Andrew Balding's late run at a first success in the Flat trainers' championship gained extra momentum as an across-the-cards double, including a 1-2 in the Group Two Challenge Stakes, carried him further clear of Aidan O'Brien before a potentially pivotal afternoon on Champions Day at Ascot next weekend.
Balding was still around £700,000 adrift of O'Brien, the defending champion, at the end of August but has made steady progress since and moved into the lead for the first time when Blue Bolt won the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket last weekend.
Never So Brave's defeat of his stable companion, Flora Of Bermuda, in the Challenge Stakes was worth a total of £129,000, less than half an hour after Balding's juvenile Nakila Sun had made all in the British EBF Final at York, which was worth £51,000 to the winner.
O'Brien then had to settle for second place in the Group One Fillies' Mile here, as his runner Haven was overhauled inside the final furlong by the odds-on favourite, Musical Times, with Balding's runners, Forbidden Fire and Scommessa Sicura, picking up minor place money in third and fifth.
"I've been at the sales all week, but I'd imagine the team at home are pretty pumped for it," Balding said after his Challenge Stakes success. "If we're still the same after Champions Day then I'll start to get excited, but I wouldn't dare say it will be."
O'Brien has more than a dozen entries on Champions Day at Ascot next weekend, although Jan Brueghel, at 6-4 for the Long Distance Cup, is currently his only favourite on the afternoon. Constitution River, the winner of the French Derby and Eclipse earlier in the season, is a 4-1 chance for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and around 10-1 for the Champion Stakes, while Gstaad, the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, is also quoted for both of the card's most valuable events.
Paddy Power quotes O'Brien at 2-7 (from 1-4) to win the title race after Friday's action, while Balding is a 5-2 chance (from 11-4).
Musical Times, meanwhile, is around 5-2 for next year's 1,000 Guineas after overcoming significant traffic problems in the Fillies' Mile. Charlie Appleby's filly remains unbeaten after three starts and showed a high-class turn of foot to run down Haven after William Buick finally found some daylight a furlong out.
"After two furlongs, we just had to hold our breath a little bit, but William was on the class filly in the race and he knew it himself," Appleby said. "He was just trying to find those gaps and when he did she quickened up smartly."
High Fibre food for thought in Cesarewitch
James Owen has established himself as a top-15 trainer on the Flat and over jumps in recent seasons, thanks not least to his habit of coaxing major improvement from other trainers' castoffs, and his dual-purpose gelding (3.40) is a fascinating contender for the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday.
The seven-year-old has already picked up decent handicap prizes both over hurdles and on the Flat in his four starts since joining Owen from Harry Fry. A recent close second at York suggests he remains on a fair mark and Silvestre de Sousa, already a three-times winner of this race, is drawn in stall one for a race in which – despite the extreme distance – low numbers often enjoy a slight edge.
Newmarket 1.15 has been off the track (and also gelded) since his one-length second behind Bow Echo, the subsequent 2,000 Guineas winner, here last September, but is sure to be primed for his return as Andrew Balding maintains his pursuit of Aidan O'Brien in the trainers' championship.
York 1.30 George Boughey's has progressed steadily in three runs to date and could find more improvement for this step up to six furlongs.
Newmarket 1.50 Charlie Johnston's could have an easy time in front in this demanding 10-furlong test for juveniles, a contest that his stable has won a record five times.
York 2.05 An opening mark of 94 could well underestimate the lightly raced who put up a strong showing against a subsequent Listed winner on his latest start at Kempton.
Newmarket 2.25 ran well to finish second behind Desert Castle, a leading contender for the Dewhurst, last time out, and returns to the trip at which he posted a Listed success in a useful time in August.
Newmarket 3.00 A fascinating clash between Desert Castle and , both wide-margin winners of their latest starts. Marginal preference is for Aidan O'Brien's colt, whose four-and-a-quarter-length defeat of a next-time winner was backed up by the clock.
York 3.17 It requires a small leap of faith to back after he finished last of 12 at Ripon two weeks ago but he has been consistent overall in his first season with the excellent John & Sean Quinn operation and today's trip, draw and going are all similar to the conditions for his win at the Dante meeting in May. At around 20-1, he is a very decent each-way option.