July Cup winner Oxted and Roger Teal

With the July Cup now safely in his clutches, the stable star Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) is relaxing in the shade of his box, occasionally poking his head out to flatten his ears at his full-brother Chipstead (GB) next door. Quite right, too. The 2-year-old may look uncannily like his older brother but he has a long way to go to earn his respect.

The siblings are named for nearby villages to Cheval Court Stud in Surrey, where they were bred by the Homecroft Wealth Racing team of Stephen Piper, Tony Hirschfield and David Fish. But their home now is in the heart of the village of Lambourn, where the Teals have settled in well since their move in December to the yard owned by new ROA president Charlie Parker.

Teal seems a little surprised by the warmth of response to the biggest moment for his stable which has been on the rise for a while, through the likes of group winners Steele Tango (Okawango) and Kenzai Warrior (Karakontie {Jpn}). Indeed, Tip Two Win (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) came closest to giving the trainer his biggest breakthrough when finishing a length and a half behind Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to take second in the 2000 Guineas two years ago.

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