Task Force maintained his unbeaten record with a clear-cut victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy.

A son of two Guineas winners in Frankel and Special Duty, the Ralph Beckett-trained colt made a big impression on his racecourse debut at Salisbury last month, earning him a step up to Listed class.

He was the 11-8 favourite to dispatch of five rivals in North Yorkshire and did so in fine style in the hands of Rossa Ryan.

In the famous Juddmonte silks, Task Force raced enthusiastically at the rear of the field for much of the six-furlong contest before being produced with his challenge widest of all.

He mastered Shagraan and course and distance winner Seven Questions, who was briefly stopped in his run when challenging between the pair, and was good value for the winning margin of a length and a quarter.

The winner’s stablemate Matters Most finished strongly to fill the runner-up spot and provide the in-form Beckett team with a one-two.

Juddmonte’s racing manager, Barry Mahon, said of the winner: “The idea of going to Ripon was to teach him a bit as he didn’t learn much the first day, he hit the gates well and sat handy and was left in front a furlong and a half down, so he probably didn’t learn a lot about racing.

“He’ll have learned plenty there today. You saw how green he was in the early part of there and when Rossa asked him to go he was green, but when the penny dropped away he went.

“It was a nice performance and he could a nice horse.”

Task Force has the option of stepping up to seven furlongs for the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster next month, but plans are fluid at this stage.

“I haven’t spoken to Ralph yet and we need to let the dust settle, but I’ve no doubt seven is going to be right up his street,” Mahon added.

“He’s bred to be a miler in time, so seven furlongs won’t be a problem, but whether Ralph decides to go that way now or later on we’ll wait and see.

“Part of the reason we went back over six furlongs today was because when you look up his mother’s record she never raced beyond six at two and ended up being a dual Guineas winner at three, so there’s no shortage of speed in the pedigree and he showed that today against some hardened two-year-olds.”

Julie Camacho’s super sprinter Shaquille has been doing his stalls homework ahead of his run in Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup.

The three-year-old has been an unstoppable force this season, winning a Newmarket handicap before stepping into Listed company to take the Carnarvon Stakes by two lengths – both times under James Doyle.

Doyle’s duties with Godolphin prevented him from taking the ride on the colt in the Commonwealth Cup and his loss was Oisin Murphy’s gain as he prevailed at Group One level by a length and a quarter.

The same situation arose in the July Cup at Newmarket, where Rossa Ryan got the leg-up as Shaquille gained another top-flight success for the Camacho team. On both of his most recent runs, however, the bay left himself with ground to make up when rearing in the stalls and missing the break.

As a result Camacho and her husband and assistant Steve Brown have turned to Craig Witherford, a specialist horseman who helps with tricky loaders. Doyle was on board for the schooling and remains first choice for Haydock, if his Godolphin commitments leave him available.

“He is in good form, everything’s going to plan for a week on Saturday at Haydock,” said Brown.

“He had a little rest after the July Cup, which was always our intention, he’s done two bits of work to his normal standard – he’s not a flashy worker at home.

“I had a chat with Craig after Newmarket because we thought Ascot was a one-off, but then it wasn’t, so we needed to do something to try to make him jump out more convincingly.

“He was loaded with a rug and before he jumped out the rug was taken off, it certainly worked on Thursday.

“He jumped out and looked pretty convincing, hopefully that will be the case when he goes to Haydock.

“It all about your use of energy, it’d be nice if he could get out smoothly and we’d really see what he can do then.”

He added on the jockey situation: “James has always been our first choice since the start of the year, we haven’t discussed it fully but I think he’d be our first port of call – we’ll see what his availability is and go from there.”

Future plans are on hold for Nostrum after the exciting colt finished lame when hot favourite for the Strensall Stakes at York on Saturday.

Third behind fellow Juddmonte-owned three-year-old Chaldean in the Dewhurst at Newmarket last term, the son of Kingman missed the first part of the current campaign after suffering a setback in the spring.

