Dubai Godolphin’s Parfait ran out an emphatic winner of the Bunbury Cup on day two of Newmarket Racecourse’s three-day July Festival.
Ridden with supreme confidence by William Buick, John Gosden’s charge relished the drop back to handicap company where he dominated his rivals to cross the line two lengths clear of Makzeen, the mount of Ryan Moore.
The son of Invincible Spirit was making amends for a fourth-place effort in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, last month.
Fawaareq, Jim Crowly and Swift Approval, ridden by Fran Berry, finished third and fourth respectively.
Buick said: “He broke well and got to the lead and there wasn’t much pace around me. He likes racing that way and it really suits him.
“This horse has really turned a corner. He ran well at Ascot and today he’s done it very well.
“There’s more to come from him as he’s got some confidence back now.”
Gosden added: “He was taking on older horses and he has done it well. He got the rail again and he is growing up. William said not only is he growing in confidence, but he is growing in confidence with him.
“I think the cheekpieces and that rail helped a lot. He won here with Martin Dwyer and he flew down the far rail that day.
“This horse has always had a lot of ability, it is a matter of having confidence in himself.
“He has come out of a Group Three and we might look at a Listed race. We will stick at seven furlongs. There are some nice races at Goodwood.”
Both Buick and Gosden were celebrating a first victory in the race.
Godolphin’s Wuheida ran a big race in defeat to Ireland’s Roly Poly in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes.
Making her reappearance after a long absence the Charlie Appleby-trained filly threw down a brave challenge but was beaten by a superior horse on the day.
Appleby was nevertheless thrilled and said: “I’m delighted. She’s travelled well throughout and as William (Buick) said, she’s just gone for her girths (got tired), which is what I expected to be honest.
“Her class has taken her to where she is today and I’d be pretty confident she’s going to take a good leap forward.
“As regards trip, William felt she may even have got a bit quicker since last year. I was thinking after this we might be looking to go up to 10 (furlongs), but we might stick to around a mile.
“Let’s let the dust settle, see how she is tomorrow morning and make a plan from there.”
Meanwhile, at York, Georgina Cox teamed up with the William Haggas-trained Novoman to win the Cakemark Handicap over 2,000 metres.
The winner raced in the yellow and black silks of Major General Shaikh Ahmad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Public Security.
