New tactics do the trick for Al Suhail with 'relentless' Challenge Stakes win

A last-minute decision by Charlie Appleby to change tactics with Al Suhail proved a masterstroke as he stormed to a first Group 2 success with an impressive front-running performance in the Challenge Stakes.

The four-year-old bounced out of the stalls on to the far-side rail and surged clear of his rivals once William Buick asked him for his effort in the Dip to score by three and a half lengths from With Thanks, with Chindit a further neck back in third.

"It was a tactic I came up with in the last 24 hours as we've seen him travel so well in his races that you think it's only a matter of him pressing the button, but then he falters," Appleby said.

"There were question marks whether he would get past rivals, so we thought let's make them get past him. I told Will to make his mind up for him and he was relentless. It's always satisfying seeing a horse you have a lot of faith in show their true colours."

A return to Meydan is on the cards for Al Suhail, who could be targeted at the new $300,000 'Jumeirah Series' race on Super Saturday at the Dubai Carnival.

Buick and Appleby doubled up when Siskany scored in the Old Rowley Cup, which was the trainer's 100th winner on the Rowley Mile.

Jet power

A selection of students from the local Newmarket Academy made their annual trip to the Rowley Mile to hand out prizes after the Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes in which Twilight Jet blew away the opposition.

The 2-1 favourite gave Irish trainer Michael O'Callaghan a second win at the track as he gained reward for some recent near-misses on his many trips to Britain.

Twilight Jet and Leigh Roche win the Group 3 Cornwallis StakesCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Ridden by Leigh Roche, Twilight Jet got a lovely tow into the race from his low draw, where he was berthed next to the front-running Freyabella, before striking for home running into the Dip. He had plenty in the tank to see off the Karl Burke-trained pair Illustrating and Guilded.

The winning trainer did not pull any punches afterwards about the talent of his winner, who clocked exactly one minute over the minimum trip.

O'Callaghan said: "He's probably the best two-year-old I've trained and I'm thrilled for the horse as he's run some great races in defeat before this. If he strengthens up over the winter he could make up into a Commonwealth Cup horse next year."

Fast show

Fast Attack lived up to her name when making all the running to land the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes for Simon and Ed Crisford.

The Gainsborough Stables team just missed out with another filly when Flotus finished runner-up in the Cheveley Park Stakes last month and gained some compensation when the daughter of Kodiac held off the attentions of the persistent Allayaali.

The seven-furlong contest was won a year ago by subsequent 1,000 Guineas runner-up Saffron Beach and Fast Attack was handed a quote of 33-1 by Paddy Power for the fillies' Classic back at the track next May.

The winner is joint-owned by Bahraini pair Sheikh Nasser Al Khalifa and Fawzi Nass and their spokesman Oliver St Lawrence said: "Fair play to the team and the change of tactics have worked a treat for Fast Attack. It's great that's she's now won a Group race and hopefully she can make up into a decent filly next year."

Results, replays and analysis

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