “She (Devoted Queen) is a nice filly, her work has been good at home and she’s from a family that we know.

“There was confidence coming into her today, but as Will said beforehand, she’s a filly for the future and he wanted to ride her the right way round and get the most out of her that way.

“I think we’ll just see how she does mentally before we decide if we run her again this year. She’s a filly who does everything a little bit on her nerves at home, which is why she wore the red hood to post today. We’ll see how she comes out of it and decide whether we give her one more run or put her away.”

Division Two of the seven-furlong contest went to the stoutly-bred Glimpsed (13-8), trained by Ralph Beckett and ridden by Rossa Ryan.

The Night Of Thunder filly is a sibling to several Pattern race performers for owner-breeder Julian Richmond-Watson, including the Group One-winning stayer Scope.

Get The Music On was the 6-4 favourite following a narrow defeat on her Lingfield introduction, but Glimpsed’s stamina kicked in late on and she got up to score by a length and a quarter.

Beckett’s assistant Joe Tuite said: “She’s not the biggest, but she’s well-bred and very tough and showed a great attitude.

“Her work has been good and we’re pleased she’s transferred that to the racecourse.

“She does what it says on the tin, there’s stamina in her pedigree and I’m sure she will stay further.”

The concluding Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes was run in near darkness and driving rain – and it was Gary Moore’s 9-1 shot Novus who emerged from the gloom to secure Group Three honours by two lengths from Veil Of Shadows.

Winning jockey Tom Queally said: “I couldn’t see much, and I knew I was going to give her a great ride because no one else could see anything either!

“All she’s done all year is improve and it’s remarkable because she’s had a few little niggles along the way. She wasn’t quite right a few weeks ago and Gary has done a great job with her.

“She loves dig in the ground and on the dam’s side there’s stamina, so we were quietly confident that would make a difference and it did.”

Hayley Turner says she has no plans to retire having edged closer to 1,000 career winners aboard Club Manager at Nottingham.

Turner now requires five to reach the landmark number and had a willing partner at Colwick Park in the form of Andrew Balding’s four-year-old, who bettered his second at Bath last month in the testing going.

The former champion apprentice previously hung up her saddle at the end of the 2015 season only to return the following year and the 40-year-old is in no rush to depart the weighing room for a second time.

“I’m enjoying it so much,” said Turner.

“I realised when I retired before you have to actually work quite hard.

“I’ve got five to go (for 1,000) and I’m getting there slowly.”

Club Manager was sent off the 11-4 favourite for the Follow @worldpool On X Handicap, with the three-year-old thriving in his first try over two miles.

Turner added: “He’s a well-bred horse being a half-brother to Side Glance and he loved the ground and travelled very easy on it.

“Probably getting to the front two out wasn’t ideal as he can be a little bit lazy, but I kept him up to his work and he did it well.”

Tom Ward’s Our Golden One (4-1) put her experience to good use as she prevailed over the John and Thady Gosden-trained debutant Beeley in the opening HKJC Riding High Together EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Probert said: “She was very tough. I just wanted to put her to sleep early on and do it the right way round – she was a bit keen in the early stages at Sandown and looked a touch unlucky when needing room quite late.

“She ran well in defeat there and the winner has held up her form by running quite well in a Group One.

“I think she will stay further next year and is very versatile in terms of what ground she will go on. She’s moved on that ground today like it was good ground, so she’s a likeable filly and on the improve.”

In-form trainer Ben Brookhouse took the Hong Kong Jockey Club Handicap with 100-30 favourite Ray Vonn, but was denied a double when the hat-trick seeking I Still Have Faith could only finish second behind an on-song Dubai Souq (5-2) in the concluding worldpool.hkjc.com Handicap.

Saeed bin Suroor’s six-year-old had been without a victory since November 2021, but relished the testing conditions in the hands of Kieran Shoemark to register the second course-and-distance triumph of his career.

“He ran away with me really, I was a bit of a passenger,” said the winning jockey.

“He skipped clear and loves that ground. They told me to kick just before they got to me and I was a bit concerned about doing that as I thought it would be too much too early.

