The best Australian sprinters were showcased in the $15million The Everest on Saturday and overnight the best European sprinters did battle when 20 lined up in the £301,271 Group I Qipco British Champions Sprint (6f) at Ascot with victory going to the Godolphin owned three year-old Creative Force.
The Charlie Appleby trained son of Dubawi started the year reeling off four consecutive wins highlighted by the Group III Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot before trying his hand at Group I company.
Creative Force was fifth in the Darley July Cup and sixth in the Haydock Sprint Cup when he stumbled at the start, so was due for a change of luck and got his preferred softer ground for this assignment.
He powered clear under William Buick to win by a length taking his overall record to six wins and a second from 10 starts.
“Creative Force is a great little horse, he really deserved this. He was in great form coming into it and he'd been very good at home. Conditions suited and I was very happy with where we were in the race and it worked out nicely for him,” said William Buick.
“He's a real superstar and we thought he'd have a chance in the July Cup and Sprint Cup but he's shown today that he can do it.”
A 400,000 euro purchase for Godolphin from the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, Creative Force is the 46th Group I winner for Dubawi.
He is a half-brother to Group I winner Persuasive and stakes-winner Tisbutadream from good producing stakes-winner Choose Me, who is by Choisir.
Choisir is sire of the dam of 41 stakes-winners, five of them Group I winners all in the Northern Hemisphere – Oxsted, Winter, My Dream Boat, Persuasive and now Creative Force.