A spectacular comeback win in a Listed race at Newmarket last month suggested Sir Michael Stoute’s inmate was destined for the top, but he was beaten by Epictetus in the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood and trailed home last of six runners in another Group Three on the Knavesmire on Saturday.

Whether Nostrum runs again this season remains to be seen, with connections still trying to discover the exact cause of his disappointing performance.

“He was lame behind on the day and it will be investigated a bit more today and tomorrow,” said Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon on Monday.

“I don’t think it’s anything too sinister from what Sir Michael was saying, he thought it might have been more muscular than anything, but until we check it out we’ll wait and see.

“We won’t know what the plan is until we get all the results back and see what was causing the niggle.

“It was disappointing, but it would be worse if there was no reason for it. The main thing is getting him right as we know the talent is there and the ability is there, it’s just about getting him right.”

A Juddmonte runner who produced a more positive performance at York was Bluestocking, who was beaten just three and a half lengths into fourth place in Thursday’s Yorkshire Oaks.

Ralph Beckett’s filly has previously finished third in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot before being narrowly denied by Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks, and her team must now decide whether to lower her sights or line up in another Group One contest on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot.

Mahon added: “I thought she ran a lovely race and she’s a filly that’s probably still a little bit on the weak side when you watch her going round the ring compared to some of the opposition.

“I thought it was noticeable that there’s still a little bit of weakness in her and I think she’s filly that will be better next year, but she’s running to a high level of form.

“A little bit more ease in the ground probably suits her a little better and I’m sure there’ll be good days to be had with her along the way.

“We haven’t really decided where we go next, we need to discuss that with the owners. We touched on it after the race whether we drop in class and win a race this year or she goes to the fillies’ race on Ascot on Champions Day.

“We’ll let her get over York and speak with the owners and then decide in the coming weeks.”

Mahon also provided an update on 2000 Guineas hero Chaldean, who has enjoyed a mid-season break since failing to fire in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville in early July.

The Andrew Balding-trained son of Frankel is being readied for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day, with a prep run at Newmarket in the pipeline.

“I think Andrew in the back of his head is slightly thinking of the Joel Stakes,” said Mahon.

“He’s back in Kingsclere and cantering away and we sort of said we’d just monitor and see how he goes closer to the time, but Andrew was thinking Joel Stakes and then the QEII.”

Aidan O’Brien is making plans for his exciting crop of juveniles, with City Of Troy set to be his chief contender in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh on day two of the Irish Champions Festival.

Unbeaten in his two starts to date, he made his debut in a Curragh maiden at the beginning of July, before putting in a brilliant display to land Group Two honours in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

“He is going to the National Stakes at the moment. If he didn’t then Henry Longfellow would go there, but we had it in our heads that Henry would go to the Dewhurst and City Of Troy would go to the National Stakes. I’m very happy with both horses,” said O’Brien.

With City Of Troy – the general 2-1 favourite for the Qipco 2000 Guineas – being a son of American Triple Crown hero Justify, O’Brien is not ruling out the possibility of a switch to the dirt at the Breeders’ Cup later in the year.

He said: “To go to America you need a good horse running at a very high level and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that City Of Troy could go.

“We’ll see what happens in the National Stakes, but if he was going there is a chance that he could come back to six furlongs for the Middle Park to sharpen him up for America.

“There is a chance he could run on the dirt in America, but we’ll see.”

With City Of Troy heading for the National Stakes and Henry Longfellow – also unbeaten in two starts and a Group Two scorer via the Futurity Stakes – seemingly bound for the Dewhurst, River Tiber looks set to contest the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Wootton Bassett colt lost his unbeaten record when third in the Prix Morny at Deauville earlier this month following an interrupted preparation.

“I was afraid that the Prix Morny could go very wrong because he was lame for 10 days. He came back sound, but the muscles can get tired and I was afraid that might happen,” said O’Brien.

