GENIUS STOUTE WINS AGAIN WITH EQTIDAAR

IT was a surprise result on paper. But, really, Eqtidaar’s Commonwealth Cup triumph should not have come as too much of a shock, given the week that sir Michael stoute has enjoyed. with the favourite sioux Nation making no impression at all, the outsider took the lead inside the final furlong and just held on under Jim Crowley ahead of a strong finishing sands of Mali. and Crowley was quick to join the long list of jockeys to pay tribute to stoute’s mastery, calling him a ‘genius’ as he celebrated his first winner of the week. His joy was all the sweeter given he had finished a frustrating second on three occasions this week, with a combined distance of just over four lengths. On recent form, which included a fourth at Newbury, Eqtidaar did not look like one of Crowley’s big hopes of the week. But he said the son of Invincible spirit had shown enough behind closed doors in the past few weeks to suggest he was far better than his 12-1 starting price. Crowley said: ‘He’s trained by a genius. I knew Eqtidaar had potential. He had been working fantastic at home and I knew today he had a great chance.’ The field of 22 horses, which split into two groups, posed no problems either. He added: ‘Things did not pan out at Newbury. we were on the wrong part of the track, but today we got a lovely tow into the race. It went like clockwork.’ stoute, who became the all-time leading trainer at Royal ascot this week with 78 winners to his name, added: ‘we have always liked this horse. It didn’t go right for him in the Pavilion and he was on the wrong side at Newbury last time. He’s progressing nicely. He just showed how talented a sprinter he is. we have had some good ones like Marwell, ajdal and Green Desert. He is progressing nicely.’ There is a chance Eqtidaar will now be aimed at the July Cup at Newmarket. Yet stoute said he would need to speak to owner sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum before making a decision. The aidan O’Brien-trained sioux Nation never threatened and finished 16th. Old Persian finished strongly to win the King Edward VII stakes for trainer Charlie appleby, who won on the first day of the meeting with Blue Point. The day’s final two races, the Duke of Edinburgh stakes and the sandringham stakes, went with the odds. agrotera, gave Jamie spencer his first win of the week, before Dash of spice won under champion jockey silvestre De sousa.