Shalaa returns with Bengough success

Shalaa made a pleasing reappearance when winning the John Guest Bengough Stakes under Frankie Dettori at Ascot.

John Gosden's Invincible Spirit colt was favourite for the Commonwealth Cup before the winter but injury prevented him returning to the track until Saturday's Group Three.

Sent off the 7/4 favourite, the Al Shaqab Racing-owned three-year-old held off the late attentions of Mehronissa to win by a neck, with Raucous back in third.

Persistent rain had turned the ground soft, but that was no problem for Shalaa and all roads now lead to the QIPCO British Champions Sprint back at Ascot on Champions Day.

Sky Bet go 8/1 from 12s about Shalaa for that race.

Gosden was thrilled with Shalaa's performance and is now looking forward to tackling the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes on October 15.

He said: "The horse is just full of himself - and so is the jockey! It is nice for him to have a double 20 years on. It is fantastic for him.

"After seeing Jack Hobbs work at Kempton on Wednesday, I went to the David Gilmore (Pink Floyd musician) concert at the Royal Albert Hall and there he was, 70 years old, and he had all of us eating out of his hand.

"It was probably the greatest concert I have ever been to. If he can do it until he is 70, Dettori can go on a bit longer!

"David Gilmore was playing and singing better than ever. I told Frankie, 'if you think you are clever, you wait until you see this guy'.

"We are very lucky we had the race two weeks before we have the big one. If we are happy with the horse over the next few days, we're longing to come back.

"Obviously the softer it gets, the more it compromises a horse with such an amazing amount of pure speed. But we understand that.

"We'd have loved to be in the Commonwealth Cup but we weren't, the July Cup and all of those races - it is history.

"It was a good prep, hands and heels, it was not our plan to do any more than that. I told him your stick is for holding - it is only for balance.

"Sheikh Joaan (Al Thani, of owner Al Shaqab Racing) has been amazing. I was at Goodoowd's Festival of Speed and those fast cars were flying past, and I said I wish horses were like that - you take a part out and put another part in - but they are not.

"He said that whatever time it takes to get Shalaa back, it takes."

Harry Herbert, racing manager for Al Shaqab, was equally delighted to see Shalaa get back on track to add to big-race glory on the opening day of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting at Chantilly.

He said : "It is wonderful for Sheikh Joaan because he had his first home-bred Group winner when Doha Dream won in France and was second in the Prix Dollar (with Hesham) as well - and won this race.

"While there is no Arc runner, it has been an amazing start to the weekend."