Racing: Young Mick earns a crack at York's big Ebor prize after Ascot revival

Young Mick, winner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at the Royal meeting, returned to the scene of his finest hour to capture the National Bank of Dubai Cup here yesterday.

George Margarson's improving stable star may have been beaten by the draw at Haydock last time, but he came right back to his best under Robert Winston to set himself up for a crack at the totesport Ebor.

VC Bet and Hills went 14-1 about his chance in next month's York contest while Ladbrokes and Stan James offered 12-1 after he displayed an impressive turn of foot to beat Royal Jet by a length and a quarter.

Luca Cumani's Ebor hope Glistening was sent off the 2-1 market leader but had to settle for third and was pushed out to 7-1 from 5-1 by Ladbrokes for the Knavesmire race.

"He likes it here and that is probably why he ran badly last year, as Ascot was closed!" joked Margarson of his 10-1 winner. "He is a fantastic horse and will go for the Ebor and he may have a prep race. He didn't run that well at Kempton after a break and he is best when he is kept on the go. Longer term I would like to take him to Australia for the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup."

Dunelight went some way to allaying fears about the draw bias when bolting up from stall 15 in the London Clubs International Stakes over the straight mile.

Low numbers dominated all the races over the track at the Royal meeting, but any concerns about a repetition will have subsided after Clive Cox's three-year-old humbled his rivals by five lengths.

Philip Robinson was one of three jockeys who elected to race on the far side and he drew further clear on the 7-1 chance for a runaway success.

In the Listed Valiant Stakes, sponsored by The Independent, Wasseema looked very much a filly with a progressive profile when romping home by seven lengths.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Richard Hills, Wasseema made all and was already clear with more than three furlongs to run.

The three-year-old then galloped on strongly for an impressive triumph and it will interesting to see what prize the filly is aimed at next.