Shamexpress's July Cup bid fails Australian sprinter Shamexpress's bid to become the first southern hemisphere trained sprinter to win Europe's top short course race, the July Cup, foundered in sweltering conditions at Newmarket when Danny O'Brien's colt finished seventh of 11 behind all the way winner Lethal Force. Shamexpress, ridden by Derby winning French jockey Mickael Barzelona, raced in mid division but found little when asked for his effort on the undulating 1200 metre course with a stiff uphill finish. He eventually came home five lengths adrift of the winner, who set a new track record on ground officially described as good to firm. The Australian sprinters, often so dominant in their northern hemisphere raids, have thus drawn a blank this year. Shamexpress also finished out of the frame in the Kings Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot in June, while the John O'Shea trained mare Sea Siren was unplaced in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at the Royal meeting, a race also won, co-incidentally, by Lethal Force. O'Brien is due back in Australia early Monday morning, but despite his lack of success with a horse who is still a three year old to southern hemisphere time the Flemington based handler has not been deterred from trying again. The jockey felt on a flat track he probably finishes the race off and puts himself right in the finish, but just that rise over the last 100 is obviously pretty tough. We always knew to come here as a three year old with the jump in weights he was going to have step up a bit. They are very hard races to win. You have got to go somewhere with them, and it was either this or Queensland and I have certainly got no real dramas about coming here. He will have a break here, go back into work at Newmarket, then travel out with the Cups horses and be ready for Melbourne Cup week for the sprints there. I am more than happy to have come here.