Shaquille surges to brilliant July Cup win despite rearing at the start

Trainers Julie Camacho and Steve Brown do not do flamboyant displays, which is just as well because Shaquille has become such a box office performer that anything else would be hopelessly overshadowed by him.

His victory in the July Cup was spectacular. This was as much due to Shaquille seemingly doing everything he could to make it harder for himself as it was for the sheer speed and brilliance he displayed.

Having completely missed the break before his miraculous performance to win the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last time, Shaquille once again reared in the stalls as they opened and trailed the field. But Shaquille does not seem to like trailing behind, so he rapidly caught up and looked ready to bulldoze his way through the other horses to get to the front.

Shaquille (right) rears at the start of the July CupCredit: ITV Racing

Rossa Ryan, riding Shaquille for the first time with Oisin Murphy suspended and James Doyle required to ride at Ascot, had a decision to make. He pointed Shaquille towards open ground and the three-year-old took off, his brain flooded with an overwhelming desire to run as fast as he could.

This would have spelled disaster for most horses but Shaquille is in the habit of showing he is not ordinary. Filling his lungs to capacity as the runners crossed halfway, Shaquille skipped away to score, albeit not before hanging across the course on the final run to the line.

The victory was a first at Group 1 level for Ryan, who was embraced by, among others, his former employer Kia Joorabchian after the race. “I knew you could do it,” Joorabchian said.

“I’m speechless,” Ryan said. “I’ve worked every day for this and I thought it would never come. To get it is something else.”

It was unclear whether Ryan’s feelings were amplified by the manner in which Shaquille had transported him to his Group 1 breakthrough. Whatever the case, the performance clearly left a deep impression on the rider.

“To do what he did in that fashion – to come on the bridle two furlongs out having run like he did – I can’t believe it,” he said. “After he missed the break, I didn’t want to set him alight so I sat for a minute as they hadn’t gone too far away from me.

“I had no option but to go with him in the middle of the race. I was on the heels of the horses behind Ryan [Moore] and William [Buick] and I thought to myself ‘I can’t go this slow any more’, so I pulled him out and he was gone.

“I felt him take a blow at the three marker and could feel him filling up his lungs to go again. James and Oisin filled me with confidence for this as James said his last two furlongs are his best, but it’s still a massive effort. What he’s done is a huge credit to the Camacho team.”

Rossa Ryan celebrates after landing his first Group 1 on ShaquilleCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Shaquille has not become the headline performer he is without the efforts of Camacho, Brown and his groom, Paige Harrison, and they are all coming to realise what a draw he now is.

“Today was the first day it felt a bit different with him,” Brown said. “I could hear people when we were walking around the paddock talking about him and saying how they had come just to see him. That is a special thing when people have paid their money to come along and see your horse.

“I thought he did it all wrong today. Oisin was quiet on him at Ascot, whereas Rossa got him closer to the pace and I was sure he was doing too much. To pick up and win from there like he did – he’s some athlete. We're still trying to get it right with him – but the end result looks good, doesn’t it?”

Camacho revealed they had celebrated their Royal Ascot success by stopping at the services on the way home and buying sandwiches from Marks & Spencer. Brown spoke plenty of sitting down with a cup of tea to watch the replay and make future plans. “We’re not social animals,” he said.

Julie Camacho looks deservedly overjoyed after Shaquille's superb July Cup triumph

Julie Camacho is all smiles after Shaquille's win in the July Cup at NewmarketCredit: Edward Whitaker

What they are, though, are the keepers of an animal with exceptional talent. A high-calibre athlete likely to have his next start in the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock and whose owner-breeder Martin Hughes, who shares the horse with Peter Rawlings and Michael O’Shaughnessy, is determined to bat away any offers for.

“He’s just a star, isn’t he?” Camacho beamed. Five star might be more appropriate.

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