A $575,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Newgate Farm for PR Funds, Snitzel gelding Yorskhire took another leap forward at Randwick on Saturday when taking out the $2million Group II ATC The Ingham (1600m) earning automatic entry for next year’s Group I ATC Doncaster Mile.
The five year-old has been steadily working through his grades since winning a Hawkesbury maiden on debut by four lengths in July last year with his trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton charting an upward path since then.
Yorkshire has passed every test along the way barring a minor hiccup when he was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia following an out of character failure in the $1million the Hunter last month, from which he bounced back to win the Group III ATC Festival Stakes.
With his confidence restored following that success, Yorkshire went out favourite for The Ingham with Zac Lloyd to ride and delivered for punters to win by half a length.
"We were in a spot of bother after his first-up run and full credit to everyone and the processes that took place," Tom Charlton said.
"We were confident we were going to bounce back, but whether we were going to get to a grand final four weeks later able to produce a performance like that was up for debate.
"His record sums him up as a horse. Up the running there, he was having a look around. I think he's not the finished article yet, which is exciting.
"He will have to keep improving but it's (the Doncaster) the type of race we will look towards, for sure."
Yorkshire has the overall record of eight wins and two placings from 11 starts with prizemoney topping $1.6million and can now enjoy a shortbreak before the autumn.
Bred by SF Bloodstock and foaled and raised at Newgate, Yorkshire is the first winner from Chanteline (USA), an imported Group III winner by Majesticperfection.
Chanteline has a yearling colt by I Am Invincible and produced a filly this spring by Extreme Choice, so a Black Type win for Yorkshire is very valuable indeed.
