Never So Brave Leads One-Two For No Nay Never In The City Of York

Britain's first seven-furlong Group 1 proved a humdinger on Saturday as Never So Brave (No Nay Never) found the line first in a thrilling four-way go for the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes. Like Saturday's Hungerford winner More Thunder a former member of the Sir Michael Stoute equine academy, Saeed Suhail's Summer Mile winner relished the furious pace to ultimately outstay specialists at this trip under Oisin Murphy.

At the line, the Andrew Balding-trained 7-2 second favourite had half a length to spare over Lake Forest for a one-two for No Nay Never, with Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett) and the even-money favourite Rosallion (Blue Point) also in the blanket two head margins away in third and fourth respectively.

“Slowly, and bit by bit, he's improved until we've got to the Group One,” Saeed Suhail's racing manager Philip Robinson said. “Andrew has taken his time and gradually climbed the ladder and now the horse has got so much confidence, which he needed to win today.”

“He was tough. I was quite confident once he got to the front, as it looked to me like he was fighting everything off and we know he gets a mile which is an added bonus when you get into a tight finish over seven furlongs,” he added. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a possibility and I'd imagine he'll stay in training next year as well.”

Showing enough in his formative period when mixing it with the likes of Vandeek, Witness Stand and Haatem to show Sir Michael Stoute that he possessed abundant potential, Never So Brave was handed to Andrew Balding almost the finished article and after a winter gelding op was ready to step up. Ending his spell in handicaps when second at Chester in May and rewarding market confidence in Royal Ascot's Buckingham Palace Stakes the following month, he was workmanlike but effective in the Summer Mile and confirmed here that he is truly a grinder but a top-class one at that.

Following the stern tempo set by Quinault (Oasis Dream) a few lengths adrift throughout the early stages, he kept producing the ideal sectionals to get into the thick of the action inside the two and by the time he was in front at the furlong marker was always going to make it a war. Game to the death as Rosallion gave his all to get upsides, it was a case of job done as Lake Forest emerged with his flourish stand's side.

Rosallion was meeting with defeat for the fourth time this year and trainer Richard Hannon admitted to a sense of deflation. “Sean [Levey] said he was never really travelling like he normally does, but he's not disgraced himself. I don't think the wide draw helped, but he just didn't travel into the race like we expected. I'm disappointed, obviously, I thought he'd win, but he's a long way from disgracing himself. In fairness to him, he knuckled down under pressure and tried his best–there are loads of options for him, all over the world.”

Never So Brave lands the newest Group 1 contest in the calendar, the @SkyBet City Of York Stakes! @yorkracecourse @AndrewBalding2 | @oismurphy pic.twitter.com/5NF3gKqKGr

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 23, 2025

Pedigree Notes
Never So Brave's dam Chica Whopa is also responsible for the Richmond winner Barraquero (Zebedee) and Listed scorer Pirate Jenny (Exceed And Excel) who was a 500,000gns purchase by Amo Racing at last year's Tattersalls December. The Listed-winning second Dam Just Ice (Polar Falcon) produced the Listed scorer and Group 3-placed Jezebel (Owington) who in turn is the dam of the Stakes winner Ancient Goddess (Iffraaj). Chica Whopa's two-year-old filly Belle Of Georgia is by Wootton Bassett.