Ebor Victory Caps Remarkable Week for Jockey Rossa Ryan

Jockey Rossa Ryan won the €584,000 Sky Bet Ebor Handicap at York on Saturday, steering Alan King's Daiquiri Bay to victory just a day after his appeal against a riding ban was upheld. The win, described as the biggest of Ryan's career, was celebrated trackside by his girlfriend, Ali Keating, who shared a hug with the jockey immediately after the race.

Ryan, from Galway, was cleared to ride at the prestigious meeting after his 28-day ban for easing up on Thunder Home in a maiden at Sandown on July 23 was reduced to ten days on appeal. The original punishment had threatened to rule him out of the Ebor meeting, but the successful appeal paved the way for his most significant career victory.

A Plan Set in Motion

Speaking to Racing TV after the race, Ryan dedicated the success to careful planning with trainer Alan King, revealing that the Ebor had been the target since April. "We sat down in the office in April and mapped out a plan up to Ascot," he said. "And then after Ascot we sat again and thought about this. Alan thought maybe we'd get a run somewhere and I thought I'd leave him and come straight here, and after a week of thinking about it he says right we'll go straight there and he had him spot on, absolutely spot on."

King echoed the sentiment, praising Ryan's ride and the horse's toughness. "I can't believe it, really he's a tough horse. Great ride from Rossa, I'm blown away. It's been the plan since Ascot," the trainer said. "We sat down after that and Rossa said, 'Put him away for the Ebor.' It was a tough race at Ascot and we broke the track record, so we were able to give him a little break and then build him up. The preparation has gone great."

A Dominant Performance

Ryan kept Daiquiri Bay, sent off at 10/1, tucked in midfield for much of the one-mile-six-furlong contest before launching his challenge after the home turn. The pair showed great battling qualities to hold off the Wathnan Racing duo of Hopewell Rock and Opportunity in a thrilling three-way finish, prevailing by a narrow margin.

Richard Brown, Wathnan Racing's adviser, expressed pride in his horses' performances, with both filling the places behind the winner. "It's one of those where you are delighted that they have run so well but you want to win," he said. The second-placed Hopewell Rock could now be aimed at the Melbourne Cup later this year.

The Ebor victory capped a rollercoaster week for Ryan, who had come agonisingly close to winning the Yorkshire Oaks on Jim Bolger's 25/1 shot Sparan Nua, only to be denied by a short head. He was also scheduled to ride pre-race favourite Orthodox in the Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday, a race he had been targeting after the appeal.

A Celebration Shared with Loved Ones

Ali Keating, daughter of singer Ronan Keating, was among the first to congratulate Ryan, sharing a video of herself running into his arms after the race and posting a picture of him with the trophy on social media. "He's only gone and done it," she wrote. Keating and Ryan went public with their relationship at Royal Ascot in June, and the couple, who share a passion for horses, have been a constant source of support for each other. Keating, 20, previously spoke about their shared understanding of the industry, saying it was great to have someone who understands the demands of the sport. Ryan, the son of trainer David Ryan, has now firmly established himself as one of the sport's rising stars.