No Half Measures upsets Group 1 July Cup at 50-1 odds
No Half Measures, at 50-1 the fourth longest shot in the American pari-mutuel pool, ran on best in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday, staying on to win by a neck over Big Mojo.
Night Raider made the running on the near side, with Spy Chief showing early pace on the far side. No Half Measures, breaking from the farthest-outside post, tracked outside of Spy Chief.
Notable Speech, the 9-5 favorite supplemented for trainer Charlie Appleby and owner Godolphin, rallied into the final quarter mile and briefly looked a threat. However, No Half Measures was kicking on better from the outside under a drive from jockey Neil Callan.
No Half Measures drifted inward near the furlong mark, ending up alongside Big Mojo, the horse who was finishing best toward the near side. Still, No Half Measures had enough to see out the trip, holding Big Mojo at bay by a neck.
A blanket show photo went to long shot Run to Freedom, who crossed the finish 1 3/4 lengths behind Big Mojo. Just behind were 2025 Al Quoz Sprint (G1) winner Believing, Notable Speech, Jasour, Spy Chief and Symbol of Honor. It was further back to Rogue Lightning, Ides of March, Night Raider, Whistlejacket, Twilight Calls and slow-starting Flora of Bermuda, who completed the order of finish. Inisherin was scratched at the gate.
No Half Measures stopped the timer in 1:11.18 for six furlongs on a straight Newmarket July course rated good to firm. She paid American pari-mutuel backers $103.60 to win.
No Half Measures is a 4-year-old filly by Cable Bay out of the Helmet mare Fascinator. She is trained by Richard Hughes, who won the July Cup as the jockey of Oasis Dream in 2003, but had not won a Group 1 race in his ten-year training career until Saturday.
The win in the July Cup extended her career record to 14: 7-2-1. Her only previous win at the group level came in the five-furlong World Trophy Stakes (G3) at Newbury last September, a race she won by 1 1/4 lengths over Group 2 winner Relief Rally. In her only previous try at the top level, which came in the Prix de l'Abbaye at ParisLongchamp in October, she was fifth beaten 2 3/4 lengths by Makarova.
In an interview with Racing TV, Hughes said he had an inkling that No Half Measures would be a good one after she won a handicap at the Newmarket July meeting last year. After the race, "Ryan (Moore) got off him and I said, we'll get a bit of black type. Ryan said, 'She's better than that.' Ryan never says that, mister pessimistic. He's a realist, if you know what I mean. I was surprised by that. So then we plotted getting her black type and we got that and she's done nothing but improve."