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Topgear rises to the Challenge

French challenger Topgear (3/1 favourite) routed his rivals in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes.

Having just his fourth start for trainer Christopher Head, the five-year-old was the only runner on the bridle two and a half furlongs out and he found plenty to win by a wide margin.

Royal Scotsman ran alone up the stands' side rail and kept on well in second to back-up his win at Epsom.

Quinault was third, one place ahead of Ten Bob Tony who had finished a half-length second to Topgear in a Group Three at ParisLongchamp last month.

Head was at Newmarket and said: "What a win for the stable and what a season for Wootton Bassett (sire). It's incredible to have the luck to train for Mr Saito (owner), he's been confident in the stable since the beginning of this year and I'm so happy to win today for him and I hope we will get many, many other wins across Europe.

"He's really about this distance. We will keep on that and have a strong discussion about next season's programme. When Stephane came in he said 'it's incredible, he's not blowing out a candle'. He's really a very nice horse and I'm happy to see him continue to progress.

"We will have a discussion with the owner to see what he wants to do but this horse can pretty much go anywhere (around the world) and is going to be very interesting."

Head is set to continue his travels when he saddles Ramatuelle at the Breeders' Cup and reported that his filly had come out of Arc weekend in good form.

"She's perfect. What a filly. She came out of the race perfectly and I can't wait to see her back in America. She will travel on October 26 (to get used to the track) but Ramatuelle is smart so everything will be alright."

Dream win for Merrily

Merrily (25/1) came from off the pace to cut down the well-regarded Cathedral in the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes.

The once-raced Cathedral was perfectly positioned in the seven furlong Group Three and took up the running moving well but on her outside the Wayne Lordan-ridden Merrily was moving ominously well.

The Aidan O'Brien trained second string, having her sixth start, joined issue in The Dip and always appeared to have her rival's measure despite Cathedral sticking to her task.

The pair were separated by half a length at the line having pulled three and a quarter lengths clear of the remainder, led by Flight.

Lordan said: "She's a lovely, straightforward filly. She's been running well all year, we just needed to find her day and today was her day.

"She's done everything right. I jumped good and I travelled nice - got a bit of cover - and I eased through, she went forward quite well and I thought we hit the line good. She's a tall filly so I think she's going to improve plenty from two to three."

O’Brien said: “She was very unlucky in Goodwood, she had to kind of jump two or three hurdles up the straight there and Declan (McDonogh) thought she was very unlucky.

“Wayne rode her the last day and thought it all went wrong then for him too, and he didn’t get any cover and she did too much. That’s why she was here.

“She’s a fine, big filly and Wayne gave her a lovely ride today. She won very nicely and I think she is a Guineas filly now, looking at her. It will be interesting as she is a big, rangy filly with lots of class and she handles dig in the ground.

“We can at least train her for a Guineas trial now and see how we go.”

Cathedral’s owner Kia Joorabchian said: “That was a big ask on her second start and her first time on turf. We asked her a big question and she has given it an amazing try.

“She is definitely next year’s filly, but we had to give today a go because she was so well at home and we wanted to give her the experience on here, because she could be a Guineas filly.

“She has done us proud there and she’s picked up with the winner and drawn clear of the third. It was a great run.”

Coto De Caza earns her corn

Coto De Caza (13/2) consigned a disappointing run at Ayr to the history books with a display of speed in the Group Three Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes.

Being drawn on the outside in Scotland did her no favours but Harry Davies got a nice tow into this five furlong contest despite being only one of three runners to race on the stands' side. Coto De Caza pulled right away from those two rivals but hard up against the rail on the other side of the track was Grand Marques and there appeared to be little between the pair.

As the camera angle changed on the approach to the line, it was clear that Coto De Caza had her nose in the front and the winning margin was confirmed as three quarters of a length. Kullazain was almost four lengths away in third.

The winner is trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and the former said: "She's really highly strung and she's difficult, she's not easy and we saw that at Goodwood; she's obviously quite lightly raced for that reason. She wants under-training but then she has a tendency to over-race if she's too fresh so getting the balance right has been difficult but she's got a lot of talent and she was the best filly in the race today.

"We'll see how she winters before making any plans for next year, how she develops physically and, more importantly, how she develops mentally. I don't think we'll be under any pressure to have her ready for any specific race; I think she'll have to open like a flower in the spring to enable us to move forward with her so absolutely no targets.

"She's got a lot of toe, she's quick, she likes to race and I'd be a bit nervy about stepping her up in distance."

One-two for the boys in blues

Verse Of Love (2/1 favourite) made an impressive start to her career when pulling clear of the field to win the Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

Settled just behind the front rank by William Buick, the Siyouni filly sauntered past stablemate Wild Angel to take up the running and ran on strongly to score by five lengths with her ears pricked.

Wild Angel held on for second by three parts of a length from Luna Girl, another who was prominent throughout.

Charlie Appleby, who was winning the race for the fifth time in eight years, said: "We came here with a bit of confidence behind her.

"Her homework has been good, she's a nice scopey filly and has had all the time that's been needed. We've been lucky that we've been busy enough that she's been in third lot there just doing what she needed to do, the last three or four weeks there she's just kept dropping down a lot and she's made her way into first lot and been coming along with some of the fillies which we hope are nice.

"We could have a filly with a future hopefully. William said when he got off 'he couldn't have asked for anything more there, she's had a lovely experience and put her away for the winter and look at a (Guineas) trial in the spring.

"It was handy that they were drawn as close as they were because sometimes when you're on the wing with a draw like that you can be stuck out there but the other filly led a nice, sensible gallop and maintained it herself to finish second. She got a good tow into the race and we saw her class when she hit the rising ground."

Verse Of Love was introduced into the 1000 Guineas betting at 16/1 by Paddy Power.

Sun shines at Newmarket

Sun God (11/2) benefited from a drop in trip in the bet365 Old Rowley Cup Handicap.

Fourth in the Melrose at York over a mile and six last time, jockey David Egan felt his three-year-old was suited by the stronger pace set by older horses over 12 furlongs.

Egan smuggled his charge into the race and Sun God quickened readily when asked to put the race to bed in a matter of strides.

Boba takes Pride

Lady Boba (5/1) boxed on gamely for Rossa Ryan to win the closing Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes.

Without a win during 2024, the Lope De Vega filly had to reverse Yarmouth form from her latest start with a number ot today's rivals but saw off challengers on both sides to claim this Group Three prize by a length from Sound Angela.

Part-owner Andrew Rosen said: “We have always thought highly of her and today she got her ground and the perfect trip and Rossa knows her well – he did a great job on her.

“She ran great at Haydock a couple of times and just didn’t get her ground at Goodwood – and last time also. A little softer going today was perfect for her.

“She is in the Sceptre Sale in December and this is a nice victory to head there on. We have always thought a lot of her and Ralph has always liked her. We were a little disappointed earlier in the year she never got it done, but she has done it now.”

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