QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1)

CONDITIONS came right on the day, and mudlark Donjuan Triumphant (Andrew Balding/Silvestre de Sousa) finally came good in this race at the fourth attempt, and scored a belated first Group 1 win on his 37th career outing, springing a 33/1 shock in the process.

The race set the tone for the day in terms of straight-course tactics, with the jockeys all keen to move towards the far rail, and this contest became quite messy as a result, the winner doing well to overcome trouble in running, although others were not so fortunate.

The six-year-old held the late challenge of dual Prix de la Foret winner One Master (William Haggas/Pierre-Charles Boudot) by a length, with Aidan Fogarty’s Commonwealth Cup runner-up Forever In Dreams (Jamie Spencer) proving that run was no fluke by denying Brando third on the line.

Denis Hogan’s Make A Challenge ran very well to grab fifth from a poor draw, while Mabs Cross also shaped better than her finishing position, and while this was her first six-furlong run since her juvenile days. She comes under the hammer at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Advertise, the joint favourite with One Master on 4/1 was disappointing, but didn’t get a clear run, and may not have enjoyed his first taste of testing ground, while Hello Youmzain and Sands Of Mali (lost a shoe) found front-running tactics very hard to pull off, and the pair were forced into doing too much too soon in difficult conditions.

Andrew Balding expressed his delight at having produced a Group 1 success with the first horse bought by the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and confirmed that Donjuan Triumphant would be retired to stud in France.