Muhaarar edges Tropics in July Cup thriller

Meeting the older generation of sprinters for the first time in Newmarket's

July Cup (Eng-G1) on Saturday, Muhaarar (Oasis Dream) left his supporters

sweating until the last possible moment but ultimately showed all his class to

prevail from the valiant veteran Tropics (Speightstown) in a thriller.

Sent off the 2-1 joint-favorite alongside the ultimately disappointing Brazen

Beau (I Am Invincible), the bay who had stormed to an impressive success in the

inaugural running of Royal Ascot's Commonwealth Cup (Eng-G1) was free early

under restraint from Paul Hanagan despite the blistering pace. Looking held as

Tropics opened up a two-length advantage inside the last quarter-mile, Sheikh

Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's homebred kept responding to narrow the deficit

and it was only in the last thrust of his head that he managed to pass the

seven-year-old and win by a nose.

"He just didn't really handle the track and the 'dip' and the only time I

could move on him was when he met the rising ground, but I always thought I was

going to get there," his rider commented.

By the time Muhaarar lined up for the Gimcrack S. (Eng-G2) at York's feature

Ebor meeting in August, the bay was beginning to look a touch exposed and his

7-1 odds for that six-furlong contest were probably fair but he upped his game

to score by a nose on his fourth start. Previously, he had finished third in

this track's July S. (Eng-G2) also over six and in the seven-furlong Winkfield

S. at Ascot later that month but on both occasions he tended to over-race and he

did so again when in the same spot under front-running tactics in the Middle

Park S. (Eng-G1) on the Rowley Mile on Future Champions Day in October.

Anchored by Frankie Dettori on his comeback in Newbury's Greenham S.

(Eng-G3), Muhaarar showed what a winter's development can do by overpowering the

same owner's Estidhkaar (Dark Angel) in a classy renewal of that longstanding

seven-furlong Guineas trial April 18. Sent to Longchamp instead of Newmarket to

contest the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1), he received a horror wide draw

and managed eighth in that May 10 mile classic before being sent back to this

trip for the Commonwealth Cup. Under the radar there at 10-1, he made a mockery

of those odds by overwhelming a collection of seemingly top-class sprinting

sophomores and duly arrived here the shortest price he had been for a race since

the Winkfield 12 months previously.

Held on to by Hanagan as Tropics and the habitual front-runner Astaire

(Intense Focus) shared the pace-setting duties clocking sub 11-second splits

just ahead of him, he only began to look remotely comfortable passing the

furlong pole once the track's infamous "dip' had been traversed. As Tropics

started to pay for his exertions, Muhaarar was able to use his stride to full

effect and make up a length in the final 100 yards.

"He's a real fighter and he battled right to the line," trainer Charlie Hills

said. "It'll be the Prix Maurice de Gheest ([Fr-G1] at Deauville August 9) next

and then the (September 5) Haydock Sprint Cup (Eng-G1) before ending up at Ascot

for the (October 17) British Champions Sprint (Eng-G1). He's just a very good

horse."

Off the mark over five furlongs at Doncaster May 2, Birchwood (Dark Angel)

had Godolphin's eye when going on to take Newbury's valuable Olympic Glory

Conditions S. over an extra panel on the Lockinge undercard a fortnight later

and was in the royal blue by the time he made his black-type bow in the

Rochestown S. at Naas at the beginning of June. Only third as the 5-6 favorite

in that six-furlong contest staged on rain-softened ground, the diminutive bay

benefited from a subsequent break and return to lively ground to set a new

juvenile track record in the Superlative S. (Eng-G2) over seven furlongs.

Always near the firing line as the pace proved strong from the outset, he was

sent to the lead passing the three-furlong pole with James Doyle in no doubt as

to his stamina reserves. Despite veering left late on as the favorite Air Vice

Marshal (War Front) tried to close, Birchwood stayed firmly in command once

straightened by a switched whip and hit the line strong to crack the previous

benchmark time.

"He traveled into it really well and put the race to bed nicely and just had

a look late on," his jockey explained. "He has a lot of speed, so six or seven

is fine but this is probably as far as he wants to go at the minute."

Trainer Richard Fahey added, "He just got a bit lonely out in front as it's a

big, open space. We'll speak to John (Ferguson) and see where he goes, but he

has entries in the Gimcrack S. ([Eng-G2] at York August 22) and the Vincent

O'Brien National S. ([Ire-G1] at The Curragh September 13). His mind wasn't on

the job in Ireland, but today he was a gentleman and we're back where we thought

we were with him."

Aidan O'Brien said of Air Vice Marshal, "It was lovely ground and there are

no excuses. He was still a little bit green off the bridle, but he will come on

for the run. We will look to Goodwood and he should progress well for it."

Third place-finisher Tony Curtis' (Rock of Gibraltar) conditioner Richard

Hannon was also delighted with the effort of his representative.

"Hughesie really likes him and he will get a mile," he said. "The horse is

very similar to Toormore (Arakan) and for me, he is the horse to take out of the

race. We will give him a break and look at the Royal Lodge S. ([Eng-G2] at

Newmarket September 26). He is a very good horse, as time goes on he will get

better."

Arod (Teofilo), who ran second in York's Dante S. (Eng-G2) and fourth in

the Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) last term, was rewarded for his persistence when gaining a

belated first black-type score in the Diomed S. (Eng-G3) back at Epsom last out

on June 5, and dominated

Saturday's stiff test in the Summer Mile S. (Eng-G2) to embellish his portfolio with a career-high win.

Sent to the

front to lead at an even tempo from the bell, the four-year-old bay had all his rivals on the

stretch passing the quarter-mile marker and kept on powerfully under mild urging -- as jockey

Andrea Atzeni stole repeated glances at the jumbo screen in the closing stages -- to

easily account for the hitherto unbeaten Lightning Spear (Pivotal) in decisive fashion.

Arod had also run

fifth in last August's Juddmonte International (Eng-G1), and was on the podium in the April

16 Earl of Sefton S. (Eng-G3) at Newmarket and May 16 Lockinge S. (Eng-G1) at Newbury.

"He's improved again and Andrea (Atzeni) said it was slightly easier than at Epsom last time,"

trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam said. "He has to have the ground fast; if it was

good-to-soft I wouldn't have run him.

"We'll see how he is and how he comes out of it, but I can't

duck away forever so we'll have to look at the (July 29) Sussex (S. [Eng-G1] at Goodwood).

Hopefully it will be fast ground and the track will suit him, so that's where we probably

will go. Australia is possible at the end of the year as (owner) Sheikh Fahad has mentioned the

Cox Plate (Aus-G1)."

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