Group 1 July Cup report and free video replay | Shaquille slam dunks July Cup rivals

The son of Charm Spirit won the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot despite missing the start by about five lengths, and while he didn't lose quite as much ground on the July Course he was still on the back foot early on.

With Oisin Murphy suspended Rossa Ryan took the ride and before halfway Shaquille had forced his new pilot to let him go forward, to the extent that he was soon challenging the front-running Art Power for the lead.

After such an exaggerated move observers will have wondered if he would get home but he powered down the Newmarket undulations for a decisive victory, having a length and a half in hand of runner-up Run To Freedom at the line.

Kinross was a further short head behind in third and Art Power kept going for fourth.

The three-year-old Shaquille is dominating the sprinting landscape now and Paddy Power cut him to 7/4 from 5/1 for the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock in September.

Shaquille had given his Yorkshire-based team of Camacho and her husband Steve Brown their first Group One victory at Ascot and his trainer said aftewards: “Why does he keep doing everything wrong?! I just wish he’d do things right. He was keen, wasn’t he. I’m at a loss for words!”

Having become the first female trainer to break the £1million mark in prize-money in a season, Camachco composed herself thereafter and added: “It is brilliant. It is not as if it is an overnight success.

“We have been at it a long time. It is just nice that people in the north can have a bit of success, because there are some really good trainers in the north and if we can get the ammunition, we can do well with them.

“We will probably go to Haydock, although we will put him in at Deauville (Prix Maurice de Gheest).

“Steve will discuss it with Martin (Hughes, joint-owner). I’m only a very small part. Steve plays a bigger part than I do.”

She added: “I was wondering what he was doing after the stalls opened. He came on pretty keen and he did at Ascot, which isn’t ideal.

“I keep saying I wish he’d do everything right. He drives us mad.

“I think since we are beating the older horses, this was better than Ascot. We were confident the horse was fit and well and he was in good form, but then we are taking on the older horses, aren’t we?”

Brown said: “It was pretty breathtaking. I thought he’d done it all wrong today, slowly away. Oisin was quiet with him at Ascot, but Rossa chose to get close to the pace early and I thought we were doing too much from a fair way out, but to pick up from that you have to say he is a special athlete.

“He seems to be fluffing his lines a bit at the start. We hoped Ascot was an exception, but he’s getting something in his mind – it’s possibly the rug.

“We hope it doesn’t prevent him being successful going forward.”

Blinder

Henry Candy, trainer of runner-up Run To Freedom, said: “He’s a very able horse and we knew he could do that, he showed it at Salisbury and when second behind Kinross in the Champions Sprint last year. You can never quite rely on him, which is why he starts at these ridiculous prices, but the ability is there.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was able to win one before the end of the year. We’ll go to Haydock and we’ll go to Ascot in October.”

Trevor Whelan, rider of Run To Freedom, said: “It was a good run and he ran a blinder to be fair. I think the winner is something special so he’s done really well.”

Ralph Beckett, trainer of third-placed Kinross (4/1), said: “I’m delighted with him. It’s a shame we didn’t get second but that’s life and Run To Freedom is a very good horse. I’m really pleased, it’s a shade on the easy side for him going six here. He’ll go to Goodwood and then probably York and Longchamp and then Ascot.”

Timeform View: David Cleary

Just eight runners went to post for the Pertemps Network July Cup, but they were a representative bunch of sprinters, with little to choose on form between the quartet at the head of the market, the Commonwealth Cup first and second Shaquille and Little Big Bear, the Champions Sprint Stakes winner Kinross and the highly progressive Azure Blue, successful on her last four outings.

It was Shaquille who emerged victorious. He didn't miss the start so badly as at Royal Ascot, and his exuberance, in a race where plenty didn't settle, took him to the front soon after halfway. It was clear with two to run that Shaquille had most of his rivals in trouble, unless his early exertions took their toll. They didn't, and he ran out a clear-cut winner, if value for no more than his winning margin.

As it turned out, the race didn't quite add up to the sum of its parts. Little Big Bear, who'd had an interrupted preparation, trailed home last, already on the retreat when completely squeezed out under two furlongs out; Azure Blue didn't give her running either, racing a bit too much choke out and tying up in the final furlong.

Kinross fared better, looking the biggest threat to the winner, though as at Ascot, he didn't finish his race so well as he might, leaving the impression he's not yet fully firing. He was run out of second near the line by Run To Freedom, who he'd beaten comprehensively at Ascot last October. All in all, it seems likely that the winner has had to show little or no improvement on what he achieved at Royal Ascot.

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.