Charm Spirit Colt Wins G1 July Cup

Tara Madgwick - Sunday July 16

By former Windsor Park Stud shuttler Charm Spirit, talented three year-old colt Shaquille backed up from his win in the Group I Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last month to claim his second G1 win when taking out the Group I Darley July Cup (6f) at Newmarket overnight, wonder if his connections have heard of The Everest!

Taking on older sprinters this time, the Julie Camacho and Steve Brown trained colt again overcame a poor start to surge clear and win by a length with Rossa Ryan on board.

Advertisement

Shaquille has seven wins from eight starts and Rossa Ryan was full of praise for the colt, who has built an impressive record.

“To do what he did in that fashion – to come on the bridle two furlongs out having run like he did – I can’t believe it,” Ryan said.

“After he missed the break, I didn’t want to set him alight so I sat for a minute as they hadn’t gone too far away from me. 

“I had no option but to go with him in the middle of the race. I was on the heels of the horses behind Ryan [Moore] and William [Buick] and I thought to myself ‘I can’t go this slow any more’, so I pulled him out and he was gone.

“I felt him take a blow at the three marker and could feel him filling up his lungs to go again. James and Oisin filled me with confidence for this as James said his last two furlongs are his best, but it’s still a massive effort. What he’s done is a huge credit to the Camacho team.”

Shaquille is a star on the rise in the sprinting division. 

“Today was the first day it felt a bit different with him,” Steve Brown said. “I could hear people when we were walking around the paddock talking about him and saying how they had come just to see him. That is a special thing when people have paid their money to come along and see your horse.

“I thought he did it all wrong today. Oisin was quiet on him at Ascot, whereas Rossa got him closer to the pace and I was sure he was doing too much. To pick up and win from there like he did – he’s some athlete. We're still trying to get it right with him – but the end result looks good, doesn’t it?”

Shaquille was retained to race by his breeder Martin Hughes and is the first winner for unraced Galileo mare Magic, a sister to stakes-winner Birch Grove from fast Group II winning sprinter Danehurst.

Shaquille is the first Group I winner among 16 stakes-winners by Charm Spirit, a Group I winning son of Invincible Spirit that now stands in France at Haras du Logis Saint Germain for 5,000 euros

Advertisment
More Reading...
Pedigree Watch - Powerhouse Godolphin 3YOs Dominate
The current crop of three year-olds running for Godolphin lay claim to being the best they have ever produced in Australia and three of those colts won Group races in Australia on Saturday so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.
2025 Cox Plate Result - Fastnet Rock and Waller Quinella
A genuine champion sire should be able to produce the horses that win the very best races in the country in which they stand and the late great Fastnet Rock have us a demonstration of that when his high class Northern Hemisphere bred offspring Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) fought out an epic finish to the $6million Group I MVRC WS Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
VRC Derby Favourite Strengthens His Chances With G2 Vase Win
When breaking his maiden by five lengths at just his second start last season, Ghaiyyath's colt Observer looked to have above average ability, but it was his third last start in the Group 1 MRC Caulfield Guineas (1600m) that had everybody talking about the exciting prospect.
Te Akau Win G3 War Decree Stakes with Snitzel Filly
Te Akau Racing made a blistering start to the afternoon across both New Zealand meetings on Saturday, racking up six wins in a three-hour period including with a pair of potential candidates for next month’s Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
First Winner for Home Affairs
Exciting young sire Home Affairs opened his account with his first winner in New Zealand on Saturday with a dominant debut victory for race favourite Harvey Wallbanger at Ellerslie.
Wootton Bassett Colt Leads Coolmore G1 Trifecta
The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 25
Here is the full list of 136 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Stefi Magnetica Smashes Through $7m Mark
Already a dual Group1 winner, Bjorn Baker’s 5yo All Too Hard mare Stefi Magnetica added the $2m Group 2 ATC The Invitational (1400m) to her impressive record, with her earnings smashing through the $7m mark for her ownership group headed by the Cunningham family.
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..