Duncan helped offset the inevitable sense of anticlimax at York with an encouraging triumph in the Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup.
Carlton House’s Dante Stakes success on Thursday, which propelled the Queen’s colt to the head of the betting for the Epsom Derby, would always be a hard act to follow.
Indeed, a disappointing turn-out for Friday’s feature was exacerbated by angry grey skies on what was an unusually subdued afternoon on the Knavesmire.
Happily for racegoers, Duncan at least offered enough evidence to suggest a feasible contender for the Ascot Gold Cup has finally arrived.
The John Gosden-trained six-year-old is unlikely to be the star so coveted by the waning staying division since the retirement of Yeats, but few could crab the style by which William Buick claimed this Group Two encounter.
While hardly Frankel-esque, Duncan (11-4) always looked in quiet command once his young jockey set out to make all of the running.
There were, admittedly, one or two hard-luck stories – Henry Cecil’s Native Ruler, for instance, was hamstrung by what emerged as a sprint to the line – but Gosden’s representative clearly revelled in the ascent to a mile and three-quarters.
His half-length defeat of veteran Blue Bajan was also given added resonance as Duncan was relinquishing weight to all seven of his rivals.
Gosden, winning his first Yorkshire Cup, said: “He’s a bit of a character but he has a ton of talent.
“I expected him to run a huge race. He was a little effervescent and fresh and I’m sure with that out of his system, he’ll be able to go further.
“We’ll give the Ascot Gold Cup some thought.”
Royal ambitions were also aired by connections of Theyskens’ Theory, who excelled on her seasonal debut in the sportingbet.com Fillies’ Stakes.
Brian Meehan’s three-year-old was one of the major players in the juvenile ranks last term, and has made immeasurable progress judged by this three-and-a-quarter-length romp.
Jockey Martin Dwyer said of the 15-8 favourite: “We were going to run her in the Musidora, but we felt that would be too hard a race first time back.
“She will go to Ascot now for the Coronation Stakes and hopefully we can win a Group One with her this season.”
Ascot looks an increasingly likely destination for Miss Work Of Art, who preserved her unbeaten record as the 6-5 favourite for the Langleys Solicitors EBF Shirocco Fillies’ Stakes.
Robin O’Ryan, assistant to trainer Richard Fahey, reported: “She’s got a temperament to die for and, because of that, you wouldn’t know how good she is.
“She might go Ascot – there’s the Albany and Queen Mary to think about – but it’s not set in stone.”
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