Bradsell back in business and 7-1 for Nunthorpe after smooth comeback success under Hollie Doyle

While Big Evs and Asfoora have been scooping the headlines over five furlongs, the team behind last year's King's Stand winner Bradsell have been counting down to the moment when they could unleash their own classy sprinter after a setback cost him the first half of the season.

And Archie Watson's stable star has clearly lost none of his talent after brushing aside his Listed rivals in the Prix du Cercle ahead of what will surely be a return to the top table. He was cut to 7-1 (from 14) for the Group 1 Nunthorpe at York on August 23.

"I'm so happy, it's just amazing to see him back and I've never come across a horse as tough as him," said winning jockey Hollie Doyle. "It's all credit to Archie and to Mike Murphy, who rides him every day, to get him here today. The future's bright.

"I was in the stalls longer than I wanted today and he was very relaxed, so I had to make him jump. Once he got up into his stride, he's just got so much natural speed. 

"He had a good blow, so I'm sure he'll come on for it. This will do his confidence a lot of good and it's just an incredible training performance."

Abbaye aim

Richard Hughes reached the stage where he believed No Half Measures was a lost cause but was left standing in admiration at his latest Listed winner, who could now be aimed at one of Europe's biggest sprint prizes after success in the Prix Moonlight Cloud under Oisin Murphy.

"She's done nothing but improve all year and I don't know where it's going to end because we never foresaw any of this," said Hughes. "As a two-year-old she nearly looked useless, but then I sent her back to Richard Gallagher's farm. I only had her back a month and I thought I'd better run her and we haven't looked back.

"We came for a bit of black type but the more we looked at the race, the more we said we'd have a real chance. We weren't far behind Flora Of Bermuda at Sandown after all and she finished fourth in the Maurice de Gheest earlier." 

Richard Hughes accepts the plaudits after No Half Measures wins the Prix Moonlight Cloud

Those who had taken a glance at the Group 1 entries for Arc day, which were released on Wednesday, might have taken the hint.

"We stuck her in the Abbaye the other day and I don't enter horses willy-nilly in Group 1s," said Hughes. "She had to win this to earn that and maybe I'm taking a flyer but it'll be her swansong.

"She goes on heavy ground, so if she got a good draw, you never know in the Abbaye."

Ramadan returns to form

A short break and a return to a mile proved key as Ramadan and Aurelien Lemaitre ran down German challenger Ghorgan to land the Group 3 Prix Daphnis for Nurlan Bizakov and Christopher Head. 

The homebred son of Le Havre won twice over the trip at the start of the season – including in the Prix de Fontainebleau – before running fifth in the Poule d'Essai and then 11th in the Prix du Jockey Club when stepped up in trip. 

Ramadan and Aurelien Lemaitre return after victory in the Prix Daphnis

"He showed a lot over a mile at the beginning of the season but I think if you have a good three-year-old colt that gets that trip well and you're ever going to try further, the Jockey Club is the race to try," said Head. 

"I have no regrets about having a go and he's a horse that has already given us a lot of pleasure, and did so again today. The rhythm of the race may have helped him, though he contributed to that himself. I never tie my jockeys down with orders and it's up to them to adapt to circumstances. 

"Aurelien is never afraid to take on the role and our horses are worked with that option in mind. There's no plan at the moment, we'll see how he comes out of the race, but there are several options for him."

Read more:

'He just took lengths out of them' - six up for unbeaten Lazzat as Jerome Reynier savours Prix Maurice de Gheest rout 

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