Qirat collects Criterion prize at the expense of Never So Brave

Shock Sussex Stakes winner Qirat landed another upset to floor well-backed rivals in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Criterion Stakes at York.

Last summer the Ralph Beckett-trained five-year-old gelding had provided one of the upsets of the season to land the Goodwood Group One as a 150-1 outsider.

And while he was shorter at the Knavesmire, returning at 8-1, he floored better-fancied rivals in Never So Brave (6-4 favourite) and Sabre Strike to land the Group Three prize.

Front-Running Resilience at the Knavesmire

Qirat was unruly in the stalls but was bounced into a lead by Silvestre de Sousa and took the field to the two-furlong marker.

After being joined and probably just headed by Never So Brave he battled back to get the better of that rival and pulled one and a half lengths clear at the line, with Never So Brave’s market rival Saber Strike doing his best work at the end in third.

De Sousa said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that Ralph booked me for this horse.

“Obviously he is a Group One winner and he came to the right race. I think with the way the ground is, that is key for him, it’s not fast ground, there’s a bit of kindness in the ground out there. He loves to be in front, he was coming back and I had to roll him forward again.

“To me he’s a horse that feels he wants to go a bit further than seven furlongs and he feels like a mile-and-a-quarter horse. There is a strong pace with him and I knew he would last.

“You need to ask him questions and he will deliver for you. I wouldn’t be surprised if later he’s running in cheekpieces to help him travel. I am delighted to have a winner in those (Juddmonte) colours.”