SPEAR PUTS RIVALS TO THE SWORD TO END GROUP ONE HOODOO

The David Simcock-trained Lightning Spear powered to an impressive victory in the G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes under Oisin Murphy, to end his Group One hoodoo. Lightning Spear had run in G1 company 15 times before today, with notable efforts including a short-head second to Rhododendron in the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May, 2018. The seven-year-old son of Pivotal, a dual winner of the G2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood (2016 & 2017), travelled smoothly in fourth in today’s mile contest and once finding room in the home straight, quickened up smartly beating the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Expert Eye (4/1) and Lord Glitters (10/1) by one and a half lengths and half a length .

Simcock, who has also enjoyed Classic success this year with Teppal in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp, France, was effusive in his praise of the seven-year-old entire’s performance. The Newmarket handler said: “I’m delighted with Lightning Spear. He looked good today, quickened well and travelled well – he did everything properly. Oisin has grown up with the horse, he is a very confident jockey and he was very patient waiting for the gap today. Sheikh Fahad loves this horse and he will be absolutely delighted. Oisin had no instructions. Sit where you land and do your own thing.”

The John Gosden-trained 7/4 favourite Without Parole finished a disappointing seventh of the eight runners. The three-year-old son of Frankel was forced to make much of the running under Andrea Atzeni in the mile feature and was unable to repel an array of challengers in the home straight, eventually trailing home in seventh. Andrea Atzeni, said: “The race wasn’t really run to suit for me as I was forced to make most of my own running and when the field came to me, he tried to get involved, but he just couldn’t quite go with them.” Gosden added: “It was a slowly run race and not his day.”

Lightning Spear would join the Qatar Bloodstock roster of stallions at his Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire when he is done with racing.