Billy Loughnane steers Comanche Brave to July Cup glory

Billy Loughnane’s exceptional season continued at Newmarket on Saturday as he steered Irish raider Comanche Brave to a brilliant sprinting success in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Stakes.

It was the 2000 Guineas-winning jockey who jumped at the chance to partner Donnacha O’Brien’s four-year-old – who had taken on the challenge of Ka Ying Rising in Hong Kong earlier in the year and had dazzled on home soil at the Curragh before not being disgraced at Royal Ascot.

Japanese raider Satono Reve attempted to keep it simple on the front end carrying dreams of replicating Agnes World’s victory in this race 26 years ago, with Aidan O’Brien’s Mission Central also among those up on the pace early on.

But the eye was always drawn to 11-1 chance Comanche Brave as he breezed effortlessly into contention and slipped an extra gear when meeting the rising ground to see off the running-on Venetian Sun by a length. Satono Reve was a further neck back in third.