Henry Cecil advertised his skills as an equine chiropodist as Craigsteel broke the track record to win the Group Two Princess of Wales's Greene King Stakes on the opening day of Newmarket's July meeting yesterday.
During his first two seasons of racing the four-year-old had been restricted to just seven outings and his return this year had been delayed by quarter cracks, an affliction found in horses with weak feet.
No fewer than 242 days after winning over a mile and seven furlongs at Doncaster last November, the son of Suave Dancer was kicked to the front by Kieren Fallon three furlongs out.
The 13 to 2 shot looked quarry for Godolphin's Sea Wave, the 13 to 8 favourite, entering the final quarter mile, but Frankie Dettori's mount fell away into fourth as Craigsteel beat Arctic Owl by a length, with a further length and a quarter back to Cecil's Silver Rhapsody in third.
The time for the winner was two minutes 25.29 seconds, an improvement of 1.41 seconds on the 12-furlong course record.
Cecil, who has won three of the four Classics in Britain this year, was enduring a comparative lean run, his 13 runners prior to yesterday's feature having lost.
Torgau helped to abate her trainer's dwindling finances with a bold front-running performance in the Charles Heidsieck Champagne Cherry Hinton Stakes. Giles Bravery is finding it tough to make ends meet with just nine horses and 31 empty boxes at his yard. So Torgau's success in the £40,000 Group Two contest was a much needed shot in the arm for the trainer who topped off a great day by sending out Shaya to finish third in a Listed race at MaisonsLaffitte.
Torgau, owned by a syndicate of racing managers and bought by Bravery for just 13,000 guineas, was aided by a high draw and the assistance of Gary Stevens.
She maintained a powerful gallop all the way and at the line was one-and-a-quarter lengths clear of the favourite Hoh Dear, who did not enjoy the best of runs.
The Strutt & Parker Maiden Stakes has been the launching pad for a number of smart juveniles and Race Leader looks another after his ready victory.
The half-brother to the 1992 Guineas heroine Sayyedati showed a handy turn of pace to defeat the well-backed favourite Ekraar by two-and-a-half lengths.