“That is why Ryan (Moore) let him find himself in the first half of the race, but he said it was flying home and it was a very big run.

“The plan would be to go to the Middle Park, because there’s horses for those other races. Ryan said he will stay seven furlongs, but that’s what we’re thinking at the moment.”

The Ballydoyle handler confirmed unbeaten filly Ylang Ylang as his main hope Moyglare Stud Stakes, having been kept fresh since landing the Silver Flash at Leopardstown in late July.

He said: “Ylang Ylang goes to the Moyglare. We could have given her another run and tightened her up, but we felt this was the best thing for her.

“She always worked very well. The last day she probably wasn’t as impressive, but we think she’ll be better when she gets a lead.”

Aidan O’Brien is planning to run both last year’s winner Luxembourg and Auguste Rodin in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday week.

Luxembourg got the better of French-trained duo Onesto and Vadeni in the showpiece event of the Irish Champions Festival last season and has added the Tattersalls Gold Cup to his top-level CV this term.

His last two runs have come at Ascot as he finished second to subsequent Juddmonte International hero Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes before placing fourth in the King George, a race in which his dual Derby-winning stablemate Auguste Rodin proved a bitter disappointment.

O’Brien has found no obvious reason for that listless display, but is hopeful he can bounce back at Leopardstown on September 9.

“We’re very happy with Luxembourg, everything has gone very well. The King George is a tough race and he was on the pace,” said the Ballydoyle handler.

“The plan is at the moment both he and Auguste Rodin are going to Leopardstown. Really we don’t know what happened to Auguste in the King George. He was drawn very wide and trapped very wide and he came off the bridle a lot earlier than Ryan (Moore) would have thought.

“His first impulse was to protect the horse and he was very surprised what happened. Before he had to ask too much he just pulled him up and that’s the reality of the situation.

“It’s probably a blessing in disguise as if he came off the bridle at the stage he was probably going to get a very tough race. For a baby three-year-old he was probably lucky he didn’t get into a brawl and he came home very well.”

O’Brien hinted that whatever the result at Leopardstown Auguste Rodin, a son of Japanese sire Deep Impact, is unlikely to remain in training as a four-year-old.

“He’s such a unique horse pedigree-wise he’s kind of irreplaceable really,” he said.

Simone Biles has claimed a record eighth all-around US Championship less than a month after ending a two-year break from gymnastics.

The 19-time world champion, 26, claimed the record-breaking crown – 10 years after winning her first – as she posted a total of 118.40, four clear of runner-up Shilese Jones, in San Jose, California.

Biles returned to competition in Chicago earlier this month after suffering from “the twisties” – a phenomenon which affects an athlete’s spatial awareness – and withdrawing from five of her six finals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 to focus on her mental health.

The seven-time Olympic medallist became the oldest female US champion since the event was first organised by USA Gymnastics in 1963.

She is expected to bid to add to her haul of 25 World Championship medals in Antwerp in September.

Biles has not confirmed whether she plans to compete at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

Olympic champion Sunisa Lee, who has battled a mystery kidney issue for much of the year, performed strongly on the beam and could head to Antwerp as a specialist on the apparatus.

Jack Darcy made all to uphold family honour and provide the Coles with their sixth success in the Grand Prix de Deauville.

Paul Cole first won the Group Two event with Ibn Bey in 1988 and took home the first prize five times as the sole licence holder at the family’s Whatcombe base.

But it is the first time since Oliver Cole has joined his father on the licence that they have tasted glory in the mile-and-a-half contest on the Normandy coast.

Second to Hamish in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood two starts ago, it was a welcome return to form for Jack Darcy who raced too freely when last seen at Newbury.

And having snapped a nine-race winless run, he will enter Cole family folklore having added his name to the race’s roll of honour.

“He’s a very good horse,” said Oliver Cole.

“Arguably he was a bit too keen in the Geoffrey Freer and it didn’t really go for him. Today he was lovely and relaxed in front and got his own way and won well.

