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British Champions Day: Creative Force wins Champions Sprint as William Buick reduces gap to Oisin Murphy in title race

Creative Force beats Glen Shiel, Minzaal and Art Power to land Group One Champions Sprint at Ascot on Saturday; Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old back to winning way for first time since landing Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot

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William Buick says the Champions Sprint could not have worked out better for Creative Force as the Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old claimed his first Group One success

Creative Force ran out an impressive winner of the Champions Sprint at Ascot to land a first Group One success.

The Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old was prominent throughout the Group One contest, getting a handy lead from frontrunner Glen Shiel under Hollie Doyle.

Buick cruised past Doyle with a furlong to go, finishing nicely clear of the defending champion, with Minzaal in third and Art Power in fourth.

Buick's win closed the gap in the flat jockeys' championship to just two, but he was unable to add to his tally on Saturday as Oisin Murphy successfully defended his title.

Creative Force returned to winning ways for the first time since taking the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

William Buick
Image: Buick started the final day trailing defending champion jockey Oisin Murphy by three

"He really did deserve it," said Buick. "Obviously he won the Jersey [Stakes] here over seven [furlongs] and he goes through that ground which is a big help.

"The race worked out perfectly today. We had a nice draw and I liked the look of it and it worked out how I wanted it to. He was in good form going it but he certainly deserved it and we did think there was a good chance that he would show his best today.

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"It was a lot of runners and they all turned up but he travelled into it very smoothly so it was just a case of waiting with him a little bit.

"He stumbled out of the stalls [when sixth in the Sprint Cup at Haydock last time] and the ground was very fast. If you stumble out of the stalls in a six-furlong Group One it's game over but he got himself back into it that day and ran well considering."

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