Newmarket Thursday
July Stakes (Group 2)
Whistlejacket (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) was an expensive failure when only fourth in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot but proved that not to be his true running when justifying 11/10 favouritism in the Group 2 Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes with an all-the-way win in the colours of Peter Brant, who owns the colt in partnership with Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor.
The No Nay Never colt was very impressive at the Curragh on his penultimate start and was back to that form to beat Billboard Star by a length and three-quarters (Eve Johnson Houghton/Charles Bishop). Moore dictated terms from the off, with the field gradually drifting to the far side of the track, and while there was less than a length between five of the runners with a quarter of a mile to run, the well-backed favourite quickened on demand to win as he pleased.
Ryan Moore said: “He is obviously still a bit raw and is still learning. It was a good performance – he has given away a bit of ground in the last furlong and gone a long way ahead. He is a fast horse and I think there is a bit more in there which gives us hope for the rest of the year.”
Paul Smith, representing the Coolmore partners, added: “We will probably look at something like the Prix Morny or Phoenix Stakes for him now.”
Princess of Wales’s Stakes (Group 2)
Giavellotto (Marco Botti/Oisin Murphy) defied a Group 2 penalty and a drop from a mile and three quarters to run out a comfortable winner of the Group 2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes, a race sponsored by The Kingdom Of Bahrain.
Winner of the Yorkshire Cup on his previous start, Giavellotto was not fazed by the drop in trip and was always travelling well for Murphy, and even when Arrest (John and Thady Gosden/Kieran Shoemark) kicked for home over three furlongs out, he sat quietly, joining the leader at the furlong pole and soon scampering away to score by three and a quarter lengths.
Irish assignment
Time Lock (Harry Charlton/Ryan Moore) finished third, six lengths in total behind the impressive winner, who was returned at an SP of 10/3. Favourite Hamish had a rare off day, failing to make any impression, even if he wasn’t ideally suited by the tempo of the race.
Giavellotto showed here that he’s very much a Group 1 performer in the right situation, and he is likely to go to the Curragh in September for the Irish St Leger as his next assignment. Marco Botti said: “He is in the form of his life and is a much stronger horse this year. We weren’t too worried about dropping back to a mile and a half, especially on a stiff course.
“He travelled so well into the race and Oisin said it was only a matter of having to press the button and the horse picked up straight away and ran strongly to the line.
“We know he stays well and the ground has dried out enough to be on the easy side of good. I don’t think he wants it too soft but is versatile at the same time – he has also won on really fast ground.
“The Irish St Leger has always been the plan and I think today was a stepping stone towards that as long as the ground doesn’t go too soft – heavy ground would be a concern and it can happen in September at the Curragh. I’m looking forward to it.”
Bahrain Trophy (Group 3)
Ancient Wisdom (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) hadn’t shown his best in either the Dante or the Derby, but he bounced back to the form he showed as a juvenile to take the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy over a mile and five furlongs, setting himself up as a potential candidate for the St Leger in the process. The 6/4 favourite was sent to the front by William Buick and seemed to appreciate the change of tactics, answering every call to pull.
This was a third Bahrain Trophy for Appleby after Yibir (2021) and Castle Way (2023), and he said: “We were quietly confident as he was the class horse in the race and was racing on ground that we know he relishes.
The plan from here is to head to the Voltigeur if the ground is right and plan our way to the St Leger. He is an autumn horse and we won’t jeopardise that by running him on unsuitable ground.
“He isn’t where he was when he won the Autumn Stakes and backed up two weeks later in the Futurity last season, so I was impressed with him today and hoping that there is still improvement under the bonnet.
“If the ground is like it can be at that time of year at Doncaster, then I think he would have a very live chance.”
Sir Henry Cecil Stakes (Listed)
Having failed to convince over a mile and a quarter in the Dante or at Royal Ascot, Al Musmak (Roger Varian/Silvestre de Sousa) benefited from dropping back to a mile in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes, staying on off a strong gallop set by Socialite to win by two miles and two furlongs from Kitty Rose (Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr).
Favourite Lead Artist looked a big danger two furlongs out but his run flattened out late and he was beaten another length and a quarter into third. The winner was returned at 11/2.
Al Musmak had finished in front of Ancient Wisdom when the pair filled the places in the Pat Eddery Stakes last year, that race having thrown up a plethora of group winners since, and he was also runner-up to Ghostwriter in the Royal Lodge over a mile, suggesting that he’s worth persevering with at this trip.
He’s entered in the Coral Golden Mile at Goodwood, for which he would incur a penalty of 3lb.
That may be tempting, but connections also have the option of the Celebration Mile at the track later in August.