Game Churchill Two-Year-Old Stays Perfect At York

Bosa Nova (2f Churchill – Vallambrosa, by Holy Roman Emperor) produced a game performance to make it two from two at York on Friday.

The Ralph Beckett-trained juvenile overcame a slow start to justify strong support on debut last month, with Hector Crouch retaining the partnership as she sought to defy a penalty.

Racing prominently throughout the Class 2 novice stakes, the Teme Valley Racing-owned bay was asked to quicken two furlongs from home and was ridden inside the final furlong. Digging deep, she rallied to beat the short-priced favourite Aylin (St Mark’s Basilica) by a short head, with another length and a half back to Secret Echo (Wootton Bassett) in third.

Speaking after the race, Hector Crouch said: “Bosa Nova had to be tough to see off an expensive and well-touted debutante. She's a lovely filly, she does as you tell her. We got racing early and she just kept digging in. She's probably a filly to step up in trip and this would be as quick as she'd want ground-wise.”

Bought by Richard Ryan as a yearling for £100,000, the Churchill filly was bred by Whisperview Trading.