“I nearly didn’t run him because he’s had two quick runs in succession and this was a third, but he’s a very talented horse and he’s shown it today, it’s a good race to win.

“My father has won the race five times, and now we’ve won it six (in total). We love the race and I’m really proud of the horse.

“I remember all the good horses we’ve had win this, Snurge, Courteous and the others. It just means so much for us.”

Jack Darcy’s victory was the final leg of a fantastic treble for the British-trained raiders at Deauville on Sunday, and Mill Stream appears to have teed-up a shot at Group One competition having landed back-to-back course and distance sprints.

A winner of the Prix Moonlight Cloud earlier this month, Jane Chapple-Hyam’s son of Gleneagles took another step up the sprinting ladder by following up in impressive style in the Barriere Prix de Meautry.

Then fresh from a first Group One victory when winning the Prix Morny at the track last week, the father and son duo of Simon and Ed Crisford struck again when Poker Face claimed Barriere Prix Quincey honours.

Ocean Quest showed her class when storming to Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan Stakes at Naas.

Jessica Harrington’s speedy daughter of Sioux Nation was an impressive winner of the Committed Stakes at Navan on her three-year-old return and following a narrow defeat over course and distance in the Lacken Stakes, performed with real credit at Royal Ascot when fourth to Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup.

Freshened up following that outing at the Royal meeting, Ocean Quest was the 10-11 favourite to secure Group Three honours, something she did with the minimum of fuss.

Away well in the hands of Shane Foley, she was always forcing the pace on the far side and came home in splendid isolation to record a decisive three-and-three-quarter-length victory over Aussie Girl who finished best of those on the near side.

Paddy Power handed winner was handed quotes of 12-1 from 16s for Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup on September 9 and the same price from 18-1 for the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Ascot, October 21), with Harrington indicating both Group One races would be on Ocean Quest’s radar.

“That’s great. She hasn’t run since Ascot, we gave her time. We know she likes a bit of give in the ground and that’s why we put her away after Ascot,” said Harrington.

“I think she’ll go on anything actually and she’s a very classy filly.

“Ascot in October is the main target and she’s in at Haydock in the Group One sprint there.

“We didn’t put her in Irish Champions Weekend because it’s five furlongs, but apparently she gets a free entry now. If it came up heavy maybe.

“This summer we’ve had no idea what ground we’re going to get. You can have good to firm in the morning and abandoned in the afternoon.

“We know she goes on heavy, she’s won on heavy and she’s gone on good to firm so she’s a very versatile filly. She’s classy and speedy.”

There was earlier success for Harrington on the card when Matter Of Fact landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at 22-1.

The daughter of No Nay Never was well held on debut earlier in the season, but showed how much she has flourished in the interim with a stylish display which brings loftier targets into the picture.

“That was nice. She ran in May and has grown an awful lot since then,” said Harrington.

“Nathan (Crosse) said when she was in behind she was behind the bridle, whether it was the kickback or what. It wasn’t until he pulled her out that she absolutely flew up the hill.

“She did it well. She was still very green and she’ll have learned a lot, which is great.

“I’d say she could step up in trip but the dam only got six, even though she’s by Galileo. She has got a beautiful pedigree.

“My two-year-olds are only just starting to come to themselves. They were all good in the spring and then they all started growing. She was small in May but now she’s a fine big filly.

“We’ll see what comes up and see where we go from here. I’d hope we’d be going for stakes race next. She’s got the pedigree and she’s done that well.

“I’d say it was a good maiden, my other filly didn’t seem to get home.”

There was a shock in the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden when Kitty Rose denied Dermot Weld’s 11-10 favourite Tannola.

Sent off at 25-1, Natalia Lupini’s filly made the perfect start, travelling powerfully on the front-end and running on strongly to score by a length and three-quarters.

The trainer’s partner Craig Bryson said: “We were hoping for a nice run but you never know first time out.

