July Cup

Shock Royal Ascot hero Khaadem (Ire) is likely to be supplemented for the Pertemps Network July Cup S. at Newmarket later this month providing conditions remain dry in the lead up to the race. Charlie Hills' seven-year-old has always threatened to be a high-class speedster and finally landed a long-awaited Group One victory when running out an 80-1 winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at the royal meeting. The son of Dark Angel (Ire) is reported to have bounced out of his Ascot run well and connections now...

John Quinn has identified the Breeders' Cup as the long-term target for Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) after his stable star finished placed in both Group 1 sprints at Royal Ascot last week.  But first, Highfield Princess could take in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket, with Quinn reporting last year's triple Group 1-winning sprinter to have bounced out of Ascot in rude health.  The six-year-old was beaten a length when runner-up to Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) in the King's Stand last Tuesday and was narrowly denied again...

Connections of G1 Commonwealth Cup scorer Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) are favouring a tilt at the G1 July Cup over travelling to France for the G1 Prix Jean Prat, provided the ground is suitable at Newmarket. Although Perfect Power produced a scintillating performance to win the Commonwealth Cup on ground described as good-to-firm, connections of the Richard Fahey-trained speedster are adamant that the three-time Group 1 scorer wants easier going.  Perfect Power is reported to have bounced out of his Royal Ascot win in tremendous form by Bruce Raymond,...

NEWMARKET, UK--Not since Agnes World (Danzig) in 2000 has the G1 Darley July Cup gone to a horse trained outside Europe. There has been a number of Australian challengers during that time, with Choisir (Aus) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) going closest when finishing second to Oasis Dream (GB) (Green Desert) in 2003.  The next to sample the unique undulations of Newmarket's July Course will be the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}), who was given a preview of the track when working four furlongs (800m) with big-race partner...

Trainer Roger Teal looks to have plenty of talented runners to look forward to this year, none more so than his stable star Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}), who is making good progress toward a return after missing the second half of 2021 due to injury. Oxted looked a somewhat surprise package when winning the G3 Abernant S. and G1 July Cup in 2020 as a 4-year-old, and the gelding proved those victories were no fluke when returning last year to take the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot and...

Sakhee's Secret (GB) (Sakhee-Palace Street, by Secreto), who bested Dutch Art (GB) in the 2007 G1 July Cup before going on to success as a sire, has died in Italy aged 17. Trained by Hughie Morrison, Sakhee's Secret won five of 11 starts, with his July Cup win the highlight. He stood at Whitsbury Manor Stud in England for six seasons before moving on to Allevamento Si Fra in Italy, where he was champion sire in 2019 and 2020. Sakhee's Secret has sired 13 stakes winners, headed by New Zealand...

Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}), who doubled his Group 1 tally with a victory in the G1 King's Stand S. this year at Royal Ascot, will sit out the remainder of the season after having surgery to remove a knee chip. Trainer Roger Teal said the chip has been there for some time, but the decision was made to remove it after the gelding's third-place finish in his attempt to defend his title in the G1 July Cup on July 10. "We've always known he's had a floating chip which hasn't...

Dream Of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead), the popular winner of the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot on June 19, will miss his next intended target in the July 10 G1 July Cup after re-aggravating an old ankle injury while training on Saturday morning, Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail, told Racing Post. "Unfortunately Dream Of Dreams aggravated a previous ankle injury, which will keep him out of the July Cup," Raymond said. "He did a routine piece of work and pulled up a little bit sore,...

Rising star sprinter Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) is on course for the July 10 G1 July Cup, with trainer Ed Walker saying he expects ground conditions to be in the 4-year-old's favour. The David Ward homebred was forced to miss last weekend's G1 Diamond Jubilee S. after significant rain fell at Royal Ascot; that course is the scene of Starman's lone defeat, where he beat two home in last year's G1 British Champions Sprint S. over the soft ground. The lightly raced 4-year-old was the first-up winner of the...

G1 Al Quoz Sprint winner and G1 King's Stand S. third Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid) has stayed on in Newmarket following his Ascot exploits, and the American raider will target the G1 July Cup on July 10. After placing in three stakes races in America earlier this year, the 8-year-old gelding Extravagant Kid hit a new level of form when winning the Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs at Meydan under Ryan Moore, and put in an admirable performance at Royal Ascot under Frankie Dettori when dropped down to...

Dream Of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) exited his popular victory in last weekend's G1 Diamond Jubilee S. "remarkably well," according to Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail. The 7-year-old gelding was winning the Royal Ascot sprinting showpiece after finishing runner-up in the prior two renewals for trainer Sir Michael Stoute. "We were delighted, and he's come out of the race very, very well," Raymond said. "His owner was absolutely delighted; he wanted to know if he can keep the trophy so I said, 'no, you have to win...

Stonestreet Stables's Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the winner of last week's G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, will skip an intended start in the G1 July Cup on July 10 and instead ship back to trainer Wesley Ward's Keeneland base on Wednesday. Campanelle's new target is the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, Ward confirmed. "We're going for the Maurice de Gheest on Aug. 8, so we'll have plenty of time to get her back here tomorrow and get her ready and get her there a couple days before...