Tropics – second in Group One Darley July Cup
TROPICS was a whisker away from giving Dean Ivory his first Group One yesterday when pipped at the post by favourite Muhaarar in the Darley July Cup.
Second last year in the race at 66/1, the son of Speightstown again went off at double figure odds of 25/1 and leading from the start, he was agonisingly nudged out of first place by a nose.
Having run disappointingly at Royal Ascot in the Diamond Jubilee and then yesterday facing ground quicker than ideal on his favoured Newmarket’s July course, he was perhaps the forgotten horse of the race. However, he jumped out of the stalls like a horse who meant business and blazed the trail under a great ride from Pat Cosgrave, deputising for the sidelined Robert Winston.
Despite winning £100k for the second year running, it was heartache for Dean Ivory to come second in Europe’s most prestigious sprint. However, he was stoic in defeat and is already looking forward to further prizes for his stable star. “There is the Haydock Sprint Cup and a few other races like the one on Champions Day. I have to bring Tropics back here for the Listed Race that he´s won two years on the trot. I´ll bring him back here without a penalty and try to win it for a third time.”