“She’s a filly that we’ve liked a lot at home, she did it well and she’ll progress plenty. She’s big and she’s a nice filly.

“She likes to go forward, she likes to gallop and I’d imagine as you step her up in trip she’ll be better. She’s one to look forward to.

“I’ll talk to the lads but we might look at the Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown, that might suit her. If she comes out of it well that’s probably the race to go for.

“We had a filly (Highly Desirable) that was third in this race last year and went on to finish third in the Ingabelle. You’d be happy to go and take your chance in it and hopefully get black type.”

The afternoon’s other two-year-old contest went the way of Joseph O’Brien’s McTenett who justified 9-4 favouritism in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden.

“He had a nice run the first day and he learned a good bit, he was more professional today. He looks like a nice horse going forward,” said O’Brien.

“We were happy that he’d get the six up here well. It was a nice straightforward ride by Dylan and it’s nice to have a winner for Neil (Sands) and the Bronsan team.

“There is plenty of money in those auction races and there is a winners race in Roscommon in early September.”

Al Riffa has a choice of engagements for his next outing, with Joseph O’Brien sure “the best is yet come” from his lightly-raced colt.

Winner of the National Stakes last season, the son of Wootton Bassett did not make his three-year-old return until the Curragh in July, finishing second to Mashhoor in the International Stakes.

He went from there to Deauville for the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano – and gave unbeaten French Derby winner and Arc favourite Ace Impact a real race in going down by just three-quarters of a length.

“He’ll either go to the Irish Champion or the Prix Niel, I’d say,” said O’Brien.

“He came out of his last run well. It was a great run, the winner is one of the best three-year-olds in Europe and we were right in the mix with him.

“Hopefully the best is yet to come with him.”

O’Brien also had news on his high-class filly Above The Curve, who has been placed in Group One company three times so far this campaign, most recently in the Prix Jean Romanet.

He said: “She may go back to France for the Prix Vermeille. She’s come out of the Prix Jean Romanet well.”

Impressive York winner Dragon Leader is likely to stick to chasing the big money for the time being rather than being stepped up in class.

Trained by Clive Cox, the Kennet Valley Syndicates-owned maintained his unbeaten record in scintillating style on the Knavesmire, winning almost £150,000 in the Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes.

In winning by four and a half lengths he evoked memories of Mums Tipple, who streaked away with the same contest in 2019. But rather than take the plunge against Group horses next like he did, Dragon Leader’s connections are happy to stay in similar company for now.

“We’ll let the dust settle, but he is in the Doncaster and the Redcar sales races – both of those are worth a fair few quid – and we’re well weighted in both,” said Kennet Valley director Piers Winkworth.

“We’ll probably go that way, rather than something more ambitious in Pattern company for now, which we might have to do at some point because he looks like a proper, proper racehorse, this Dragon Leader.

“I think for now we will target the money of the sales races rather than Pattern company.”

Desert Hero continues to please William Haggas, as the build-up to a royal runner with a real chance in the Betfred St Leger continues to gather pace.

Haggas, who guided Horse of the Year Baaeed with such expertise last season, is well aware of the attention that will be on the Royal Ascot and Gordon Stakes winner as Doncaster on September 16 draws ever nearer.

The Newmarket trainer took the decision to eschew another outing in the Great Voltigeur at York in preference for keeping the three-year-old fresh.

Having already provided the King and Queen with their first Royal Ascot success, were he to land them a Classic, his name would be etched in Turf history forever.

The King would also be emulating the late Queen as the owner of a St Leger winner, after Dunfermline won at Doncaster in 1977, which was Silver Jubilee year.

“Desert Hero is absolutely fine, he worked Thursday morning and I’m very happy with him,” said Haggas.

“We toyed with the idea of York for the Voltigeur, but in the end we just felt what was the point.”

He added: “I realise that we might be getting a phone call a day from the press, I can feel it coming, but I’d rather that than nothing at all.”