Betfair Sprint Cup latest | Mill Stream bids to hit full flow for Marco Ghiani

The affable Italian will bid to continue making the most of the second chance he has received in the saddle since returning to race riding in March after serving a six-month ban for taking cocaine when partnering the Gleneagles colt in the Group One feature.

However, while excited about his latest big race ride the 24-year-old admits that such opportunities would never have arisen had he decided not to venture to Newmarket and instead opted to stay on home soil to take part in a national athletics event.

Ghiani said: “I was a member of a running club called Atletica Oristanto for about 10 years and on a few occasions I was a pacemaker for Lorenzo Patta, who was part of the Italian 4 x 100 metre relay team that won the gold medal at the Olympics in Tokyo.

“I remember there was an athletics championship in north Italy and I had been selected to represent Sardinia in a four-kilometre race, but I chose to come to an open day at the British Racing School in Newmarket instead.

“I got to the point where I started only doing the athletics training once a week and stopped putting as much effort into it as I started becoming more interested in the horses.

“It was pure luck that I came to England. I was looking to become a jockey and in Italy there was no course at the time. I looked at racing schools on the internet and it came up with the one in Newmarket, so I came to the open day and I liked it.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend. I’ve ridden in the King’s Stand Stakes and the Coronation Stakes so riding in a Group One is not new, but Mill Stream is around third favourite where the others were outsiders so it makes things a bit spicier.

“It is quite a big challenge, but I’m ready to take it. It would be like winning at the Olympic games if I won my first Group One on Saturday.”

Having made a winning debut at Doncaster in July 2022 it wasn’t until last month that Mill Stream, who was supplemented at a cost of £20,000 for his next test, finally got his back in front the Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud over six furlongs at Deauville.

And after following up that success over the same course and distance in the Group Three Prix de Meautry three weeks later the Newmarket-based rider expects the Jane Chapple-Hyam trained colt to continue improving now he is learning to settle better. He is currently rated an 11/1 chance by sponsor Betfair.

The 2021 champion apprentice jockey said: “First time out this season in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park he needed the run. He is a big horse, and he probably still needed the outing next time out at York.

“At Newmarket he showed that he was good, but obviously Stuart’s (Williams) horse (Quinault) beat me, but he was carrying a stone and a half less than me.

“He went to France on softer ground next time and won nicely then he improved again the last time and he bolted up.

“I thought he could win at Listed and Group race level, but I didn’t expect him to bolt up twice. I thought he would have to work a bit harder than that.

“I think for a sprinter it is harder to get them to race the right way around. Sometimes they are keen, and they don’t finish off their races.

“At home he was a bit keen, but now he is settling down and he seems more relaxed.

“He is in good order, and he has been much more settled in his last two races in France as he wasn’t over racing in the early stages of those races which has been key to his last two results.”

While now bidding to secure a first Group One the father-of-two saw his world come crashing down after being hit with a six month ban in November, after testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, at Newcastle on August 25 last year.

However, he believes that the time spent away from the saddle has helped him become a much more disciplined individual.

He added: “I knew it was going to be a six-month ban that I was going to get but I got my head around that. It was a stupid mistake, and I was in the wrong environment.

“There is no point beating yourself up and getting depressed as it won’t make anything different. I just stuck at riding out for everyone I could.

“I work hard and trained every day and counted the days until I could come back. I was ready when I needed to be.

“I think in those six months I learned a lot more about discipline and self-control. In a race, maybe before I would let myself follow the emotions, but now I study things before making my moves, so I think in that sense it has made me a better jockey.

“Everyone was really supportive, and no one ran off which was good, I guess. I’ve just pulled my sleeves up to go and get what I wanted again.

“It would mean a lot to get another Group winner for Mr (Peter) Harris (owner) as he has supported me and given me a great opportunity to come back at the top table.

“I would be very happy to ride another Group winner for him, and Jane, and for all her staff for all of the effort they have put in.”

Standing in the way of Mill Stream at the weekend will be the Julie Camacho-trained Shaquille, who has taken the sprinting world by storm with Group One victories in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Pertemps Network July Cup at Newmarket. He is the current 4/5 Favourite with sponsor Betfair.

And although the son of Charm Spirit has conquered all before him on the track this season Ghiani has reasons to be confident that Mill Stream is more than capable of lowering his colours for the first time this campaign.

He added: “Shaquille is always slow out of the gates, but he finds another gear late at the end. My lad jumps out fast and then he finds another gear at the end so it will be very interesting to see what will happen.

“Obviously Shaquille is a Group One winner, and my horse isn’t yet. If they both find their turn of foot, and my lad is a good way in front, and he stays there, it will be interesting to see what Shaquille can do.

“Shaquille is favourite, but my lad has a good chance. He seems in good order and Jane’s horses are running well. I just have a vision in my head and hopefully that can come to life.”

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org