July Cup (Group 1)

The victory of Mill Stream (Jane Chapple-Hyam) in the Group 1 My Pension Expert July Cup was particularly sweet for winning rider William Buick, who was gaining his first success in the race, but a remarkable 100th at Group or Grade 1 level. The 11/1 shot was improving on a third-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he was a place and one length and a quarter behind Swingalong, having had that filly behind him in the Duke of York Stakes in May.

As expected, Art Power made the early running, and was challenged throughout by Swingalong, with Mill Stream waited with from a draw on the far side of the track. The leaders kept galloping but perhaps a battle between them made them vulnerable to a late attack, and Buick delivered the son of Gleneagles with perfect timing.

Inching closer from the two-furlong pole, he challenged Swingalong (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) inside the final furlong, edging ahead in the final 50 yards to score by a neck, with Vandeek (Simon and Ed Crisford/James Doyle) third, beaten two lengths in total, and the gallant Art Power fourth for the third time in the Group 1 contest.

Local track

Buick said: “He has been such a good horse for me this season. He is a Duke of York winner and ran well at Royal Ascot. We felt he had a bit more to give and Jane and the team convinced me he was a much better horse today.

“That bit of rain really suited him, and I was always so comfortable. He is really genuine and puts his head out. It was well deserved.

The winning trainer was equally delighted to gain a top-level win at her adopted home, saying: “It was hard to take third at Ascot but to come on and win at my local track is important – I am thrilled. We knew there was going to be a lot of speed up front and so I just left it to William – he is the master and knows the horse well. We just thought they’d burn up and he just had to sit, wait, and pounce, which he did.

“Today is ours. This is my home track and my favourite track so it’s good.

“His owner Peter Harris knows the game and I’m a very lucky lady to have him as an owner. He believes in this horse.

“We could look at going to Deauville. If you look at his history a three-week gap between races suits him and the six and a half furlongs there will suit him.”

Guineas on the horizon for Ancient Truth

Superlative Stakes (Group 2)

The Group 2 Superlative Stakes was won last year by City Of Troy and this year’s winner also looks to have serious classic aspirations, with the well-regarded Ancient Truth (Charlie Appleby) justifying odds of 4/6 in beating Seagulls Eleven (Hugo Palmer/Rossa Ryan) by a length and a half, with the promising Wimbledon Hawkeye (James Owen/Silvestre de Sousa) a further two lengths back in third place. Ancient Truth raced mid-field as outsider Assertively made the early pace and he made ground easily to take over a furlong from home, with the only thing to crab being a tendency to hang left when getting to the front.

Despite that, he won readily to bring his record to three wins from as many runs at Newmarket.

The Superlative is a race high on the list of juvenile races targeted by the powerful Godolphin operation and Appleby has won it previously with top-class performers Quorto (2018) and Native Trail (2021) among others, while Ancient Truth was bringing up a treble on the day for owner, trainer, and jockey.

Still learning

“I’m delighted and he is still learning plenty,” was the trainer’s immediate post-race reaction.

“I couldn’t see much natural pace in the race, and I told William to ride him like a good horse.

“William has made the right decision and tried to get some cover.

“I think the mile will be his maximum and I think we will work back from the Guineas now.

“He is up there with our best two-year-olds, and I’d have been disappointed if we’d got beat today.”

Alsakib steps up in style

York Saturday

John Smith’s Silver Cup (Group 3)

The Andrew Balding-trained Alsakib (P.J. McDonald) stepped up from handicap company to take the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup at York on Saturday, tracking leader Al Qareem (Karl Burke/Sam James) before going to the front a furlong from home to record a workmanlike length-and-a-half success over the consistent and admirable runner-up, with Wise Eagle (Adam Nicol/Danny Tudhope) the same distance away in third of the eight-runner field. Returned at an SP of 6/1, Alsakib was briefly outpaced when Al Qareem pressed for home at the home turn, but he stayed on strongly thereafter, coping well with rain-softened ground.

The winner is proving consistent of late, making the frame in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester and the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot before this breakthrough at pattern level. He is entered in the Ebor over the same course and distance as the Silver Cup next month, but also holds an engagement in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup over two miles, and shapes as if well worth a try at that distance.

Starlust leads a first and third for Hay

City Walls Stakes

Owner Fitri Hay saw her colours carried by a winner and a third in the Listed City Walls Stakes, with 13/8 favourite Starlust (Ralph Beckett/Hector Crouch) getting the better of her other runner Democracy Dilemma (Robert Cowell/Jack Mitchell) who made the running before capitulating late in the day.

Rogue Lightning (Tom Clover/ Danny Tudhope) slightly spoiled the Hay party by running on late to grab second, a length and a half behind Starlust. Winning jockey Hector Crouch was full of praise for his mount, describing him as “a real professional” and suggesting that he had earned a place back at York for the Nunthorpe Stakes next month.

Enjfaar aiming for group glory

Juohn Smith's Cup

The historic John Smith’s Cup has a unique place in racing lore, being the oldest continuously sponsored contest in Britain, with John Smith’s brewery having first stepped in to support the event in 1960.

Winners tend to be high class and this year was no exception with Enfjaar (Roger Varian/Jack Mitchell) winning by a length and three quarters from favourite and stablemate Botanical.

The 15/2 winner will now seek blacktype, with Richard Hills (representing the owner, Shadwell Estates) explaining that the gelded son of Lope De Vega had suffered bone bruising after a successful return in 2023.

He looks ready to fulfil the potential he showed then and will be aimed at group races “at home and abroad” according to Hills.

Quddwah maintains unbeaten record

Ascot Saturday

Anne Cowley Memorial Summer Mile (Group 2)

WITH two non-runners reducing the field to seven, and market rival Sonny Liston running below form, Quddwah (Simon and Ed Crisford/Callum Shepherd) didn’t need to improve to land the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot.

Looking set to win easily when hitting the front over a furlong out, he tended to idle when he got there but got there by just half a length and a neck over exposed pair Ancient Rome (Charlie Hills/Tom Marquand) and Embesto (Roger Varian/Ray Dawson). The lightly raced four-year-old was backed heavily into favouritism at 5/4 and maintained his unbeaten record having also taken the Queen Anne Trial here on his return to action.

The bare form of this win gives Quddwah something to find if he takes his place in the Sussex Stakes, but he’s still something of a baby and looks capable of much better when thrown into deeper waters, with this race likely to have helped his much-needed education.