Item (10/1) was a surprise winner of the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday.
Trained by Andrew Balding for the sponsors, Juddmonte Farms, the Colin Keane-ridden son of Frankel outstayed the opposition inside the final furlong to gain a head success over Almaqam (14/1).
While it had been billed as a clash of the generations, namely Constitution River representing the classic generation, and Ombudsman, the older generation, it turned out to be a generational clash alright, but with different protagonists.
The three-year-old Item, winner of the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes over course and distance last time, kept on well at the death to get the better of the five-year son of Lope De Vega, Almaqam, the mount of Kieran Shoemark.
Plans for the entire race were quickly dispensed with shortly after horses exited the stalls as the pacemakers for Godolphin, Devil’s Advocate (200/1), and for Coolmore, Action (200/1), both failed to get to the head of the field.
As a result, Hawk Mountain (20/1) and Wayne Lordan, the perceived Ballydoyle second string, had to make the pace for his stablemate, French Derby and Coral-Eclipse winner, Constitution River.
Though the latter claimed the lead at the two-furlong pole, his market rival, Ombudsman (5/6f), who had been in a poor position, found space along the rail to make his run, but he would ultimately only manage fourth place.
Almaqam, the eventual runner-up, and Item, came on Constitution River and Ryan Moore’s outside, with first, the Ed Walker-trained 122-rated Almaqam leading, before Item and Colin Keane outstayed them to the line.
Constitution River took third, three-and-a-half lengths behind the Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned runner-up, with the race favourite, Ombudsman and William Buick, next to pass the post, a length behind the Aidan O’Brien-handled son of Wootton Bassett.
