G1 July Cup Shock Result

Tara Madgwick - Sunday July 13

The July Summer Festival meeting at Newmarket continued overnight with the Group I July Cup (6f) for the sprinters producing a complete blow out result, while the Group II Superlative Stakes (7f) for 2YO’s was won by a Godolphin homebred from the family of their Aussie G1 star Zardozi.

Invincible Spirit stallion Cable Bay shuttled to Victoria for four seasons from 2017 and while he did not achieve commercial success, he did give us a Group I winning sprinter in Uncommon James and he added a second G1 winner to his tally in the July Cup.

Trained by Richard Hughes and ridden by Neil Callan, four year-old mare No Half Measures went off at odds of 66-1, but made a lie of her bolter’s price to score a neck win over two more long shots in Big Mojo (12-1) and Run to Freedom (40-1).

Advertisement

A Group III and Listed winner last year, No Half Measures soared to new heights with this victory and has the overall record of seven wins and three placings from 14 starts.

“She won a handicap here last year and when Ryan (Moore) got off her I asked will we get a bit of black type for her? He said she's better than that - Ryan never says things like that! He's a realist,” revealed her trainer Richard Hughes, who was ecstatic to saddle his first G1 winner.

“We plotted to get her back here and she has done nothing but improve. There was very little pressure today really. Drawn 15 I wasn't mad about so I said to Neil ride her to be third and hopefully you'll get a little bit of cover.

“At halfway, I thought she was going OK and then I just held my head as I couldn't believe what was happening! I kept thinking she is going to get caught and I would have been pleased with second or third.”

Purchased for £34,000 by her trainer from the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, No Half Measures is the bets of two winners from Fascinator, a placed daughter of Australian bred triple Group I winner Helmet, who went to stud in the UK for Godolphin.

Pedigree

Helmet sired 18 stakes-winners with Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow, his lone GI winner and No Half Measures is his first G1 winner as a broodmare sire.

The Group II Superlative Stakes also delivered a surprise with Wootton Bassett expected to get a new stakes-winner in short priced favourite Italy, but he had to settle for second behind the Charlie Appleby trained Dubawi colt Saba Desert.

Ridden by William Buick, Saba Desert won on debut last month and kept his record perfect with a length and a quarter win over Italy, who did few things wrong and can improve.

“Saba Desert is a horse we liked from the get-go and were pleased with the way he did it at Sandown. He progressed from Sandown to here and we always try and find one for this race,” said Charlie Appleby.

“He is a lovely deep-girthed horse and we'll work back from a Dewhurst now. Whether we go the National Stakes or go to the Champagne and then the Dewhurst - we'll see.”

Saba Desert is the 304th stakes-winner for Dubawi and is the best of two winners from Finespun, a placed half-sister by Sea the Stars to Group I winner Ibn Khaldun from dual Group I winner Gossamer.

Gossamer has enjoyed much success at stud with her descendants including Group I winners Mischief Magic, Program Trading and the Aussie performed Zardozi.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Captivant Colt Shines at Warwick Farm Trials
Captivant’s burgeoning reputation for producing precocious 2YOs took another leap forward at today’s Warwick Farm trials, with Courthezon powering to victory in Heat 10.
Kiwi Sires a Recipe for NZB Ready to Run Sale Success
Much of the NZB Ready to Run Sale’s extraordinary success has been underpinned by the stallions that have stood in New Zealand in recent decades.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 2
Here is the full list of 29 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Blueblood Fillies From $3million Mares
Tom Magnier has been notable for his purchase of elite race fillies and broodmares in recent years to enhance the stellar Coolmore broodmare band and two of his $3million plus mare purchases have produced stunning fillies this spring.
Who Was Flight?
A G1 race since 1984, the Flight Stakes is a race won by special fillies - often the ones who go on to do extraordinary things on the track against all comers as older mares and that's as it should be as Hall Of Fame legend Flight exemplified that style of thoroughbred.
Milan Park Experience Highs and Lows
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
Four Winners for Dennis
Local trainer Robert Dennis won half of the eight-race card at Ascot Park on Friday, culminating with a special win by Sir Sterling in the Vale Tony Dennis (1400m).
New Stakes-Winner for Zoustar
The $150,000 Listed Hannan’s Handicap (1400m) provided reigning champion sire Zoustar with a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding Multinational led for home and could not be caught.
Melody Belle Daughter Set for Long Awaited Debut
It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song, a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle, makes her debut.
2YO Stakes Racing – Sale Mail
Three stakes races for new season juveniles add plenty of interest to a stellar day of racing this Saturday in Sydney and Melbourne, so let’s take a look at the Sale Mail for these races.