“But he’s a genuine type and just kept galloping. He’s won decisively so you would like to think he’s well handicapped.”

The HKIR In December Handicap went the way of the Kevin Frost-trained Spoof (9-4 favourite), who once again proved there is plenty left in the tank.

It was the eight-year-old’s fourth win since joining the Newark-based handler late last year and Frost could not hide his delight in the stalwart sprinter.

“He’s done us proud and won us plenty of prize-money,” said Frost

“The key to him is getting some soft or heavy ground. He will go on ground others won’t entertain.

“He’s a tough old lad and a typical sprinter. He’s good for me as he keeps me on my toes and you have to think about what you are doing with him every single day. You can’t do the same yesterday as you do today. You have to be mixing it up and keeping his mind right.

“He’s great and been a good old stick for us.”

There was also a fitting success for Tom Marquand on the card as he partnered Richard Price’s 14-1 shot Rhubarb to victory in the World Pool At Newmarket This Saturday Handicap.

“She’s not had much go her way this season and I had a horror story on her at Windsor,” said Marquand.

“She’s had a couple of races like that but it was nice to roll back the years and ride a winner for Richard because, to be fair, when I first started he was one of the trainers I rode the most winners for alongside Tony Carroll and of course Richard Hannon.

“It’s always a pleasure riding him a winner.”

One-time Derby fancy Eydon is creeping towards an eagerly-awaited return to the racecourse later this month, with connections dreaming of teeing-up a shot at Ascot’s Qipco Champion Stakes later in the autumn.

The lightly-raced colt’s progress has been curtailed by injury and having advertised his talent with a taking success at Newmarket in the Feilden Stakes, he returned to the Rowley Mile to finish an honourable fourth behind Coroebus when getting a first taste of Classic action in the 2000 Guineas.

He was on course for a second bite of the Classic cherry in the Derby when a setback ruled him out of the race, and his 2000 Guineas appearance remains Eydon’s last sighting on a racecourse.

Switched to Andrew Balding from Roger Varian over the winter, it was anticipated he would return to the track in the early stages of the 2023 season, but a further issue in the spring ruled him out of the key summer months.

An outing at Listed level in either the Chasemore Farm Fortune Stakes at Sandown (September 20) or Ayr’s Virgin Bet Doonside Cup Stakes (September 23) is on the radar, before a possible big-race tilt on British Champions Day (October 21), providing Eydon shows he retains all of his old ability.

“Oisin Murphy was on him at Andrew’s and seemed happy and we’re going to either the Doonside Cup or the Fortune Stakes,” said Ted Voute, owner Prince Faisal’s racing adviser.

“He’s probably going to be a bit ring-rusty, but the aim is to see if we can get him to the Champion Stakes.

“It’s a big ask and he’s had lots of little niggly things along the way, but from what Andrew has seen, he has seen sparks of good things on the gallops and touch wood he’s still in one piece and that will be the plan.

“We’ll see how we go and we thought it was a good idea to have a target, because if he came out and was as good as he was in the Feilden Stakes then we would have a bash. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

Andrew Balding’s The Goat routed the opposition in the curtain-raising Coral Handicap to spark a double on day two of Goodwood for the Kingsclere handler.

Despite being placed in three of his four previous races, the Cracksman colt was a 25-1 chance stepping up to a mile and a half in the hands of Jason Watson and clearly relished the testing conditions.

Amleto, the 5-2 favourite, did his best to bridge the gap inside the final furlong but The Goat was away and gone and passed the post with 12 lengths in hand.

Balding said: “The Goat stands for the ‘greatest of all time’ – the greatest in this race, anyway!

“He loved the ground and he’s a horse who’s just had a tough spring and took a couple of runs to hit his form at home.

“He was very good – I thought he might be in a bit of trouble, but I’m very happy with the way he pulled clear. He’ll love the autumn ground and there might be something for him.”

