Churchill gets nod among top class rivals

RacINg: O’Brien convinced trip will not be an issue – and rarely gets it wrong

Supporters of CHURCHILL should not surrender when it comes to assessing his chances in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York.

Anyone with even a passing interest in the sport will be hoping for a trulyrun encounter as some of flat racing’s biggest names do battle on the Knavesmire.

Barney Roy and Ulysses will rightly have droves of supporters, while Derby runner-up Cliffs Of Moher had everything go against him in the Eclipse at Sandown. But preference is for Cliffs Of Moher’s stablemate Churchill, the dual Guineas winner from Aidan O’Brien’s yard.

Despite having won two Classics and four Group Ones, many are left cold by the Galileo colt.

There are several reasons for this, with perhaps the most pertinent one being that he does not do anything at all flashy on a racecourse.

Indeed, his critics felt vindicated at Royal Ascot when he finished a laboured fourth to Barney Roy in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

That was his first reverse since his debut at the Curragh in May 2016 and it was pretty painful to watch as Churchill simply never picked up when asked by Ryan Moore.

Nothing came to light in the postmortem, but there were one or two very funny results at the royal meeting as several big horses felt the pinch in the baking-hot conditions.

Either way, Churchill in no way showed his real worth at Ascot and is a much, much better horse than that.

O’Brien was wise to withdraw him in a Goodwood bog for the Sussex Stakes and was very quick to pinpoint the Juddmonte as an alternative line of attack.

At his best, he has a lovely, relaxed way of going about his business, which goes a long way to explaining why his trainer is convinced he will get this mile-and-a-quarter trip.

This is a very important day for Churchill. O’Brien seldom falters on very important days.

It will be great to see CRACKSMAN back in action in the Betway Great Voltigeur Stakes – and he should win. SELECTIONS:

CARLISLE: 1.35 Geesala Brave, 2.05 Albert Street, 2.40 Haworth, 3.15 Pomme De Terre, 3.50 Brother McGonagall, 4.25 Duck Egg Blue, 4.55 Renfrew Street, 5.25 Racquet.

YORK: 1.55 Orion’s Bow, 2.25 Dee Ex Bee, 3.00 Cracksman, 3.35 CHURCHILL (NAP), 4.15 Magic Circle, 4.50 Tathmeen.

DOUBLE: Churchill and Cracksman.