FREDDIE HEAD, once the scourge of British punters, defied the knockers to secure an emotional family victory on Anabaa in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket yesterday.
The much maligned Frenchman, better known in Britain for his defeats rather than victories, rode a faultless race to claim the Group One prize for his mother Ghislaine, the owner, and sister Criquette, the trainer.
Head, at 49 the oldest rider in France, has ignored the brickbats to become his country's champion six times and claim a record equalling four Arc victories.
And his sister paid a particular tribute to her brother after he had clinched a length and three quarter win from Lueayan Prince, his first in England since Ron's Victory captured the 1990 Diadem Stakes.
"I am so pleased Freddie has won because people will now stop saying he is not a good jockey in England. For that one reason this is very important," she said.
"Jockeys can't go faster than the horse. If they are beat it is because of the horse. Everyone blames the jockey but he can't carry the horse on his back."
And Freddie said. "You can't come without the horse. I know the owner and trainer quite well and love them both!
Anabaa is a real champion. Mind Games came on my outside two furlongs out and when I asked him a question he went away.
The success was all the more remarkable because Anabaa was nearly put down aged two when he was diagnosed a "Wobbler", a horse that suffers from a spinal cord injury which affects its coordination.
But he has emerged this year to become France's best sprinter and now ranks among the best in Europe after making virtually all the running yesterday.
The 9 to 4 favourite Pivotal finished a disappointing sixth, a place behind Mind Games. He was never going," said trainer Mark Prescott. "We'll have to take him home and have a look at him."
Mrs Head was "over the moon" following Anabaa's victory. "I could walk on water today. He gets better each time and today we can say he is the best sprinter.
"He came so incredibly close to being put down. When he came back from the gallops he would have fallen over if you'd pushed him and I was the first to say we wouldn't save him.
"But my father Alec told me to try and he has come back on his own. He has given everything back. You have the dream team here today, Papa, mother, brother and myself".
Deauville's Prix Maurice de Gheest, over six and a half furlongs, could be the winner's next target with the Prix Jacques Le Marois, over a mile a possible alternative.
And the trainer is expecting great things of Anabaa's sister Always Loyal, a two year old by Zilzal, soon to make her debut and entered in the Cheveley Park Stakes.
A cup campaign awaits Persian Punch who landed his third win from four starts when beating St Leger entry Athenry by a length and a quarter to win the Listed Bahrain Trophy.
Persian Punch, unable to contest the Doncaster Classic because he has been gelded, is to be aimed at the Goodwood Cup.
Luca Cumani's critics were eating humble pie after Fahim emphatically upheld the form of the trainer's controversial Tuesday winner Crown Court. Cumani, had come under fire after Crown Court appeared to show dramatic improvement to romp home by five lengths in a competitive handicap.