Balding completed his brace when Flora Of Bermuda (5-1) made a mockery of her poor draw to land the British EBF 40th Anniversary Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes under Oisin Murphy in similarly emphatic style.

Having tracked across towards the stands rail early, the Andrew Balding-trained daughter of Dark Angel powered home in the five-furlong contest and had the race won at the furlong pole.

Having been unlucky when runner-up in the Hilary Needler at Beverley and again when first of the far-side group when drawn on the wrong side in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, she gained just compensation, surging clear of Juniper Berries to score by four lengths, with a further three lengths back to Indispensable.

Balding said: “We think a lot of this filly, and it was a bit of a bump on the ground, but we felt we’d learn something if it didn’t work, but she took to it and she’s pretty tough.

“In a way, the draw was a plus because we didn’t get involved in any barging to hold our position. She has a lot of talent, enjoyed the ground and would have no problems getting six (furlongs). He couldn’t pull her up, by the looks of it.

“As long as she stays in one piece, black type won’t be a problem for her. She’s in the Lowther and that was always the plan.”

Proven mudlark There’s The Door (6-1), dropping back in trip, outstayed her rivals in the 10-furlong British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies’ Handicap.

In a race where David Egan was unshipped by Decoration coming out of the stalls, the David Evans-trained three-year-old tracked Chips And Rice and took it up from the dogged La Isla Mujeres inside the final furlong, having enough to hold the staying-on Persist by half a length.

Winning rider Richard Kingscote said: “She loves this ground so we were delighted when the rain came for her.

“I felt last time at Ascot just stretched her a little bit, but a mile and a quarter on heavy ground is spot on for her.

“She has a good attitude and we had a lovely smooth run.”

Murphy completed his own double when Rhoscolyn (2-1 favourite) defeated Wobwobwob by a lengths as the pair drew clear of the remainder in the concluding seven-furlong World Pool Handicap.

The David O’Meara-trained five-year-old had been steadily dropping down the weights and the heavy ground played to his strengths, with Murphy’s mount grinding down the gutsy Wobwobwob to gain a fifth career victory.

Nymphadora could have another opportunity to create some York magic with the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes in her sights following her impressive success in the City Walls Stakes.

Trained by Andrew Balding, the four-year-old showcased her love for the Knavesmire as a juvenile when winning the Marygate and although unsuccessful in the Lowther Stakes later that year, she made a winning return to the course on Saturday when casting a spell on her rivals to scoop Listed honours.

The daughter of No Nay Never looks to have earned herself a shot at a major sprinting prize later in the season and a return to York for the Nunthorpe on August 25 appears the obvious spot if conditions are suitable, with the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp (October 1) also on the radar considering Nymphadora’s love of soft ground.

“She definitely enjoys getting her toe in and loves York,” said Richard Brown, racing manager for owners St Albans Bloodstock Limited.

“She’s a multiple stakes winner and I love the way she can get to the front. In a Group One she is not going to get an easy lead but she has a lot of pace, she can get to the front and sustain, and we know she handles soft ground.

“I have not spoken to Andrew yet because we wanted to enjoy the victory, but I suppose, in my mind, I would have one eye on the Nunthorpe because she loves the track and five furlongs.

“She won the Marygate there and when she won there on Saturday she showed a lot of speed and she won pretty well in the end – she’s a quick filly. I would say we will definitely have one eye on it at least.”

Brown went on: “I think cut in the ground is important to her, so an Abbaye might also come into the thinking.

“We are going to have a crack at something and the great thing with a filly is even if she was fourth in one of those races, you can catalogue it and it’s an important thing to get on the page.”

Saturday’s City Walls triumph for Nymphadora was her second win from her four starts this term and the victory was one half of a fine weekend for owner Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock, who also owns a share of Henry Candy’s Araminta who claimed the Group Three Prix Chloe at Chantilly.

Brown added: “It was a great weekend because Andrew also has a share in the filly that won the Group Three in France on Sunday. So he had two stakes winners in one weekend and he’s a very happy man at the moment.

“I’m delighted for him because he puts a lot in and it’s fantastic to see him getting these results.”