EARTH SHOWS TRUE GRIT

EARTHLIGHT dug deep for a Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes triumph that tightened Sheikh Mohammed’s grip on next year’s 2,000 Guineas.

Andre Fabre’s Shamardal colt, sent off the 11-4 favourite, stuck on grittily on the climb to the Newmarket winning post for Mickael Barzalona (right) to suppress the challenge of 16-1 shot Golden Horde by a neck – and earn a 7-1 quote for the Rowley Mile Classic next May.

Summer Sands, the 100-1 outsider, held 66-1 chance

King Neptune for third in a race that saw the fancied Mums Tipple beat just one home.

“I was very confident all the way,” smiled Fabre. “He was travelling easily and I knew he still had something under the saddle.” Millisle stormed home to collar 10-11 favourite Raffle Prize to clinch the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at 16-1 – and is as short as 12-1 for next season’s 1,000 Guineas.

Not content with d dominating the Group 1 scene in 2019, John Gosden and Frankie Dettori combined to capture the 30-runner Cambridgeshire Handicap with 9-2 market leader Lord North.