After Copper Knight won the sprint handicap that opened the Ebor festival, trainer Tim Easterby was asked about Winter Power's prospects in what looked like a red-hot Coolmore Wootten Nunthorpe Stakes (G1). He said the filly was "absolutely wonderful" and insisted he wasn't worried about the other runners because, to him, only one horse mattered.
He was right about that.
For although Britain's premier test of brazen speed attracted a blazing gun from the States and a dazzling French talent, it was a ridiculously quick Yorkshire lass from just 30 miles up the A64 who proved herself to be head, shoulders, and four exceptionally fast legs superior to all those who chased her in vain.
Winter Power, the winner of a Redcar nursery in a canter 13 months ago, had more recently been twice triumphant over York's five furlongs, taking listed honors with impressive flair in May and July.
On those occasions, she led from start to finish. This time she generously allowed the Wesley Ward-trained American raider Golden Pal to set the early fractions, yet once Silvestre de Sousa released his partner's brakes at halfway, the Aug. 20 Nunthorpe was done and dusted.
Emaraaty Ana, Dragon Symbol, and Suesa made late inroads but, by then, the King Power Racing-owned bird had flown.
Perhaps after the Aug. 19 centerpiece, the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) was captured by a horse called Snowfall, we should have expected Winter Power to strike. Easterby, proud as punch, knew it was no coincidence.
Watch Winter Power go! 👏 She punched her ticket to the #BreedersCup Turf Sprint with victory in the #WinAndYoureIN Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at @yorkracecourse.
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) August 20, 2021
Congrats to all of her connections! @EasterbyTim @SilvDSousapic.twitter.com/bUUJYHa8Un
"She's just brilliant," he said. "She's a machine, she's a superstar, and she's also just right now. It took a long time to get her there. Some horses need a bit of time to come to themselves. When they have ability like she does, you have to be patient. You must not train her hard, either. The hardest thing about training a horse like her is not really training her."
Yet he was most definitely training her, and also his jockey, right up until almost the last minute. Easterby had kept the daughter of Bungle Inthejungle in her racecourse box for 30 minutes after he spotted her getting edgy.
He also wanted de Sousa to stay calm and stressed to him he needed to keep it simple and go straight as an arrow when leaving the stalls.
"I told him not to mess about going anywhere else," he explained, although, without wishing to slur the man's good name, he used a word much stronger than 'mess' to both us and King Power's retained rider.
"The race was very quick—I felt it was over straightaway," said the three-time champion jockey. "On an easy track like this, she gets into fifth gear straightaway. I could see Frankie on Golden Pal to my left but I had to take over because she was going too well. I decided I had to stretch them and say, 'catch me if you can.'"
They did not get close to catching her, which made King Power's racing manager Alastair Donald extremely happy, as it no doubt also did the Srivaddhanaprabha family at home in Thailand.
"We've had a lot of really nice horses and lots of nice winners but it's really about winning these big feature races," said Donald. "We wanted a real star for King Power and they have one. We were underbidder on Palace Pier, so that was a near one, but this filly is pretty special."
She will likely get another opportunity to show that in the Oct. 3 Prix de l'Abbaye (G1). Her win Friday also provided her a paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar as part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" program.
More importantly, it has already been decided she races on at age 4 when the aim will once again be the Nunthorpe, a showpiece Easterby's uncle Mick took 45 years ago with Lochnager.
"We'll keep her for this again next year," said Easterby, now the winner of seven group 1 races, six of them sprints.
Asked where this particular victory stood in his long list of personal favorites, he dug back even further into his memory bank.
"Oh, I don't know," he said, thinking aloud, before finding the answer. "Maybe when Sea Pigeon won the Champion Hurdle? I used to ride him out and work him, so that was amazing."
So was this. Even better it was on Yorkshire soil, much of which belongs to a family whose Nunthorpe-winning trainer had been so remarkably relaxed when looking forward to the coveted sprint on Wednesday.
"I'm a chilled-out guy, don't you understand that?" said Easterby with a grin.
Chilled out, chuffed, and now the trainer of a proper Knavesmire champion.
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