Bacio leads from the front to claim Nunthorpe for Wesley Ward
Wesley Ward secured a long-awaited success on British soil as Bacio produced a dominant front-running display to win the Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes at York. The three-year-old, who had arrived at the Knavesmire off the back of a Palace of Holyroodhouse victory at Royal Ascot, surged clear after a sharp break and kept the remainder of the field at bay to register a convincing score.
The performance provided another notable international result for Ward, whose Royal Ascot record has been strong in recent years. Bacio took up the initiative from the outset, traveling strongly along the York straight and passing the post clear of his rivals, with Starlust finishing in second.
Racing logistics and connections
Rider Juan Hernandez had a tight schedule to keep after the race and left hurriedly following the winner’s presentation. Despite travel constraints, the jockey reported that Bacio had handled the ground and the trip to England well, showing an emphatic turn of foot from the stalls and maintaining the pace when challenged.
The victory underlined Bacio’s affinity for top-level sprinting and reinforced the training team’s recent string of high-profile performances at major meetings.
Arapaho Gold remains unbeaten in the Gimcrack Stakes
At the same meeting, Arapaho Gold extended an unbeaten record to four with victory in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes. The Michael Dods-trained gelding had progressed through a series of wins at Thirsk and a Listed success at Newbury before stepping up to Group Two level, where he saw off Final Objective and others to take the prize.
Under Connor Beasley, Arapaho Gold looked briefly inconvenienced mid-race but quickened impressively when space appeared, running on strongly in the closing stages to prevail by three-quarters of a length. The win represented a significant advancement in class for the juvenile and earned praise from his trainer for the way the horse coped with the step up.
Plans and perspective
Dods indicated that the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury is the next target and suggested that the remainder of this season would probably be limited for the gelding before mapping out options for next year. He and his team noted the colt’s combination of speed and stamina as encouraging signs should they consider a move to seven furlongs in future campaigns.
The runner-up Final Objective produced a career-best effort, his connections said, and discussion is already under way about potential targets on the continent. Other placed performers, including Hell Of A Spin, also gave their trainers something to consider for end-of-season options after consistent efforts in top juvenile sprints.
Meetings of note
- Bacio’s win marked another success for an American trainer accustomed to campaigning internationally and followed his Royal Ascot triumph in June.
- Arapaho Gold’s progression from local maiden and Listed company to Group Two winner emphasises the strength of juvenile sprinting this season.
Both results added fresh talking points to the flat season and will influence how connections plan their horses’ autumn and 2026 campaigns. The Knavesmire fixtures continue to provide a platform for emerging sprinters to step up in class and for established names to confirm their form against high-quality opposition.
