Continent captures July Cup

Continent and Bahamian Pirate gave trainer David Nicholls a surprise one-two in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket in Britain on Thursday at the expense of Danehurst and Landseer.

Darryll Holland brought the 12-1 Continent with a late run to lead inside the final furlong, and he held his 16-1 stablemate safe by a half-length. Danehurst, the 5-2 favorite, and Landseer, the 7-2 second choice, were third and fourth. The time for the six furlongs on soft ground was 1:13.00.

Continent, a gelded 5-year-old son of Lake Coniston who was starting for the ninth time this year, had been beaten a head by Dominica in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot before finishing fifth behind Malhub in the Golden Jubilee Stakes four days later. Discouraged by the soft going Thursday, Malhub could manage only seventh, beaten 4 1/4 lengths.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien, who had won the last two July Cups with Stravinsky and Mozart, failed to get French 2000 Guineas winner Landseer to cut back from a mile. Both Continent and Bahamian Pirate could run next in the five-furlong Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Aug. 22.

* Queen's Logic, last year's champion 2-year-old filly in Europe, has been retired after suffering a lung infection while preparing for the Sussex Stakes. Undefeated in five starts, Queen's Logic won the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes in her 3-year-old debut but missed the 1000 Guineas with a foot problem and the Irish 1000 with an infection. A Grand Lodge filly trained by Michael Channon for Jaber Abdullah, Queen's Logic earned $288,129, her biggest victory a seven-length rout of Sophisticat in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes last October.