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DARLEY JULY CUP
13th July 2007

Superb Sakhee’s Secret Scorches to Darley July Cup Joy 13/07/07

Three-year-old Sakhee’s Secret took the Darley July Cup with a brilliant display in what was his first ever Group race.

A Listed winner at Salisbury on his last start, he showed dazzling toe to scorch home by half-a-length from Dutch Art. The win was trainer Hughie Morrison’s second in Europe’s richest sprint race inside two years – Pastoral Pursuits was victorious in 2005 on the July Course.

Morrison said: “You can never quite believe that they are that good when they have only won at Listed race level. It is quite a performance to go up four grades. Steve (Drowne) said he had to take a pull after 100 yards – the horse has got much so much toe. Then 100 yards out, he was worried before the horse ran on again.

“It is a fantastic team effort. Everyone has worked incredibly hard. Bob Mottram rides him out every day. He also rode Dayjur and Pastoral Pursuits and is incredibly dedicated.

“The horse is in everything – the Nunthorpe and he will be put in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock. The speed he shows you would not be frightened coming back to five. I would not be frightened about going seven furlongs. I need to watch the race again properly. But he has had a very hard race and perhaps we ought to give him a holiday.

“There will come a point when the horse goes to stud. He is an exceptional horse with a great temperament and is good looking. He has speed and stamina in his pedigree – a great mix for people. I suppose the phone won’t stop ringing.”

“The owner Miss Swire is a big supporter of British racing. She has been half-paralysed since she was very young and finds it hard to get out and about. But she was watching at home with Toby Balding. This is a brilliant result for her.”

Winning jockey Steve Drowne said: “He is up there with the best if not the best I have ridden. He is very strong and will only get better. The others in the race were all veterans – this was his first skirmish.

"It was lovely. He gave me a great ride and he's done everything for me. I think he'll improve again for this and get even better.

"He just had to wait for a gap. He's travelled but when you've got a horse under you like this you've got the engine to get in the holes and he did everything for me.

"I've always had a lot of faith that he's got the ability. He's just a three-year-old and he's an inexperienced three-year-old. He's a youngster and luckily enough he had the guns for them He's alright isn't he. He's as good as I've ridden."

CHAPPLE-HYAM LEFT TO WONDER - HILLS SATISFIED

Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam was left wondering what might have been after Dutch Art went down by half-a-length to Sakhee’s Secret in the Group One Darley July Cup.

The Newmarket handler said of the 5/1 chance: “I don’t know what happened.

“Jimmy (Fortune) said he got squeezed out and then the horse has finished like a train.

“I think we may look at the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville for him now.”

A further length and a quarter back in third was Red Clubs and his trainer Barry Hills was very satisfied.

The Lambourn trainer said: “He has run a good race and is a very consistent horse.

“At the end of this season, he is off to the Tally-Ho Stud (Co Westmeath, Ireland) and before that his programme will hopefully be York (Nunthorpe Stakes), Haydock (Betfred Sprint Cup) and Longchamp (Prix de l’Abbaye) - he is up to it.

“The winner is a good horse and so is the second. We have come out of the race as the best older horse.

“I thought we might win a furlong out.”

BENTLEY BISCUIT MAY STAY FOR BETFRED SPRINT CUP

Australian raider Bentley Biscuit, who finished 10th under Ryan Moore in the Darley July Cup, may stay in Europe for another couple of months after running well for a long way.

His trainer Gai Waterhouse said: “I couldn’t have been happier with Bentley Biscuit. Ryan said he ran an enormous race and he would love to ride him at Haydock or beforehand.

“He said he thought he was on the winner before the horse blew up in the closing stages and was just feeling the ground a little bit.

“Bentley Biscuit is booked to go back to Australia, going into quarantine on August 4, but we might change our plans.

“I am going to have discussions with Mr Mooratoff (joint owner with the trainer) shortly.”

The Haydock Park race is the six-furlong Betfred Sprint Cup on September 8.

Another overseas challenger, the South African-trained Drayton, was a place behind in 11th after leading for a significant portion of the race.

His rider Weichong Marwing commented: “He travelled really well until I had to apply real pressure when he was just flat footed.

“He hasn’t won for a while and may be lacking in a bit of confidence at the moment.”

DARLEY JULY CUP
Class 1, Group 1, £375,000 guaranteed, 6f, for 3-y-o+; Weights: 3-y-o colts and geldings 8st 13lb; fillies 8st 10lb; 4-y-o+ colts and geldings 9st 5lb; fillies 9st 2lb; Weight for age: 3 from 4-y-o+ 6lb; Entries: 71 pay £925; 1st forfeit: 54 pay £1,000; Confirmed: 31 pay £800; Penalty value 1st: £212,925; 2nd: £80,700; 3rd: £40,387.50; 4th: £20,137.50; 5th: £10,087.50; 6th: £5,062.50

