Displaying remarkable consistency for a British sprinter, Les Arcs followed his Royal Ascot Golden Jubilee Stakes victory with a late-running triumph in the $666,000 July Cup at Newmarket on Friday.
A gelded 6-year-old Maryland-bred son of Super Derby winner Arch, Les Arcs is the first British-trained sprinter to win two consecutive Group 1 sprints since 2003, when Oasis Dream won the July Cup and the Nunthorpe Stakes.
Kieren Fallon on Thursday lost his appeal to have his jockey's license reinstated in Britain. Following a hearing Wednesday evening, the appeal board of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority ruled on Thursday morning that it was upholding the authority's original decision to suspend Fallon after he was charged last week with conspiracy to defraud through race fixing.
Strategic Prince overturned the juvenile form of Royal Ascot's Norfolk Stakes on Thursday as he stormed clear to take the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket.
Strategic Prince had finished fifth, seven lengths behind the
victorious Dutch Art, in the Norfolk. Sent off at 16-1 in the six-furlong July Stakes, he went from last to first for a 1 3/4-length victory over the 50-1 Armigerent. The Norfolk runner-up and odds-on July favorite, Hoh Mike, failed to find another gear and finished seventh of nine, nine lengths behind the winner.
Kieren Fallon on Thursday lost his appeal to have his jockey's license reinstated in Britain. Following a hearing Wedneday evening, the appeal board of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority ruled on Thursday morning that it was upholding its original decision to suspend Fallon after he was charged last week with conspiracy to defraud through race fixing.
With Kerrin McEvoy riding, Rajeem scored a 50-1 upset at Newmarket on Wednesday in the Group 1, $370,000 Falmouth Stakes.
McEvoy and Rajeem prompted the pedestrian pace of Nasheej before sprinting to the lead approaching the quarter pole. They then repelled the challenge of the recent Coronation Stakes winner, Nannina, and strode off to a three-quarter-length victory in the filly and mare mile. Peeress made a bid but finished an outpaced fourth, while the 6-5 favorite, Soviet Song, could manage only fifth after winning the Falmouth's two previous runnings.
Year two of the Grand Prix de Paris at its new distance of 1 1/2 miles could produce a second foreign-trained winner, as British invader Red Rocks looks to spoil Longchamp's Bastille Day celebrations in the Group 1, $639,000 contest.
By English and Irish Derby winner Galileo, Red Rocks is coming off a game second-place finish in the 1 1/2-mile Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes.
Art Deco cannot be discounted. Winner of the Group 3 Dee Stakes at Chester, he was only a length behind the victorious Darsi when fourth last time in the 1 5/16-mile French Derby.
Kerrin McEvoy tricked Jimmy Fortune, Michael Kinane, and Jamie Spencer into defeat aboard the favorites at Newmarket on Wednesday as he guided Rajeem to a 50-1 upset of the Group 1, $370,000 Falmouth Stakes. McEvoy and Rajeem prompted the pedestrian pace of Nasheej before sprinting to the lead approaching the quarter pole. They then repelled the challenge of recent Coronation Stakes winner Nannina, ridden by Fortune, and strode off to a three-quarter-length victory in the filly and mare mile.
Soviet Song defends her two-time Falmouth Stakes title on Wednesday, opening day of Newmarket's three-day July Meeting, against fellow Group 1 winners Peeress and Nannina in the $368,000 mile for fillies and mares.
Trained by James Fanshawe, Soviet Song was perhaps the most impressive of all Royal Ascot winners last month when she cruised to victory in the Group 2 Windsor Forest Stakes. First run in 1911, the Falmouth has never been won by any filly or mare three times. Sonic Lady also won it twice in a row, in 1986 and 1987.