Blue Courvoisier collects for Cox at York Blue Courvoisier led from start to finish in the Sky Bet Mile Handicap on day three of York’s Ebor Festival. Winner of the Silver Bowl at Carlisle earlier in the season, Clive Cox’s charge was last seen finishing third at Glorious Goodwood. He was a 13-2 chance for this £100,00 contest and after being sent straight to the lead by Rossa Ryan, he kept finding for pressure in the straight to keep the staying-on Eklleem at bay by a length and a half. Cox said: “He’s done it really nicely and was so courageous. He has a great cruising speed and Rossa carried out the whole plan perfectly with a very willing partner. “It’s a vulnerable place to be (in front) and when they did come to him he pinned his ears back and went again, which was very refreshing. “I trained his dam (Priceless) to win the Temple Stakes, which is obviously quite a bit shorter (five furlongs), but going back over a mile with this horse was spot-on, rather than going a little bit further as we did last time at Goodwood.” Andrew Balding’s brilliant week continued when Plage De Harve defied top-weight in the Assured Data Protection Handicap. Having already won the Juddmonte International on Wednesday with Item, the Kingsclere trainer enjoyed a four-timer on Thursday, headed by Kalpana in the Yorkshire Oaks. Plage De Harve (11-2) kicked for home early under PJ McDonald but French Master flew home late and only failed by a nose. Anna Lisa Balding, assistant to her husband, said: “We did need the rain to come and it did come so Andrew was quietly confident this morning. “It’s great for PJ as well who has become an important member of the team at Kingsclere. Now the rain has come, hopefully he’s going to have his ground for a while.” The Joseph O’Brien-trained Benjamin Hornigold (16-1) made a winning debut in the hands of Colin Keane in the British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes. The Blackbeard colt took up the running a furlong and half from home and extended his advantage in the final furlong to run out a ready winner, going away by two lengths. Keane said: “He came from the breeze-ups and Joseph has always thought a lot of him, but as it was his first day at school it was important for him to do everything right. “He lacked experience, but I let him find himself, he came straight back on the bridle, he’s a lovely big moving horse and he did it nicely.” William Haggas’ Silver Lake (11-10 favourite) gave Saffie Osborne her first win of the meeting in the concluding Sky Bet EBF Fillies’ Handicap, beating Pendella by a head.
