For nine years, American trainer Wesley Ward has carried the memory of Lady Aurelia's narrow defeat at the Nunthorpe wire, and now the wheel of fortune turns again. On a Friday rich with Group-level racing at York, his three-year-old Bacio steps forward as morning-line favourite in an eighteen-strong field, seeking to transform near-miss into triumph. The race asks its perennial question: whether form, pedigree, and partnership are enough when champions old and new line up together on the Knavesmire.
Bacio heads 18-strong Nunthorpe field as Ward chases British double at York
Nine years later, he has another chance.
Mark
Why does Ward want Dettori so badly for this particular race?
Mimi
Dettori is one of the greatest sprint riders in history. Ward has been trying to win the Nunthorpe for nearly a decade—he came so close in 2017. Getting the best possible jockey matters when you're that close to a goal.
Mark
But Bacio has already won with Hernandez. Why not stick with what works?
Mimi
That's fair. Hernandez was on board for the Ascot win, and the horse clearly trusts him. Sometimes the pursuit of perfection can cloud judgment. Hernandez is a capable rider.
Mark
What makes Asfoora vulnerable despite being the defending champion?
Mimi
She hasn't won in ten months. That's a long drought at this level. She beat Ain't Nobody last year, but that was a different horse at a different time. Defending a title in a sprint is brutally hard.
Mark
Is Bacio the obvious choice, or is there real uncertainty here?
Mimi
Bacio is the favorite, yes, but eighteen runners is a lot of speed in one race. Rayevka is well-placed, American Affair and Rumstar just proved they can win at the highest level. It's competitive.
Mark
What does it say about Ward that he's still chasing this one race?
Mimi
It says he's a serious horseman who doesn't forget near-misses. The Nunthorpe is one of the great sprint races in the world. For a trainer of his caliber, winning it matters.
Der Puls
- Ward's nine-year pursuit of Nunthorpe glory intensifies as Bacio, fresh from a Royal Ascot win, carries the weight of unfinished business into Friday's Group 1.
- A bid to secure Frankie Dettori for the ride fell through, leaving the familiar partnership of Juan Hernandez and Bacio intact — continuity chosen over celebrity.
- Defending champion Asfoora arrives on a five-race losing streak, her crown under pressure from French raider Rayevka and the Goodwood one-two of American Affair and Rumstar.
- York's Friday card amplifies the stakes: unbeaten juvenile Arapaho Gold and the returning veteran Quickthorn ensure the Nunthorpe is one act in a day of layered sporting drama.
- The race now sits on the horizon — eighteen sprinters, one championship, and a trainer still searching for the result that has eluded him since 2017.
For nine years, American trainer Wesley Ward has carried the memory of Lady Aurelia's narrow defeat at the Nunthorpe wire, and now the wheel of fortune turns again. On a Friday rich with Group-level racing at York, his three-year-old Bacio steps forward as morning-line favourite in an eighteen-strong field, seeking to transform near-miss into triumph. The race asks its perennial question: whether form, pedigree, and partnership are enough when champions old and new line up together on the Knavesmire.
Wesley Ward has been waiting since 2017, when Lady Aurelia was caught at the wire by Marsha in the Nunthorpe Stakes. Nine years on, he returns with Bacio — a three-year-old with four wins from five starts and a Royal Ascot victory in June to his name — declared as morning-line favourite among eighteen runners for York's Group 1 sprint championship.
Ward had sought Frankie Dettori for the ride, but that approach came to nothing. Juan Hernandez, who partnered Bacio at Ascot, keeps the saddle. They will face defending champion Asfoora, the Australian mare trained by Henry Dwyer, who has not won since October and arrives on a five-race losing run despite her title. Rayevka, the French raider trained by Francis Graffard, sits second in the market after finishing narrowly behind Mission Central at Royal Ascot. American Affair and Rumstar, who filled the first two places at Glorious Goodwood, add further depth to a field that also includes Molecomb winner Pershaada.
York's Friday programme extends well beyond the Nunthorpe. The Lonsdale Cup brings together Caballo De Mar — a Group 1 winner in France who flopped at Ascot — and Quickthorn, a nine-year-old trained by Hughie Morrison who won the same race by fourteen lengths in 2022 before a two-year absence. Willie Mullins, an unusual presence in staying flat races, sends Columbus in off a Galway win.
The Gimcrack Stakes for two-year-olds is headed by Arapaho Gold, unbeaten in three starts for Michael Dods, while Aidan O'Brien's Marco Polo and the perpetually placed Adaay Of Scarlett complete a twelve-runner field still searching for a first win.
For Ward, the Nunthorpe remains the prize that got away. Bacio offers a credible case, but the field assembled around him ensures nothing will be conceded easily.
Wesley Ward has been chasing a British victory in the Nunthorpe Stakes since 2017, when his horse Lady Aurelia was caught right at the wire by Marsha. Nine years later, he has another chance. Bacio, a three-year-old with four wins in five starts, was declared Friday morning as the morning-line favorite for the Group 1 Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes at York, one of eighteen horses entered in the race. The colt's credentials are solid: he won his most recent start at Royal Ascot in June, the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Handicap, giving Ward his first Royal Ascot winner in five years.
Ward had hoped to recruit Frankie Dettori, the retired champion jockey, to ride Bacio in this race. That effort failed. Instead, Juan Hernandez will be in the saddle, the same rider who was aboard for the Ascot victory. Hernandez has become Bacio's regular partner, and the pairing will face a field that includes last year's winner, Asfoora, who is attempting to defend her crown. The five-year-old Australian mare, trained by Henry Dwyer, has not won since October and arrives on a five-race losing streak despite her status as defending champion.
Rayevka, a French horse trained by Francis Graffard and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, sits second in the betting behind Bacio. She was last seen finishing a head behind Mission Central in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot. The field also includes American Affair and Rumstar, who finished one-two in the King George Qatar Stakes at Glorious Goodwood just weeks ago. Pershaada, winner of the Molecomb, rounds out the notable entries, though she will receive 25 pounds from Bacio under the race conditions.
York's Friday card features three Group races, and the Nunthorpe is not the only one drawing significant attention. The Group 2 Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup will feature Caballo De Mar, trained by George Scott, who won at Group 1 level in France but finished last in the Ascot Gold Cup on his most recent outing. A shorter distance may suit him better. Quickthorn, a nine-year-old trained by Hughie Morrison, returns after two years away from racing. Morrison won this same race with Quickthorn in 2022 by fourteen lengths. Columbus, a rare runner for Willie Mullins in this division, comes in off an impressive win at Galway.
The Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, a race for two-year-olds, will be headlined by Arapaho Gold, an unbeaten juvenile trained by Michael Dods. The colt has won twice at Thirsk and once in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury. Adaay Of Scarlett, trained by Hugo Palmer, has finished second in his last four races, including starts at both Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, and will be seeking his first victory. Marco Polo, Aidan O'Brien's sole representative in the race, is among the twelve declared runners.
The Nunthorpe field of eighteen represents a competitive sprint championship. Ward's pursuit of a first victory in the race remains very much alive, though the task ahead is substantial. Bacio will need to overcome not only the defending champion but also a collection of sprinters in form, including horses that have won recently at the sport's most prestigious meetings. The race is scheduled for Friday at York.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Ward made a phone call to his old pal Frankie Dettori asking if he would come out of retirement to ride Bacio in the Nunthorpe— Racing Post reporting
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