Al Musmak rediscovers top form to strike at Newmarket

Useful juvenile returned to winning ways in Sir Henry Cecil Stakes.

Al Musmak got his career back on track with a clear-cut victory in the Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket.

Six runners went to post for the one-mile Listed contest, with John and Thady Gosden’s impressive York scorer Lead Artist all the rage to follow up as the 6-4 favourite.

Al Musmak had shown himself to be a smart colt as a juvenile, winning in Listed company at Haydock and finishing second to Ghostwriter in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes.

However, he failed to beat a single rival on his return in the Dante at York and his latest effort when seventh in the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot was not much of an improvement.

Stepping back in trip from a mile and a quarter to a straight mile, Roger Varian’s charge was an 11-2 shot in the hands of Silvestre de Sousa and dug deep in the heat of battle to beat Australian raider Kitty Rose by two and a quarter lengths, with Lead Artist back in third.

Varian said: “He ran poorly in the Dante in May, but I didn’t think he ran too badly at Ascot in a very hot Hampton Court Stakes.

“He didn’t quite get home and after that we were always going to come back to a mile. He’s really enjoyed the conditions out there, the race set up nicely and he was strong at the finish, so we are delighted to get him back on track.

“Just looking around, unless he stopped, I didn’t think much was coming back at him. The last furlong was a good watch.

“We’ll stay at this trip now and natural progression could be the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood and we will see how he progresses in the autumn.

“He has some really strong juvenile form and even chased home Rosallion in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot. He won a quite strong Ascendant Stakes at Haydock and then finished second in the Royal Lodge.

“Obviously we were disappointed with his first two starts this year and we thought it was the right thing to stretch him out to a mile and a quarter.

“It wasn’t, but back to a mile suited today. We never thought he wasn’t the same horse, it has maybe just taken a run or two to work out what we are doing.”

Sergeant Wilko (left) on his way to victory at Newmarket
Sergeant Wilko (left) on his way to victory at Newmarket (Joe Giddens/PA)

Sergeant Wilko continued his rise through the sprinting ranks with victory in the Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap under Oisin Murphy.

A winner at Newcastle in March and Leicester in May, Kevin Ryan’s progressive speedster was a 6-1 shot to plunder this GBP 100,000 contest and after racing on the speed from flag-fall, he found plenty for pressure to score by a length from Moswaat.

“He was lovely and relaxed in front, he’s the type of horse that you always think is going a stride too quick but he’s always half backing off the bridle,” said Ryan.

“He’s always going to grind it out, he likes to do it that way. We’ll see where we go, the ground is important to him and Oisin has given him a fantastic ride.

“The plan was always to come here and hope he gets the ground, the next plan is to go to the Stewards’ Cup (at Goodwood), but we will mind him on the ground.”

Murphy, who also hit the target on Giavellotto in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes, completed a treble when Sterling Knight just got the nod in a three-way photo-finish for the closing Blandford Bloodstock Handicap.

The July Festival 2024 – Ladies Day – Newmarket Racecourse
Sterling Knight ridden by Oisin Murphy (right) on their way to winning (Joe Giddens/PA).

Ed Dunlop’s 7-1 chance had just a short head to spare over Tempus, with Twirling a further head back in third.

Murphy said: “The horse is trying a mile, the pace wasn’t that hot for a furlong or so, which helped him. He enjoyed the conditions and he’s in great form.

“It’s a hard place to ride winners and I’d only had one winner from so many rides here so far this year, so I needed to get going here.”

Magic Mild (15-2) opened her account at the third attempt in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes for trainer Clive Cox and jockey Rossa Ryan.

Third on her Newmarket debut before finishing down the field in the Marygate at York, the daughter of Havana Grey bounced back with a one-and-a-half-length success.

“I don’t really know what happened in the Marygate. She just got a little bit upset going across the track that day at a stage where we were still learning about her,” said Cox.

“It was a way-below-par performance but she was far more at home here today. She has been super at home and really came to herself the last couple of weeks. Hopefully we can look forward to more progress from here as well.

“I would hope we can look forward to some nice days with her.”

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