Daniel Muscutt is a professional jockey. Deauville Legend (5/2) gave D aniel Muscutt the biggest victory of his career to date, landing the Group Two Great Voltiguer Stakes in emphatic fashion for trainer James Ferguson.
Always going well behind the early leader Aikhal, Muscutt had to wait for a gap to open between stablemate El Bodegon and Secret State for the Charlie Appleby team.
But when it appeared two furlongs out, the three-year-old gelding – ineligible for the St Leger – took control with relative ease, eventually winning by just under three lengths, with Secret State in second and El Bodegon a further length-and-a-half back in third.
In a gripping renewal of the Group Three Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, Chaldean (7/2) and Ryan Moore fought off the threats of Indestructible to take the prize for the red-hot Andrew Balding team.
Always travelling well, the Juddmonte son of Frankel was nudged into the lead by Moore, but was briefly joined and possibly headed by the Michael O’Callaghan-trained second for Amo Racing, with just over a furlong to run.
Chaldean was game under pressure for Moore, finding for pressure and seeing off Indestructible as well as Mill Stream, who finished tamely in fourth, behind Oviedo in third for the Ed Bethell team.
Juddmonte’s racing manager, Barry Mahon, said: “I’m delighted, he’s a lovely horse. Andrew has been very happy with him since he joined him in February. He’s very straightforward and he’s done it well – he was gutsy.
“Ryan feels like he’ll step up to a mile on his next start, which is good, so we’ll get him home and see what’s available and make a plan from there.
“He’s quite a young horse, being a middle of May foal, and I’d imagine he’s quite a bit more developing and growing to do, so we won’t over-race him this year.”
Kevin Ryan enjoyed another big winner on the Knavesmire in the opening Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap as Bergerac (22/1) and Tom Eaves edged out King Of Stars and Atalis Bay in a three-way photo finish.
The eventual second King Of Stars looked the likely winner two furlongs out, before hanging towards the inner, whereas the winner down the inner rail – having been drawn in stall 2 – powered home under the Eaves drive.
Blinkers looked to have worked for the four-year-old, having won on last start at Newmarket, something trainer Ryan alluded to after the race, saying: “Just to get a winner at this meeting is nice, so it’s great to get off to a start like that.
“The horse is ultra-consistent and the blinkers have helped. It helped him and made him concentrate as he was maybe saving a bit for himself. He left everything out there today.
“I jokingly said to Tom that I had walked it last night and the far side was the place to be. There was no point in complicating it and who knows on the first day of the meeting where the place to be is. He’s a fast horse and it worked out well.”
