3 minute read
Callum Shepherd enjoyed a timely Group 2 victory when Quddwah maintained his unbeaten record in the Summer Mile Stakes at Ascot.
The winning rider got the news that his first Royal Ascot winner and Bahrain Triple Crown hero Isle Of Jura was ruled out for the rest of the season this morning and also suffered a nasty fall onboard Magnum Opus at the same venue yesterday.
However, Shepherd, who was also controversially jocked off the live Epsom Derby candidate Ambiente Friendly in the lead-up to the contest, showed his resilience to steer the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Quddwah to victory in the Group 2 Summer Mile Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
The son of Kingman travelled strongly throughout the mile contest and stayed on well in the closing stages to fend off the rallying Ancient Rome by half a length.
Embesto finished back in third for Roger Varian and Ray Dawson, but neither really looked like laying a glove on the 5/4 winner, who was cut to 10/1 (from 20s) for the Sussex Stakes by Paddy Power.
It was a fourth-straight success for the unbeaten four-year-old after the Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned colt landed the Paradise Stakes on Ascot Trials Day in May. A setback meant he was unable to contend the Queen Anne Stakes at the royal meeting, but a tilt at Group 1 company will surely be on the cards.
"He's got that stargazing sort of head carriage, but I never felt vulnerable up to the line, which is a good feeling as a rider," said Shepherd on Sky Sports Racing.
"I feel if he'd been given a real challenge late on, he'd have responded to it, but he did everything right. He was probably handier than he's been in some races in the past, but he makes it very simple for his rider and he's a top-notch horse."
Speaking to Racing and Sports from Newmarket, co-trainer Ed Crisford said: "It was a very pleasing run and he's stepped up to Group 2 company well. He travelled really really well and when he hit the front, he was just idling a bit, so I'll put that down to greenness on what was only his fourth run."
He added: "He's a lovely horse. He's in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and the Prix Jacque le Marois is also an option."
