By Tom Frary
Bouncing back from two disappointing Derby displays, the Aykroyds' Pride Of Arras (New Bay) showed the benefit of a gelding operation and a return to a track on which he excels to land Wednesday's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. Sent off at 12-1 despite his impressive Dante success here in May, the Ralph Beckett-trained homebred who had failed to fire at Epsom and The Curragh stayed on powerfully to take control approaching the furlong pole and beat the similarly-penalised Queen's Vase winner Carmers (Wootton Bassett).
Where Lambourn (Australia) had enjoyed the laurels as he floundered in both the Derby and Irish Derby, the Ballydoyle runner ran flat here in fifth. He may still be bound for Doncaster's St Leger, but Pride Of Arras is excluded from that scenario now and may have overseas targets to occupy the minds of connections who also boast another star middle-distance gelding in Amiloc.
“I actually brought him here slightly underdone, having gelded him at the beginning of July and I've only really done maintenance stuff with him,” Beckett explained. “That was because it seemed to suit him the last time we brought him here and also because I wanted him to run well more than anything else.”
“Really we came here with no expectation, but I think the track and the flat nature of York suits him really well,” he added. “I wasn't at all happy with the way he moved in the first half-mile at the Curragh, which isn't exactly undulating anyway. He just wasn't enjoying himself that day any more than he was at Epsom. After that it was a very easy decision to geld him. I would be tempted to think about California and Hong Kong for him. I think the nature of those races will suit him really well.”
Aidan O'Brien said of Lambourn, “He went grand, they went steady and he's lazy. I don't think the Leger trip will be a problem, we know he stays a mile and a half well. Ryan [Moore] said he felt like he got a little but tired, but we'll see how he is.”
Paddy Twomey said of Carmers, “He maybe didn't get the run of the race, but I think it was a very good trial for the Leger. I think he's learned more today than he had in any race he won. It's a big run and back up to the mile and six will suit him.”
Pride Of Arras is back!
The Dante winner bounces back in the @SkyBet Great Voltigeur and at 12/1 for @Rossaryan15 and @RalphBeckett pic.twitter.com/tnkZ2VJfaS
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 20, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Pride Of Arras hails, like Ombudsman, from a Juddmonte family which ironically boasts Brian Boru, a winner of the St Leger that he is now ineligible to take part in. The G3 Park Express Stakes-winning second dam Kitty O'Shea (Sadler's Wells) was responsible for the Moyglare Stud Stakes third Kissable (Danehill Dancer), who in turn is the dam of Gleneagles's G1 Prix de Royallieu and Ribblesdale winner Loving Dream, Sea The Stars' GII Pennine Ridge Stakes winner and Saratoga Derby and Belmont Derby-placed Legend Of Time and the American Oaks-placed Amandine (Shamardal).
The third dam is the G3 Park Hill Stakes winner Eva Luna (Alleged), producer of the aforementioned Brian Boru, the Hardwicke scorer Sea Moon (Beat Hollow) who also captured this prize, and the G2 Prix de Royallieu scorer Moon Search (Rainbow Quest). Another of Eva Luna's daughters of Sadler's Wells, Kushnarenkovo who was runner-up in the G3 Noblesse Stakes, is the second dam of the multiple Australian Group One-winning champion stayer Best Solution and the Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero El Bodegon, with both being by the speed influence Kodiac. Also connected to the Derby hero Workforce (King's Best) and the Melbourne Cup runner-up Emissary (Kingman), Parnell's Dream's two-year-old filly K Sarra is a full-sister to the winner.
Wednesday, York, Britain
SKY BET GREAT VOLTIGEUR STAKES-G2, £267,500, York, 8-20, 3yo, c/g, 11f 188yT, 2:30.15, g/f.
1–PRIDE OF ARRAS (IRE), 131, g, 3, by New Bay (GB)
1st Dam: Parnell's Dream (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Kitty O'Shea (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Eva Luna, by Alleged
O-Mrs David Aykroyd; B-Mr & Mrs David Aykroyd; T-Ralph Beckett; J-Rossa Ryan. £151,699. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $356,142. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Carmers (Ire), 131, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Signe (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). O-Mrs Fiona Carmichael; B-Westward Bloodstock Ltd; T-Paddy Twomey. £57,513.
3–Arabian Force (Ire), 128, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–October Queen (Ire), by Iffraaj (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd; T-William Haggas. £28,783.
Margins: 1, SHD, HD. Odds: 12.00, 5.50, 10.00.
Also Ran: Stay True (Ire), Lambourn (Ire), Mount Kilimanjaro (Fr), Thrice (Ire).
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