Red letter day on Knavesmire (From York Press)

Red letter day on Knavesmire

11:16am Saturday 19th May 2012 in Sport

ED DUNLOP issued a red alert to the rest of the stayers’ division in the Sportingbet Yorkshire Cup at York Racecourse.

Red Cadeaux (4-1) confirmed his growing stature by swooping to victory in the mile-and-three-quarter Group 2 contest, the feature race of the final day of the Dante Festival on Knavesmire.

Dunlop’s charge, ridden by Tom McLaughlin, travelled comfortably throughout and was brought through to lead from Harris Tweed with two furlongs left to travel.

Red Cadeaux could even afford to drift towards the far rail, with Malton trainer Richard Fahey’s Glen Diamond (25-1) never looking like reeling him in despite a determined challenge.

Newmarket-based Dunlop said: “It’s a great day for the horse. He has been a little bit of a bridesmaid and he could be the number one stayer.

“The horse has improved enormously. He is adaptable and can run over a mile-and-a-half and a mile-and-three-quarters. He’s an absolute hero and we love him to death.”

Red Cadeaux was narrowly touched off in one of the closest ever finishes to the Melbourne Cup last November, and Dunlop confirmed the plan was to take the six-year-old back to Australia for another crack.

And on jockey McLaughlin, who had initially feared he had gone for victory too soon, Dunlop said: “He won the Curragh Cup on him. He has ridden him in handicaps and he rides him at home.

“There was a chance Ryan Moore was going to come but the owner felt it was right to let him ride.”

Media Hype (6-1 jt-fav) lived up to his name when winning the sportingbet.com Stakes for Middleham trainer Elaine Burke.

“We think that he is at least a Listed horse and, hopefully, a Group 3 horse,” said assistant trainer Karl Burke.

“He’s a horse with a lot of ability and I would imagine he will go to Royal Ascot and races like the John Smith’s Cup.”

Elsewhere, Ceiling Kitty (20-1) caused a shock when taking the opening Listed Langley Solicitors LLP EBF Marygate Fillies’ Stakes.

The juvenile, trained by Tom Dascombe and ridden by Richard Kingscote, beat Warthill-based Mel Brittain’s Mayfield Girl by two lengths in the five-furlong contest.

Easy Terms (14-1) got up in a photo-finish in the Sportingbet Jorvik Stakes.

Edwin Tuer’s five-year-old, ridden by James Sullivan, struck inside the final furlong of the mile-and-a-half contest – keeping High Office, trained by Fahey, at bay by just a short head.

The EquinITy Powered by Garmin Fillies’ Stakes was claimed by the 2-1 favourite Laugh Out Loud, while Morocco Moon (28-1), for former Norton trainer Tim Pitt, won the Ralph Raper Memorial Stakes.