The Secret's out - Lightly raced sprinter lifts Cup on top league debut

Sakhee's Secret looked a potential champion when he redeemed the international reputation of British sprinting by romping home in the £375,000 Group One July Cup at Newmarket yesterday.

The relentless recent march of the Aussies at Royal Ascot with successes for Choisir, Takeover Target and Miss Andretti has made the speed division of our racing seem distinctly second class and vulnerable.

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But 9-2 shot Sakhee's Secret looked the heavyweight the division has been crying out for as he made a comfortable leap from Listed winner to Group One king in a single bound, beating rivals from five different countries in Europe's richest sprint.

In 22 of the last 30 seasons, the July Cup has been won by the champion sprinter.

His half-length defeat of Dutch Art with Red Clubs just over a length back in third, left the impression that there is plenty more to come form a colt having just his seventh run.

Carrying the colours of octogenarian owner-breeder Bridget Swire, it is unlikely he will be whisked away to stud at the first opportunity, allowing him to grace the stage for longer than the average Flat fancy dan.

Trainer Hughie Morrison, who won the July Cup with Pastoral Pursuits in 2005, said of the owner, whose family founded Cathay Pacific airline: "Miss Swire breeds to race and not to sell.

"I'd have no worries dropping him back to five furlongs. He's in the Nunthorpe Stakes (at York on August 23). Steve (Drowne) said he had to take a pull after 100 yards as he was just flying."

Winning jockey Drowne added: "I'm lucky enough to have ridden a few quick ones but he's got to be the best of them.

"Last time was the first time I've really given him a smack just to teach him, thinking we were going to come here, so he is still fairly raw. He will get better.

"With the profile he has, he'll be around for a year or two and I don't see why he can't become one of the best sprinters we've had for a long time."

Dutch Art lost his place at halfway to drop to the rear, leaving trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam disappointed.

He said: "Jimmy (Fortune) said he got squeezed out but he's finished like a train."

Chapple-Hyam was also frustrated when his two-year-old colt Declaration of War was denied in the Superlative Stakes by Mick Channon's Hatta Fort.