England
G1 July Cup gives Hughes first Group 1 winner
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
After all the will-they or won't-theys leading up to Saturday's G1 July Cup, it came down to the hardened sprinters and a hardened jockey with 4-year-old mare No Half Measures (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) springing a 66-1 upset under Neil Callan. Campaigned mainly over five furlongs so far, last year's G3 World Trophy winner relished the step up to six to overwhelm Big Mojo (Ire) (Mohaather {GB}) in the last half a furlong and provide Richard Hughes with a first Group 1 winner as a trainer.
“I've got the monkey off my back, that's for sure,” commented Hughes, who rode Oasis Dream (GB) to success in this in 2003. “I was a little bit naive when I started training–I thought if I bought 20 horses, one of them was going to be good, then I bought 20 the following year and still no good one came along. I can retire now saying I rode a July Cup winner and trained one, so that's really nice.”
With nine of her 13 starts prior to this over five, No Half Measures was actually three-from-four at this trip with her only try since last April resulting in a win in Deauville's Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud in August. Looking exposed on form figures entering this feature, with her two races this term resulting in a ninth in the Rowley Mile's G3 Palace House Stakes and a second in the Listed Achilles Stakes, she did nevertheless retain that potential over the extra distance.
“She won here last year in a handicap and when Ryan (Moore) got off her I asked him if we'd get a bit of black-type and he said 'she's better than that' which is something Ryan never says! He's a realist, so I was quite surprised by that,” the trainer revealed. “We plotted to get our black-type and we got it and she's done nothing but improve. I would have been pleased even with second or third, so to win is just a bonus.”
“We plotted to get our black-type and we got it and she's (No Half Measures) done nothing but improve. I would have been pleased even with second or third, so to win is just a bonus.” - Richard Hughes
No Half Measures is the second foal out of Fascinator (GB) (Helmet), a daughter of the G3 Molecomb Stakes runner-up Mary Read (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) who is also the second dam of Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) who captured that race and was placed in the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes and G1 Commonwealth Cup. Mary Read is kin to the Listed Oh So Sharp Stakes-placed Tiana (GB) (Diktat {GB}), dam of three black-type winners including the five-times Group 2 winner Beat The Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) and Exceed And Excel's G3 Chipchase Stakes winner and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup third Chil Chil (GB).
G2 Superlative goes to Dubawi’s Saba Desert
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
Picked by William Buick from the two Godolphin hopes for Saturday's G2 Superlative Stakes, Saba Desert (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) justified that call to continue connections' run of success at Newmarket's July Festival. Swooping late to deny the 4-6 favourite Italy (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), the grandson of the Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Gossamer (GB) defied a market drift to 6-1 to prevail by 1.25 lengths and deliver a fourth renewal to his sire who won this himself in 2004.
“We went to Sandown with a lot of confidence and William said he had felt like sitting there and winning on the bridle that day which is rare for him,” Charlie Appleby said after greeting his sixth winner of this staging post. “He's a horse we've held in high regard for a while and is the typical stamp of a Dubawi–deep-girthed and short-backed–and as it's a road we often take he could go to The Curragh for the National and then on to the Dewhurst. He's more of a Guineas type than a Derby horse for next year.”
Saba Desert is the third foal out of the modest middle-distance handicapper Finespun (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a daughter of the aforementioned Gossamer (Sadler's Wells {USA}) who also captured the G1 Fillies' Mile at two and produced the G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Ibn Khaldun (USA) (Dubai Destination {USA}). Her unraced daughter Veil of Silence (Ire) (Elusive Quality {USA}) was responsible for GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed And Excel) and full brother G3 Prix Eclipse and Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner Sound And Silence (GB).
USA
Resolute Racing’s Excellent Truth wins G1 Diana
By TDN
The GI Diana Stakes continues, as it has for nine of the last ten years, to run through the Chad Brown barn as Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) just edged out favourite She Feels Pretty (USA) (Karakontie {Jpn}) in a stretch duel to take the opening Grade I of the Saratoga summer meet.
While eyes and wagering dollars were on Cherie DeVaux's She Feels Pretty, Brown wielded a strong hand in stablemates Excellent Truth and Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), the one-two finishers in the GI Just A Game Stakes over this course on June 6. Heavy rain Saturday morning dampened the course down to yielding and expected pacesetter Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaara {GB}) was scratched for Saffie Joseph, Jr. leaving a five-horse field otherwise intact. Excellent Truth, notably second to her stablemate in the aforementioned Just A Game and also to Choisya (GB) (Night of Thunder {GB}) in the GI Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, stretched out to Saturday's 1 1/8-mile (1800 metres) distance with aplomb in the silks of Resolute Racing.
“It means a lot,” Brown said of his landmark win. “A lot of different horses have done it. Many of the same team members, though. I know I mention his name a lot–(Bobby) Frankel–but I think about him on days like this. This was a race that I can't believe he only won twice, he always pointed to it. It was right in his wheelhouse with a female turf horse–he taught me so much. A big part of it is him, his legacy lives on, because it is his system we are using.”
Of Excellent Truth's win, he said: “That reminded me a little bit of the 3-year-old race (2024 GII Lake Placid) when Grayosh, in another race versus She Feels Pretty, came back again on her. I'm really happy for this horse. She had her day today. She has had two tough trips. I think you could argue with a cleaner trip, she could be 3-for-3 in the country. She has always trained like a top horse all winter. I want to thank John Stewart (owner, Resolute Racing) and his team. He could've picked anyone to train her, I was so happy when she showed up in our barn at Payson this winter. She has never had a bad day. She deserved the win today.”
Stewart's Resolute Racing paid €1.6 million (AU$2.84 million) for Excellent Truth in France at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale at the end of 2024 after the mare had run second in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in July of last year. She is the second top-level winner for Tally Ho Stud's Cotai Glory joining G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner The Platinum Queen (Ire). First dam Moment of Truth (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), unplaced in her own racing career and a half to French G1 Criterium International winner Zafiso (Ire) (Efisio {GB}), has four winners from five to race including Italian group winner Memo de L'Alguer (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).
Border Czar makes it two for first season sire Beau Liam
By TDN
Airdrie Stud's Beau Liam (USA), a son of Liam's Map (USA), got his second black-type winner in his first crop of 2-year-olds–and second in a week–Saturday when Border Czar (USA) sailed under the wire in the My Dear Stakes at Woodbine. Beau Liam's juvenile filly Lanaluah (USA) had captured the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity on July 5.
With rider Rafael Hernandez sitting quietly confident until the turn, the bay tipped out and motored down the stretch a few paths out to win with authority, drifting in but powering by the leaders to win by 2.75 lengths. Early trailer Abdul (USA) (Tapit {USA}) closed late for runner-up honours.
“She's pretty sharp little filly,” said winner trainer and owner Barbara Minshall. “I mean, she loves to train. She was a little sharp going to post and everything. I noticed that. But she's all business. And you ask her to do something, she's all business. And (Rafael Hernandez) has worked her a couple times, he's got to know her even better, and he knew she'd come running.”
Legion Bloodstock signed the ticket at US$25,000 (AU$38,000) for her at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale.
