Pastoral ends Morrison's Group One pursuit
Pastoral Pursuits lit up Newmarket on the final afternoon of the July meeting today to give Hughie Morrison and John Egan the thrill of a lifetime in the Darley July Cup.
Neither trainer nor jockey had tasted success at the top level in Britain before, and the Group One victory could not have come at a more appropriate time for Morrison, whose last winner came 27 days ago.
A high-quality field of 19 went to post for this prestigious sprint, but there was no doubting the authority of the winner as Pastoral Pursuits stormed up the hill to see off Avonbridge by a length and a half.
Roger Charlton’s runner-up looked to have slipped the field when bursting clear over two furlongs out, but he was reeled in by the 22-1 winner in the last furlong.
One-time Guineas hope Etlaala ran a blinder, coming home a further length and a half away in third.
With 40-1 shots taking the minor honours, it was left to the progressive Soldier’s Tale, sent off the 4-1 joint favourite, to do best of the fancied horses in fourth.
“We always thought he was a bloody good horse and he proved it today,” said East Ilsley-based Morrison.
“This is my first Group One and it’s immense – it’s unbelievable. I can’t believe it. I have to thank all my staff.
“I haven’t had a winner for four weeks, so I wasn’t exactly confident!”
Pastoral Pursuits has had his problems, including a chipped knee at the end of his juvenile career, but is clearly blossoming with time and made the most of the uphill finish on his first try at six furlongs since last summer.
Slow to come to hand this year, he only made his seasonal bow at Royal Ascot at York when racing over a mile for the first time.
“He didn’t have a hard race at York in the Queen Anne. He slipped on the ground and just never found his footing, but it’s a credit to the horse that he could come back to run here,” Morrison continued.
“I nearly didn’t run him either. I was staying just down the road and I rang Michael Prosser at 6am and he said they had had 10 millimetres of rain. I then rang the yard and decided to leave it until 9am before making a decision, but thought that we were here for a Group One so we should run.
“He has been slow to come to hand this year so he didn’t run in the Lockinge, and he had some spots in the back of his mouth, but I thought this would be his track if he was going to drop back to six furlongs.
“I will probably keep him to six or six and a half furlongs for his next run, which could well be in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.
“This will be his last season, though. The National Stud bought him at the end of last year and he will go there as an exciting stallion prospect at the end of this season.”
Pastoral Pursuits’ victory was not only a momentous occasion for Morrison but also for Egan, who was celebrating his first July Cup win in his first ride in the race.
“He travelled very well and was a fantastic spare ride,” said Egan.
“I am just glad that Mr Morrison had the faith to put me up.
“Two and a half furlongs out I knew I was going to win and I could not believe how easily I was travelling.
“I have only had a handful of Group One rides but have still managed three seconds and a Classic second,” added Egan, who also won the Irish 2000 Guineas on Indian Haven for Paul D’Arcy two years ago.
The result would have been a blow to Pastoral Pursuits’ regular partner Steve Drowne, who missed out on his old friend for the mount on the runner-up.
Avonbridge’s trainer Roger Charlton said: “It was a brave effort. He’s been in the money in nearly all his races and on average wins £10,000 (€14,600) every time.
“He’ll probably run in the Nunthorpe now.”
Angus Gold, racing manager to Etlaala’s owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “We’re very happy. That’s much more like the real deal.
“He seems to travel very well and did not try to rip his jockey’s arms out. He’s getting better all the time, has all the speed in the world and we’ve not ruled out the Abbaye yet.”
Soldier’s Tale’s jockey Jame Spencer said: “I am happy with the way he ran and he will improve for that – it was only his fifth race and I still think he is the best horse in the race.”
Many of the fancied runners failed to fire, though, leaving long faces in the betting ring, with the other 4-1 joint-favourite Somnus trailing home in 13th, one place ahead of the impressive Wokingham winner Iffraaj.
The latter’s jockey Philip Robinson said: “I don’t know what went wrong but he was not the same horse that I rode at York. I was always struggling to hold my position.”
Galeota also disappointed, finishing 18th, and his jockey Ryan Moore said: “He never travelled like he can and I knew after one furlong that he wasn’t right.”
