July Cup ace Shaquille has the edge on all European sprinters - and sectionals show how special he is

Shaquille’s remarkable Commonwealth Cup win was one of the talking points of Royal Ascot, although it was a performance memorable more for the style of it than the strength of the form. However, he demonstrated that he was more than value for the success, improving again in the July Cup to earn a Racing Post Rating of 124.

It’s fair to say that the strength of the opposition is again up for debate, with runner-up Run To Freedom (119) exposed as being shy of what is usually required at the top level, and Kinross and Little Big Bear below their best. However, Shaquille is a colt deserving of his Group 1 billing and the sectional times go some way to showing just how good he is.

Shaquille found himself on the back foot after again blowing the start, albeit not to the same extent as at Ascot, before latching on to the field. He raced even more fiercely than at Ascot and pulled his way into disputing the lead with Art Power at the halfway stage. That move came in the midst of back-to-back sub-11-second furlongs run by the leader, so Shaquille ran even faster during that period yet was able to sustain his effort to the line, speaking volumes as to the depth of his ability.