Quddwah© Photo Healy Racing
Quddwah gained some compensation following his enforced absence from Royal Ascot by extending his unbeaten record in the Anne Cowley Memorial Summer Mile.
A winner on his first two starts at Salisbury and Newmarket last season, the Kingman colt successfully stepped up to Listed class after almost a year on the sidelines when landing the Paradise Stakes on Royal Ascot Trials Day in early May.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s charge was all set to return to the Berkshire circuit for the Queen Anne Stakes before an unsatisfactory blood test scuppered his participation.
And given the second and third from the Paradise Stakes, Docklands and Maljoom, went on to occupy the same finishing positions at the royal meeting, connections of Quddwah can be forgiven for wondering what might have been.
The four-year-old was a 5-4 favourite for his belated return to Ascot in this Group Two contest and Callum Shepherd cut a confident figure in the saddle as he rounded the home turn in behind the pacesetting pair of Bolster and Embesto.
Once asked to fully extend, Quddwah picked up smartly to grab the lead and he stuck to his guns late on to score by half a length from the staying-on Ancient Rome.
Ed Crisford said: “He never does much in front and is still a bit immature, but he’s learning to race now and he’s got tons of ability.
“He travels extremely well and put the race to bed pretty quickly really and was always doing enough in front, even though he idles a bit.
“I think there’s plenty more to come; he’s unbeaten, he’s only had four runs in his life and I think a stronger pace will suit him.”
Paddy Power cut the winner to 10-1 from 20-1 for the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on July 31, although Crisford raised a trip to France as a potential alternative.
“We’ll have to see what Sheikh Ahmed (owner) wants, but he’s in the Prix Jacques le Marois as well and that is an option,” he added.
Shepherd was impressed by the performance, telling Sky Sports Racing: “He’s got that stargazing sort of head carriage, but I never felt vulnerable up to the line, which is a good feeling as a rider.
“I feel if he’d been given a real challenge late on, he’d have responded to it, but he did everything right. He was probably handier than he’s been in some races in the past, but he makes it very simple for his rider and he’s a top-notch horse.”
