There were two Group I races run overnight in the UK and France with the Group I July Cup (6f) at Newmarket producing a new Group I winner for in form sire Gleneagles, while the Group I Grand Prix de Paris (2400m) at Longchamp was won by a progressive son of Sea the Stars.
The July Cup featured a soldi field of Group I sprinters including Royal Ascot winners Inisherin and Khadeem, plus evergreen Kinross, but it was the Jane Chapple-Hyam trained Mill Stream that took the prize.
Ridden by William Buick, he improved from a third at Royal Ascot in the Group I Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes to score by a neck in a thriller taking his overall record to five wins and five placings from 14 starts.
“Mill Stream ran well at Ascot but we felt he had a bit more to give. Jane and the team convinced me he was a much better horse today and he duly was. That bit of rain we had really suited him and I was always very comfortable. He's so genuine, he really wants it. He puts his head out and it's so well deserved,” said William Buick.
“It's my first July Cup, so I'm absolutely thrilled.”
Mill Stream was purchased for 350,000 guineas at Tattersalls October Book 2 Yearling Sale by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and is raced by Peter Harris.
He is a half-brother to Group II winning sprinter Asymmetric and is from Swirral Edge, a winning half-sister by Hellvelyn to stakes-winner Fashion Queen.
He is the fourth Group I winner for Galileo son Gleneagles, who also sired last week’s German Derby winner Palladium and stands at Coolmore at a fee of €17,500.
The Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp was won by the Andre Fabre trained Sea the Stars colt Sosie, who improved off a third in the French Derby to Look de Vega to win by two lengths under Maxime Guyon beating the Coolmore owned Galileo colt Illinois.
A homebred for Wertheimer & Frere, Sosie is a half-brother to stakes-winners Copie and Anasia and is the best of four winners from stakes-placed Sosia, a half-sister by Shamardal to Group I winner Sortilege from a family that bristles with Champion German stayers including Samum, Schiaparelli, Salve Regina and Sea the Moon.
Sosie is the 22nd Group I winner for Sea the Stars and is his first from a daughter of Shamardal although the nick has produced five SW’s from 22 runners so has produced 22% SW to runner.
