VICTORIOUS North Yorkshire owner Reg Bond today targeted the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot after Monsieur Bond strode away to win the Duke of York Stakes at York Racecourse.

Monsieur Bond, trained by Hambleton's Bryan Smart and owned by Pocklington tyre maker Reg Bond, swept to a three-and-a-half-length win over Steenberg to bring the house down at the opening day of the May meeting on Knavesmire.

Bond, clearly emotional after the win in the six-furlong £100,000 Group 2 contest, said he was thrilled to own another winner at York.

And although Smart was cagey about the four-year-old's next encounter, Bond said the plan was to take the horse to Berkshire to compete at the Royal Meeting.

Bond said: "It was a fantastic run. I am extremely happy and we will now look to the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

"He is a class horse, he had the courage to take them all on and it was just a brilliant performance. When I was young, I always wanted to win at York. I did it with Bond Boy and now Monsieur Bond has done it as well. It was fantastic."

Monsieur Bond was close to the pace from the off, and when jockey Fergal Lynch prodded him to the front with a furlong-and-a-half to go, there was no stopping the local favourite.

Smart said: "A Yorkshire winner, Yorkshire owned and Yorkshire trained, so we are all very happy. The horse has improved again and is just very good indeed."

Tuesday's York results

1.30: Frank Sonata 33-1, 2 Woodcracker 16-1, 3 Lord Mayor 11-1. 13 ran.

2.00 1 State Dilemma 9-2fav, 2 Key Partners 66-1, 3 Bygone Days. 14 ran.

2.30 1 Punctillious 8-11fav, 2 Glen Innes 9-4. 6 ran.

3.00 1 Monsieur Bond 4-1fav, 2 Steenberg 10-1, 3 Arakan 11-2. 15 ran.

3.35 1 Balakan Knights 5-1jt fav, 2 Cruise Director 12-1, 3 Gold ring 5-1 jt fav, 4 Crathorne 16-1. 19 ran.

4.10 1 Justaquestion 9-2, 2 Umniya 13-2. 6 ran

4.45 1 Brecon Beacon 10-3fav, 2 Asian Tiger 11-2, 3 Adoration 7-1. 8 ran

Updated: 11:15 Wednesday, May 12, 2004