Zindabad wins Yorkshire Cup

Zindabad put Mark Johnston on the verge of a full house of top staying events with an impressive win in the Merewood Homes Yorkshire Cup today.

His trainer has made merry in the leading distance events in the past decade, landing the Gold Cup, Doncaster Cup and Goodwood Cup with Double Trigger and Royal Rebel.

Now only the Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket eludes the Middleham handler after his six-year-old took the feature event on the final day of the Dante meeting at York.

Zindabad, sent off 2-1 favourite, tracked front-running Persian Punch in the mile-and-three-quarter contest before fighting his way past that popular stayer two furlongs out and stuck to his task well.

The first Yorkshire-trained winner of the raced since Sweet Story in 1968 had a length and a half to spare over Boreas (7-1), with Jardines Lookout third and Persian Punch having to settle for fourth.

'I was worried they were going too slowly down the far side and even as a nine-year-old you have to battle to get past Persian Punch but it worked out fine,' Johnston said.

'It was the perfect trip for him today and he won`t go any further,' said Johnston, who has not entered the horse in the Gold Cup.

'We will bring him back to a mile and a half for the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot in which he came so close last year.

'Then I think he will go back for the Canadian International - he was very unlucky not to be second last year and I would love to win the race.'