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Australian sprinter Exceed And Excel stunned his international connections when his first start in England ended in a shattering failure in the Group One July Cup at Newmarket on Thursday night (AEST).

The Danehill colt, sold to Sheikh Mohammed in March for a reported $22 million, started the 4/1 favourite in the premier sprint of the UK summer but appeared to be in some distress as he dropped quickly out of contention in the last furlong.

Ridden by Australian jockey Kerrin McEvoy, Exceed And Excel had shown his customary speed to quickly find the lead and travelled well for the first half of the race with French Group One winner Patavellian challenging on his outside.

McEvoy began pushing Exceed And Excel with two furlongs to run but the colt compounded quickly as the field made the climb out of the dip approaching the final furlong.

It was evident Exceed And Excel was in trouble and McEvoy to his credit did not punish the colt as he lost ground quickly through the field.

Trainer Tim Martin had been under immense pressure to prepare Exceed And Excel for the July Cup after the colt suffered a viral setback prior to his scheduled first UK start at Royal Ascot last month.

He was content that Exceed And Excel had recovered and will now be left searching for answers as to how the brilliant colt could perform so far below his Australian form.

Exceed And Excel was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed as a future stallion for his Darley Stud in Australia after he won the G1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in March.

It would seem likely the rising four-year-old will now be retired and return to Australia to begin his stud career this spring.

Victory in the July Cup went to the 14/1 chance Frizzante, a five-year-old mare ridden by top Irish jockey John Murtagh for trainer James Fanshawe.

Frizzante finished hard to beat the 100/1 bolter Ashdown Express by a neck on a track Martin regarded as dead and that could hardly be seen as the reason for Exceed And Excel's failure.