Harry Angel gains revenge by winning Darley July Cup at Newmarket

The three-year-old, part of Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin team and trained by Clive Cox, was expertly ridden by Adam Kirby who brought his mount home ahead of last year’s winner Limato in second, with Brando in third.

Aiden O’Brien’s Caravaggio, who beat Harry Angel in June’s Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, finished fourth.

Harry Angel made a solid start and tracked Caravaggio’s pacemaker Intelligence Cross in the early parts of the race but refused to get into a battle. That was until Kirby moved his mount to the front by taking the lead in the final furlongs.

Limato, last year’s July Cup winner, had looked a serious threat as he angled inside Intelligence Cross to make his bid for glory, but Harry Angel found more and was a good length and a quarter winner from the challenger in second.

Caravaggio, ridden by Ryan Moore, went into the race as heavy favourite on the back of an unbeaten record of six wins out six, however having been sluggish out of the stalls and starting slowly, was never able to land a blow and was always more than the two lengths behind as he lost his unbeaten record.

Speaking afterwards, trainer Cox, who was winning his second July Cup, said: “We’re so glad. This is what it’s all about.

“Although he was beaten at Royal Ascot, and Adam was disappointed, the look in the horse’s eye said: ‘right, I’m getting the hang of this now’. So I was very confident today.

” He’s so exciting that I’ve not needed to have an alarm clock since I’ve had him.

“It’s great for Adam, who’s been with us a long time. I’m over the moon.”

Elsewhere on the card at Newmarket, the O’Brien and Moore combination did enjoy some success when Gustav Klimt came first in the bet365 Superlative Stakes.

Victory was only by the margin of a head from Nebo in second and Great Prospector in third a further length back.

Clifford Lee bagged his 50th and biggest winner yet as Above The Rest lived up to his name when winning the bet365 Bunbury Cup.

Above The Rest wore down Godolphin’s Steady Pace inside the final furlong and held off the similarly late challenge of Sir Dancealot in second to take the honours.

Jockey Sean Levey and trainer Richard Hannon combined as Medahim took out bet365 Mile Handicap.

The win by a length and a half was as conclusive as it sounds, from Masham Star in second and Maths Prize in third a similar distance back.