Real Churchill can be Juddmonte leader

Churchill can show his true colours in what could be an epic renewal of the Juddmonte International Stakes at York.

Anyone with even a passing interest in the sport will be hopingforatruly-runencounter as some of Flat racing’s biggest names do battle on the Knavesmire.

Barney Roy and Ulysses will have droves of supporters, while Derby runner-up Cliffs Of Moher looked unlucky 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 post-mortem, 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.