1 SAKHEE'S SECRET (Bridget Swire) Hughie Morrison 3-8-13 Steve Drowne [16] 9/2
2 DUTCH ART (Susan Roy And Cheveley Park Stud) Peter Chapple-Hyam 3-8-13 Jimmy Fortune [11] 5/1
3 RED CLUBS (Ronnie Arculli) Barry Hills 4-9-05 Michael Hills [7] 16/1
4 MARCHAND D'OR (Mme J Giral) Freddie Head FR 4-9-05 Davy Bonilla [1]
5 DANDY MAN (HRH Princess Haya Of Jordan) Tracey Collins IRE 4-9-05 Pat Shanahan [9]
6 ASSET (Highclere Thoroughbred Racing XXVI) Richard Hannon 4-9-05 Richard Hughes [5] 4/1F
7 BORDERLESCOTT (Border Rail & Plant Ltd) Robin Bastiman 5-9-05 Royston Ffrench [18]
8 HELLVELYN (HE Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed) Bryan Smart 3-8-13 Ted Durcan [4]
9 MUTAWAAJID (Hussain Nasser Abdullah Lootah) Mick Channon 4-9-05 Hugh Bowman [3]
10 BENTLEY BISCUIT (Gai Waterhouse) Gai Waterhouse AUS 6-9-05 Ryan Moore [8]
11 DRAYTON (Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa & Club ISM) Mike De Kock RSA 3-8-13 Weichong Marwing [13]
12 AMADEUS WOLF (Duddy McDonald Heeney Irish National Stud) Kevin Ryan 4-9-05 Neil Callan [20]
13 PRIME DEFENDER (S Falle, M Franklin, J Sumsion) Barry Hills 3-8-13 Richard Hills [19]
14 ELECTRIC BEAT (Rennstall Directa) Andreas Lowe GER 4-9-05 Andreas Helfenbein [14]
15 RISING SHADOW (G Morrill) David Barron 6-9-05 Jimmy Quinn [10]
16 QUITO (Michael Hill) David Chapman 10-9-05 Philip Robinson [6]
17 BALTHAZAAR'S GIFT (Ryder Racing Ltd) Luca Cumani 4-9-05 Michael Kinane [2]
18 SANDER CAMILLO (Sir Robert Ogden) Jeremy Noseda 3-8-10 Seb Sanders [17]

18 ran
Distances: 1/2, 1 1/4, nk, 1/2, sh, 1, 1/2, sh, sh, 1/2, sh, 1 3/4, 1 3/4, 2, 3/4, 3/4, 10
Time: 1m 10.77s
Non-runners: Bygone Days (ground), Soldier’s Tale (ground)
Unplaced Favourite: 4/1 Asset (6th)
Breeder: Bridget Swire
Breeding: ch c Sakhee (USA) - Palace Street (USA) (Secreto (USA))
Totes: Win: £7.00; Places: £3.30, £2.60, £5.00; Exacta: £22.50

Winning Trainer:-Name: Morrison, Hughie Date of Birth: 7/11/60 Based: East Illsley, Berkshire Date of First Licence: 1997. Had five point-to-point wins and previously assistant to Paul Cole for two years. Major Jumps Wins: William Hill National Hunt Chase (2002 Frenchman’s Creek), Ladbroke Hurdle (2001 Marble Arch) Major Flat Wins Include: Darley July Cup (2005 Pastoral Pursuits - first Group One winner, 2007 Sakhee’s Secret), City & Suburban Handicap (2002 Salim Toto), Vodafone Rated Stakes (2002 Salim Toto), Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap (2003 Waverley), Hong Kong Jockey Club Sprint (2004 Baltic King), Prix Kergorlay (2005 Alcazar), Prix Royal Oak (2005 Alcazar), Sagaro Stakes (2003, 2005 Alcazar), Sirenia Stakes (2003 Pastoral Pursuits) Wins on Flat 2002-06: 28; 46; 34; 43; 46 Horses in training (2003-2007): 65; 73; 92; 76; 84 Wins in 2007: 24

Winning jockey:-Name: Drowne, Steven Born: December 10, 1971 Based at Hungerford, Berkshire. Previously tutored at the British Racing School, a short period with Chuck Spares, and two years apiece with Richard Holder and Ron Hodges. Riding Weight: 8st 2lb First Winner: Sigwell’s Gold, Chepstow September 15, 1990 Race Wins Include: Cambridgeshire (2005, Blue Monday), Cheveley Park Stakes (Queen’s Logic 2001); Coventry Stakes (CD Europe 2000); Darley Stakes (2004 Autumn Glory); Darley July Cup (2007 Sakhee’s Secret); Fred Darling Stakes (Queen’s Logic 2002); Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial (2006 Blue Monday); Golden Jubilee Stakes (Harmonic Way 2001); La Coupe (2006 Blue Monday); Lowther Stakes (Queen’s Logic 2001); Maurice Lacroix-Trophy (2002 Checkit); Mill Reef Stakes (2002 Zafeen); Moyglare Stud Stakes (2002 Mail The Desert (first win in Ireland); Ormonde Stakes (2006 The Whistling Teal); Palace House Stakes (2005 Avonbridge); Prix de l’Abbaye (2003 Patavellian, 2005 Avonbridge); Queen Mary Stakes (Queen’s Logic 2001); William Hill Trophy (2006 Prince Tamino); Zetland Gold Cup (2005 Blue Monday) Winners (1995 to 2006): 25; 43; 57; 25; 36; 36; 80; 104; 108; 99; 90; 83 Wins in 2007: 43