Fleeting Spirit wins despite antics

Fleeting Spirit, fourth in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, gained a well-deserved first Group 1 win despite zig-zagging through the final furlong of the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Thursday - the fourth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

Never far off a less-than furious-pace, Fleeting Spirit was taken to the front by jockey Tom Queally passing the quarter-mile pole. The 4-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit then reacted to right-handed whipping by ducking to her left, a feat she repeated in reverse once Queally had moved his whip to the other hand. Despite those antics, she won by 1 1/4 lengths.

Both second-place Main Aim and the fifth home, King's Apostle, were hampered by Fleeting Spirit, but the stewards allowed the result to stand.

South African raider JJ the Jet Plane fared best of a strong overseas contingent, taking third place. The 11-8 favorite Scenic Blast appeared not to handle the undulating course and finished 10th of the 13 runners.

The six-furlong straight turf course was officially rated good to firm, good in places, but the winning time of 1:09.58 was just .07 off the track record despite the lack of a strong early pace.

Fleeting Spirit, trained by Jeremy Noseda, went off at 12-1.