Roy races to Cup shock
Candidato Roy pulled off a big shock at Ascot as he ploughed a lone furrow to take the totesport.com Challenge Cup with a pillar-to-post success for trainer William Haggas and jockey Johnny Murtagh.
The globetrotting Candidato Roy had proved a champion two-year-old in South Africa four years ago when he picked up two Group Ones, but according to Haggas most of his time since arriving in Newmarket has been spent in the equine spa.
These problems had restricted the 50-1 shot to only one previous outing this season but Haggas was full of praise for his charge.
He said: “It was Johnny’s idea to head up the stands rail and fortunately the horse is straightforward, so I agreed.
“You give up so much ground tacking across and I thought, why not?
“I’m thrilled with his performance which has proved he’s a really brave and classy horse.”
“He went wrong in Dubai and it was Mike De Kock who suggested the owners bring him to England. Since arriving at my yard he’s lived in the equine spa.”
Murtagh was completing a 220-1 double having won the Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile on Listen.
He said: “I asked if he could go on his own and William said he could. I’d cantered down before and it looked a lovely fresh strip of ground along the stands fence where no horses had been before.
“Two and a half (furlongs) out I was three lengths in front but the last 100 yards was just pure guts.”
City Leader (9-1) started the bigger priced of Brian Meehan’s two runners in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes but the grey proved much better than stablemate Sharp Nephew.
He arrived with a dream run under Kevin Darley to deny Achill Island and Scintillo and win by three-quarters of a length and a head, in the process earning a 33-1 quote from 40s with the sponsors for the Stan James 2000 Guineas.
The winner was paying a big compliment to his Solario Stakes conqueror Raven’s Pass and Meehan said: “City Leader was still a baby when he ran at Sandown, but was much more of a man today when the extra distance suited him. He goes for the Dewhurst and has obviously done extremely well.”
Perfect Star earned a step into Pattern company abroad when taking the Space Property Rosemary Stakes by two and a half lengths and a short head from Lady Gloria and Contentious.
Clive Cox’s filly was backed down to 4-1 co-favourite and justified that support with an all-the-way triumph under Mick Kinane.
Several rivals came to have a pop at her in the straight but the daughter of Act One revelled in the soft ground.
Cox said: “I am very pleased with her. Mick has given her a great ride. She likes to flow and use her stride and this gives us lots of encouragement for next year.
“Now she’s won a Listed we might have a trip away with her next time.”
Father and son trainers Barry and John Hills dominated the finish to the Miles & Morrison October Stakes as the former’s Miss Lucifer (7-2) caught Diamond Diva under Michael Hills inside the final furlong to win by three-quarters of a length.
Barry Hills said: “She’s finished second five times before this and last time Frankie Dettori thought she didn’t go through with it. They put her up for getting beat but she’s tough and deserved this.”
