July Cup: Mill Stream edges out Swingalong to grab Newmarket glory

Mill Stream lands the July Cup at Newmarket with a battling performance to secure the final leg of a four-timer for jockey William Buick; also on the card, Ancient Truth enhances growing reputation with Superlative Stakes victory and Desert Flower impresses on debut

Saturday 13 July 2024 17:29, UK

Hot favourite Inisherin could finish only fifth as Mill Stream emerged triumphant in the My Pension Expert July Cup at Newmarket.

Following a stunning display in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last month, the Kevin Ryan-trained Inisherin was all the rage to beat his elders for the first time as the 11/8 market leader, but things did not go to script.

Art Power took the 11-strong field along for much of the six-furlong contest, closely pursued by Swingalong, and the latter had poked her head in front by the time she reached the final furlong.

In a race that turned into something of a scrap, Jane Chapple-Hyam's 11/1 shot Mill Stream - third in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at the royal meeting - was produced with a well-timed challenge on the far side of the track by William Buick, swooping late to deny Swingalong by a neck.

Vandeek, who suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Inisherin in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in May before missing the rematch in the Commonwealth Cup owing to an unsatisfactory scope, shaped with plenty of encouragement in third.

Art Power boxed on to finish fourth ahead of the slightly disappointing Inisherin in fifth.

Buick was completing a four-timer on the day after he previously enjoyed a treble for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby courtesy of Desert Flower, First Conquest and Ancient Truth.

Chapple-Hyam said: "We were doing cartwheels when it rained, as it just took the sting out of the ground midweek. I think that is all he needs. He came here for a little bit of practice the other day.

"He's never sparkling in his work, he just gets there but that's him and as long as we know that, and William knows that, it's fine, but he's done it now, he's got the Group One.

"You knew there was going to be a lot of speed and when they were doing 10 and change at halfway and he was sat in behind, I just knew he'd pick up and I'm thrilled.

"He likes it here, he's been second here, so it's nice to turn it round and get the win and he ran well at Ascot in third on very quick ground there.

"It's nice to win here with it being my home track and my favourite track.

"I'm a very lucky lady to have Peter Harris as an owner, he knows the game and he believes in the horse too, so it's good. It's nice to join him and Gai (Waterhouse, who Chapple-Hyam had a winner for earlier in the day with Asian Daze) as a Group One-winning trainer.

"Peter has a good team in the yard, he supports them and he supports me, so to go and win a Group One for him, that's what he wants and what the yard needs, so it's good.

"He likes three weeks between races if you look back, so we'll go to Deauville next for the Prix Maurice de Gheest, he'll love the six and a half furlongs there - as a young horse, he got six there very well, so six-and-a-half, bring it on!"

Aalto blitzes Bunbury Cup foes for emphatic victory

French recruit Aalto secured his first victory since joining Ian Williams in the bet365 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.

A multiple winner in his homeland, the four-year-old had finished second twice from six attempts for his new connections, most recently going down by just half a length at Haydock last week.

Stepping into what is always a fiercely competitive handicap, Aalto was a 15/2 shot in the hands of Rossa Ryan, who was happy to take his time in the early stages of the seven-furlong contest, burying his mount in midfield for much of the way.

The four-year-old began to make his move with three furlongs left to run, moving smoothly into the slipstream of the pacesetting Lethal Levi before being switched closer to the stands' rail to throw down his challenge.

Aalto found another gear upon meeting the rising ground and was well on top at the line, beating the gallant Lethal Levi by two lengths.

Summerghand was third, with 5/1 favourite Carrytheone making late headway to grab fourth after enduring a troubled passage.

Williams said: "He's been a little bit disappointing in lesser races and we thought we'd been unfortunate when it rained, but it's great for the owners, who enjoyed a great run yesterday with Oneforthegutter (second).

"I thought we had a minimum of a miler when he came from France, and I thought he'd stay a bit further, maybe a mile and two, but I've got that wrong.

"What he wants is good cover and a strong pace and you are only going to get that in good races and the race opened up for him today.

"He probably got there too early. He travelled through his race well but I've seen him do that before and get beat, so it was good to see him win today.

"It's a special race to win, we've been placed in it before and been disappointed not to win, so to come here and win a race like this - we're not a huge stable, so it's good to win.

"Assuming he comes out okay, Ascot (International Stakes) is very much on the agenda."

Ancient Truth stays on well for Superlative strike

Ancient Truth enhanced his growing reputation by providing trainer Charlie Appleby with a fifth victory in the bet365 Superlative Stakes.

Since breaking his duck with Boynton in 2016, the Moulton Paddocks handler has saddled a trio of subsequent Group One winners to land this Group Two prize in Quorto (2018), Master Of The Seas (2020) and Native Trail (2021).

A son of Dubawi, who also won the Superlative in 2004, Ancient Truth had looked a smart prospect in winning his first two starts on the two different Newmarket tracks and was a 4/6 favourite to complete his hat-trick in the hands of Buick.

After initially being settled in fifth of the six runners, the youngster made his move racing inside the final couple of furlongs and was soon in front without being asked for maximum effort.

Buick resorted to his whip to make sure of victory late on, with Seagulls Eleven running a fine race to emerge best of the rest, but Ancient Truth was well on top as he passed the post with a length and a half in hand.

Coral cut Ancient Truth's odds for next year's 2000 Guineas to 16/1 from 25/1.

Desert Flower blooms with impressive Newmarket debut

Desert Flower earned quotes for the 1000 Guineas with a stylish debut performance in the Rossdales British EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

Trainer Appleby was winning the seven-furlong maiden for the fifth time in eight years, this time with a daughter of Night Of Thunder.

The money came late for Ollie Sangster's Flight, ridden by Ryan Moore - and they made a bold bid for home.

But Buick was able to move stylishly into contention going into the dip before pulling away nicely to win by three and a quarter lengths at 5/2.

Betfair and Paddy Power introduced her into the 1000 Guineas betting at 33/1.

Appleby said: "They've done a great job with her because we couldn't get her in the stalls a couple of weeks ago - and when she did eventually go in, she didn't want to come out!

"She's a filly that has obviously got natural ability but is still very raw. William said he was surprised she was able to win today. He sat on her the other day and said he liked her and she was ready to run, but he was surprised how she came into the race.

"I don't want to say anything too bold but she'll appreciate stepping up to a mile, she appreciated the conditions and we might work back from something like the May Hill, but there's water to go under the bridge before then.

"It was a nice performance and there will be marked improvement because she's been so raw at home. It was nice to see her pick up when she met the rising ground and go away, there's a lot of potential there."

Asian Daze (9/1) signed off her career in Europe in the best possible fashion when carrying top weight to victory in the Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa Fillies' Handicap.

Formerly trained by Johnny Murtagh in Ireland, she was bought by Australian handler Gai Waterhouse at the Ascot sale and performed with credit when ninth in the Sandringham.

Sent to fellow Aussie Jane Chapple-Hyam for her swansong on these shores, she battled gamely for Billy Loughnane and held off Lou Lou's Gift by a neck.

"I'm very pleased to be training her for Gai, I'm also one of her owners, so we go back a long way," said Chapple-Hyam.

"I think she'll go into quarantine now before heading to Australia. She'd been training well and we'd been sending reports to Gai every other day."