Al Basti Equiworld Dubai July Cup
Group 1, Newmarket 16:35
£600,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus,
6f, Class 1  
Saturday 12th July 2025

1 No Half Measures 66/1
2 Big Mojo 12/1
3 Run To Freedom 40/1
14 ran NR: Inisherin Distances: nk, 1¾l, shd
Time: 1m 11.18s (slow by 0.98s)

In a performance that defied the odds and rewrote a few scripts in the process, Richard Hughes’ No Half Measures sprang a seismic surprise, landing the Group One feature at a scarcely believable 66-1.

Drawn out in stall 15, she charted a solitary course under Neil Callan down the far rail—away from the main group, away from the noise—and it was that decision, as much as her turn of foot, that ultimately proved decisive.

As the six-furlong contest unfolded and the tempo lifted, Callan began to creep forward almost imperceptibly. Then, with the finish looming, she moved into contention with something still to give, engaging in a compelling duel with Big Mojo before asserting close home to score by a neck. A further length and three-quarters separated them from Run To Freedom, who kept on for third.

It marked a moment of personal redemption and professional significance for Richard Hughes, whose storied career in the saddle included a July Cup aboard Oasis Dream back in 2003. This, however, was his first Group One as a trainer—a breakthrough nearly a decade in the making.

“I’ve just had a bear hug from William Buick,” he smiled, “and he’s cut my lip! But I’ll take it.”

There was more than a hint of catharsis in his words. “The disappointments in this game hit hard. The highs, quite honestly, rarely reach the same level. Yesterday we fancied Mood Queen—she finished last. That was excruciating. But today, well… today makes up for a lot.”

Reflective and candid, Hughes spoke with the perspective of someone who’s lived the highs and lows in both trades. “When I was riding, I didn’t really appreciate how lucky I was. Richard Hannon, Khalid Abdullah—I had a constant flow of good horses. If one didn’t work out, there was another one waiting. Now? I treat every good one like glass.”

He admitted the training game took some adjusting to. “I was a bit naive starting out. I thought if I bought twenty horses, one was bound to be good. Bought another twenty… still waiting. It’s harder. But it’s more rewarding.”

Today’s triumph might well be the most satisfying of his second career. “I can retire happy now—ridden a July Cup winner and trained one. Although,” he added, ever the competitor, “of course I want more. That’s just who I am. But if you don’t have the horses, you can’t train them.”

No Half Measures had already hinted at ability—winning a handicap at this meeting last year before climbing the ladder to Listed and Group Three success—but even Hughes admitted the top level seemed ambitious.

“She won here twelve months ago and I asked Ryan [Moore] if she might get black type. He just said, ‘She’s better than that.’ And Ryan doesn’t say things lightly.”

Since then, the filly has done nothing but progress. “There was no real pressure today,” Hughes said. “At halfway I thought, ‘She’s going OK,’ and then… well, I just held my head. I couldn’t quite believe what I was watching.

“If she’d been caught, I’d still have been thrilled. To win? That’s a bonus.”

A bonus, perhaps. But also a landmark day for a trainer who, despite the setbacks, still knows how to land a big one.

Pertemps Network July Cup
(British Champions Series and Global Sprint Challenge) (Group 1)
£600,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Good to Firm

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (15)    No Half Measures 4 9-5 Richard Hughes Neil Callan 66/1
2 (9) nk Big Mojo 3 9-2 Michael Appleby Tom Marquand 12/1
3 (13) 1¾ Run To Freedom 7 9-8 Henry Candy Trevor Whelan 40/1
4 (11) shd Believing 5 9-5 George Boughey Billy Loughnane 9/1
5 (4) nk Notable Speech 4 9-8 Charlie Appleby William Buick 85/40F
6 (6) nk Jasour 4 9-8 Clive Cox Saffie Osborne 20/1
7 (14) nse Spy Chief 2 3 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin 22/1
8 (8) nk Symbol Of Honour 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby Oisin Murphy 4/1
9 (10) 1¼ Rogue Lightning 5 9-8 Tom Clover Richard Kingscote 100/1
10 (7) ½ Ides Of March 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan 16/1
11 (1) ½ Night Raider 4 9-8 K R Burke Sam James 28/1
12 (2) 1 Whistlejacket 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 13/2
13 (3) 4¾ Twilight Calls 7 9-8 Richard Spencer George Wood 150/1
14 (5) nk Flora Of Bermuda 4 9-5 Andrew Balding James Doyle 13/2
WD (12) 150-17 Inisherin 4 9-8 Kevin Ryan WITHDRAWN

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