Newly married Muscutt celebrates with first Group win on Deauville Legend

Thursday: Newmarket

Just five days after his wedding, jockey Danny Muscutt enjoyed another landmark date when registering his first ever Group win in the Bahrain Trophy.

Many racegoers missed the first race of the July festival due to heavy traffic problems but those of the 10,500 crowd who made it in time for the second were treated to a grandstand finish in which Muscutt's mount Deauville Legend prevailed.

The Group 3 victory was a first of the season at that level for winning trainer James Ferguson, who was gaining some compensation for seeing the son of Sea The Stars finish a close second in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot last month.

Off a strong pace set by Al Qareem, Deauville Legend sat third before striking for home in the Dip and doing just enough to deny the rallying front-runner and Walk Of Stars close home.

Muscutt said: "It's been a remarkable couple of days, first getting married and now registering my first Group winner, and I'm delighted it's for James as he's been a big supporter of mine over the past couple of years."

As he is a gelding, Deauville Legend cannot follow the usual path from the July course to Doncaster for the St Leger, but is entered for the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York next month for which he was cut to 10-1 (from 14-1) by Paddy Power.

Yibir bounces back in style

Yibir sent his career earnings sailing past the £3.1 million mark with a dominant victory in the Group 2 Princess of Wales's Close Brothers Stakes, and the frequent flyer is set to earn another stamp in his passport with a Grade 1 target in the United States next on his agenda.

Winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Turf, Yibir has been a beaten favourite in three runs this year but he always looked likely to pick up the leaders on this occasion as he made his move from the rear.

He hit the line two and a quarter lengths clear of Living Legend in second with stablemate Global Storm a further neck away in third.

Yibir: Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes is next on his agendaCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

"If he's got pace to run at he's a different animal," said winning trainer Charlie Appleby. "He's a big unit and he needs a gallop. If you take a pull on him he starts to get a bit disorganised. It was a lovely ride from William Buick."

The faster the ground the better for Yibir, one of the reasons why three of his last six runs have come in the US, and Appleby has already pencilled in a trip to New York next month.

"Hopefully now we'll head to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes and work away from there," said the trainer.

Appleby and Buick completed a double when Noble Dynasty returned from a 250-day absence to land the mile handicap.

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