3 minute read

As expected, Karl Burke won the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York – but it was Swingalong who prevailed in a 25-1 shock and not stablemate and hot favourite Dramatised.

The Middleham handler was widely expected to land the juvenile Group Two affair with Queen Mary winner Dramatised, but the Clifford Lee-ridden Swingalong had not read the script and struck gold over six furlongs.

Sent at even money, Dramatised – trying the trip for the first time – took the field along on the far side of the track, with Swingalong blazing a trail down the middle and it was clear a furlong from home which of the Burke runners was coming home better.

Queen Me, a 20-1 shot, tried to mount a late challenge inside the distance, but Swingalong was a neck too good, with Irish raider Matilda Picotte taking third as Dramatised dropped away at the line.

Burke said: "She's got a huge stride and has only just filled into her frame. She's got a lot stronger over the last six weeks. I know it was a different class of race, but she had them all beat after two furlongs at Ripon and I knew then we were on the right track so I said straight away we'd come here.

"At the time I didn't think she'd be good enough to beat Dramatised, but the difference was one stayed and one didn't.

"The Cheveley Park looks the obvious next step, but I'll talk to connections. I think she will stay an extra furlong, but she's got a lot of natural speed so I think we'll use that and not step her up just yet. All dreams are still alive at the minute."

Of the beaten favourite Dramatised he said: "To be fair to Danny (Tudhope, jockey) all along he had his doubts. He rode her work over six furlongs two weeks ago, but I wouldn't have it that she wouldn't stay. Danny was right and I was wrong. She'll revert back to five furlongs now.

"Until they've been over six you never know and Danny was always on the negative side, but we put that to the back of our mind. I was never that keen on the Nunthorpe, but I suppose the only saving grace is that we didn't find out she didn't stay in France in the Prix Morny."

Runner-up Queen Me was remarkably bidding to emulate her dam Queen Kindly, her granddam Lady Of The Desert and her great-granddam Queen's Logic – all previous winners of the Lowther.

Trainer Kevin Ryan said: "It was a great run and lack of experience midway through the race probably just cost her.

"She'd only had the one start and did it very easy first time. Unfortunately we haven't been able to get another run into her, which we would have liked, through no other reason than the ground being so firm. We wanted to mind her and run her on nice ground so we waited to come here.

"We've always liked the filly and she'll progress again from that. We'll go home and sit on the fence, but she's proved now she's up to this level and galloped all the way through the line, which is always a good sign."

Saeed bin Suroor felt ground conditions turned against his Duchess of Cambridge Stakes winner Mawj, who finished a creditable fourth.

He said: "The jockey (Ray Dawson) said the ground didn't suit her today – it was a little bit loose on top.

"The good to firm ground at Newmarket was good for her and he said on good to firm ground she would win.

"The Cheveley Park is the plan."