First Group One For Cieren Fallon As Oxted Wins the July Cup

Last year's champion apprentice Cieren Fallon completed his meteoric rise to prominence on Saturday when steering Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) to glory in Newmarket's G1 Darley July Cup, one of the top races to evade his legendary jockey father. Having his first ride in a pattern race when partnering the Roger Teal-trained 4-year-old to success in the G3 Abernant S. over this six-furlong trip on the Rowley Mile June 5, the budding talent had the 12-1 shot positioned near the early pace before committing on the approach to two out. Staying on strongly up the rising ground, Oxted had 1 1/4 lengths to spare over Sceptical (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) at the line, with the 2-1 favourite Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) a neck away in third.

“I'm speechless, I can't believe it,” Fallon commented. “I was just a passenger on a very good horse today. Mr Teal and the team back home have done an incredible job. There was a lot of pressure going into a group one like this. I spoke to my dad beforehand and my jockey coach Michael Tebbutt and went into the office to see my boss Mr Haggas too. I'm very lucky to have the support around me that I have to keep me progressing. Dad said to keep it simple, jump out, stay in a straight line, don't take him back, don't push and keep him travelling. Hold him together to the dip then let him go and see what's underneath you. That's what I did today.”

Kieren Fallon was full of praise for his son and also William Haggas, who took the youngster under his wing from the early stages of his career. “He's got it–I know he's got it,” he said of 'Junior'. “He's got so much confidence–I wish I had half his confidence when I was riding. William [Haggas] has done so much with him behind the scenes. He has sent him to Australia and he has sent him to America. He's doing everything to get him where needs to be at. He works hard and he's dedicated, but without William he wouldn't be having this success. He's done a great job with him.”

Lightly-raced for a sprinter, Oxted traded at 20-1 when caught late by Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and finishing runner-up on his third career start in Newbury's six-furlong Listed Carnarvon S. last May. Only sixth on good-to-soft ground that may have undermined him in the G3 Hackwood S. back over the same course and distance the following month, the bay sunk when last of four on the same going in a Doncaster conditions event in early August. Undeterred by that eclipse, he was out again 15 days later to run second in a handicap over this track and trip before tackling Doncaster's prestigious Portland H. and giving five pounds and a half-length beating to the previous year's winner A Momentofmadness (GB) (Elnadim) in the 5 1/2-furlong test in September.

Looking to have progressed again in the Abernant, Oxted broke professionally here and formed a line of four ridden prominently alongside Golden Horde, Lord of the Lodge (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) before the G1 Commonwealth Cup took charge against the rail. Passing three out, Golden Horde and Hello Youmzain came under the pump but Fallon had plenty left and Oxted was soon dragging that Royal Ascot-winning duo into the red running downhill. Looking like his “old man” as he built more momentum heading back out of the “dip”, Fallon had his mount in an unstoppable rhythm to carve out his first group 1-winning experience.

For Roger Teal, this was the culmination of months of build-up and a few days of heightened excitement. “His work was blistering in the week and my son Harry's words were 'he wins the July Cup dad'–he was breathtaking and it gave us the confidence coming here,” he said. “I was a bit worried about the ground, but we got lucky with it drying up this morning. When he won the Portland last year, this was the target and we knew we had him short going to the Abernant and he still won nicely. We decided to miss Ascot especially to come to this race, but yards of our size don't normally get the glory in races like this.”

“Everyone has worked hard and things go wrong daily in racing, but you have to keep picking yourself up when you have horses like this and Kenzai Warrior and Gussy Mac,” Teal added. “We've got his half-brother in the yard and he's a bull now. We're punching above our weight, but it's down to the hard work of the team and our owners have also been terrific throughout lockdown. I've had a lot of questions asking why we were still using Cieren as he couldn't use his claim, but he's just gelled with this horse and if it's not broke, don't fix it. I said to the owners we couldn't take him off until he got beat on him. Cieren is inexperienced, but he's very calm. Haydock is on the agenda [the G1 Sprint Cup] and there's a race in Deauville [the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest], but we'll see how he comes out of today.”

Oxted, who was bought back for £400,000 at last year's Goffs London Sale, is out of the useful handicapper Charlotte Rosina (GB) (Choisir {Aus}) who raced for this stable and won over this course and distance. The dam, whose family includes the G2 Grosser Preis von Deutschland and G2 Premio Ellington winner Captain Horatius (Taufan), also has the as-yet unraced 3-year-old colt Whiskey Jar (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) and the 2-year-old Chipstead (GB), who is a full-brother to Oxted.

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
DARLEY JULY CUP S.-G1, £250,000, Newmarket, 7-11, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:09.59, gd.
1–OXTED (GB), 132, g, 4, by Mayson (GB)
1st Dam: Charlotte Rosina (GB), by Choisir (Aus)
2nd Dam: Intriguing Glimpse (GB), by Piccolo (GB)
3rd Dam: Running Glimpse (Ire), by Runnett (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (£400,000 RNA 3yo '19 GOFLON). O-S Piper, T Hirschfeld & D Fish; B-Homecroft Wealth Racing (GB); T-Roger Teal; J-Cieren Fallon. £141,775. Lifetime Record: 9-4-2-0, $290,097. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sceptical (GB), 132, g, 4, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Jealous Again, by Trippi. (£2,800 3yo '19 GOFAUG). O-James McAuley; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Denis Hogan. £53,750.
3–Golden Horde (Ire), 126, c, 3, Lethal Force (Ire)–Entreat (GB), by Pivotal (GB). (£65,000 Ylg '18 GOUKPR). O-Al Mohamediya Racing; B-CN Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Clive Cox. £26,900.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 1HF. Odds: 12.00, 3.60, 2.00.
Also Ran: Khaadem (Ire), Hello Youmzain (Fr), Brando (GB), Sir Dancealot (Ire), Namos (Ger), Equilateral (GB), Threat (Ire), Lord of the Lodge (Ire), Southern Hills (Ire). Scratched: Shine So Bright (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.