Qirat collects Criterion prize at the expense of Never So Brave

Shock Sussex Stakes winner Qirat landed another upset to floor well-backed rivals in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Criterion Stakes at York.

Last summer the Ralph Becket-trained five-year-old gelding had provided one of the upsets of the season to land the Goodwood Group One as a 150-1 outsider.

And while he was shorter at the Knavesmire, returning at 8-1, he floored better-fancied rivals in Never So Brave (6-4 favourite) and Sabre Strike to land the Group Three prize.

Qirat was unruly in the stalls but was bounced into a lead by Silvestre de Sousa and took the field to the two-furlong marker.

After being joined and probably just headed by Never So Brave he battled back to get the better of that rival and pulled one and a half lengths clear at the line, with Never So Brave’s market rival Saber Strike doing his best work at the end in third.