Date posted July 6, 2009 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Racing and BreedingThis year’s £400,000 Darley July Cup is set to be a truly international contest, with leading sprinters from five countries among the 14 acceptors after the confirmation stage for the Group One sprint at Newmarket’s July Course.
Scenic Blast
The 1200m contest, the third and final British leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, is highlight of the last day of Newmarket’s three-day Champagne Lanson July Festival - Wednesday, July 8, to Friday, July 10.
After storming to a sensational victory over the minimum trip in the Group One King’s Stand Stakes on his British debut at Royal Ascot on June 16, Australian superstar Scenic Blast (Scenic ex Daughter’s Charm by Delgado) will make the step up to six furlongs on the July course.
The Dan Morton-trained five-year-old has previously triumphed over the same trip in the Group One Crown Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, in March and will be bidding for a third Global Sprint Challenge victory following his successes at Royal Ascot and in the five-furlong Lightning Stakes at Flemington in January.
The Australian presence will be further enhanced by veteran sprinter Takeover Target (Celtic Swing ex Shady Stream by Archregent), who is set to make his second appearance in the Darley July Cup, having been seventh behind Les Arcs in 2006.
The evergreen 10-year-old, who notched his seventh Group One success with victory in the Goodwood Handicap at Morphettville, in May, was forced to miss the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot because a high temperature, but is reported to be in good health by his trainer Joe Janiak following two racecourse gallops with Scenic Blast on the July Course.
Takeover Target
Last season’s top South African sprinter, J J The Jet Plane (Jet Master ex Majestic Guest by Northern Guest), will also bid to take the prize for the southern hemisphere. Trained by Mike de Kock, the five-year-old landed three Grade One victories in his native country and was an impressive winner of a Listed contest at Windsor on his British debut in May prior to coming fourth in the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes.
After saddling Anabaa to victory in 1996, Chantilly-based Criquette-Head Maarek is bidding for a second July Cup success with the talented filly African Rose (Observatory ex New Orchid, by Quest for Fame), who landed the Group One Sprint Cup at Doncaster last season.
Duff (Spinning World ex Shining Prospect by Lycius), trained by Edward Lynam, is the Irish representative and he finished eighth to Art Connoisseur in the Golden Jubilee Stakes after having every chance two furlongs out.
The home challenge is set to be headed by Art Connoisseur (Lucky Story ex Withorwithoutyou by Danehill), from the stable of Michael Bell. The three-year-old colt announced himself on the sprinting scene with a superb victory in the Golden Jubilee Stakes, beating Darley July Cup hopefuls including King’s Apostle and Intrepid Jack as well as J J The Jet Plane and Duff.
The Richard Hannon-trained Paco Boy (Desert Style ex Tappen Zee by Sandhurst Prince) may also bid to follow up success at Royal Ascot having won over a mile in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes, while Group Three scorer Main Aim (Oasis Dream ex Orford Ness, by Selkirk), from the yard of Sir Michael Stoute, could also drop down in trip after coming fourth in the same race.
Fleeting Spirit (Invincible Spirit ex Millennium Tale by Distant Relative) was the only one to give Scenic Blast a race in the King’s Stand Stakes, getting within three-quarters-of-a-length in second, while Equiano (Acclamation ex Entente Cordiale by Ela-Mana-Mou) came eighth in the same race.
The Ashes are not going to be over in Wales, they are going to be in the east of England at Newmarket
Prime Defender (Bertolini ex Arian Da by Superlative) and Ancien Regime (King’s Best ex Sadalsud by Shaadi)finished fifth and sixth to African Rose in last year’s Sprint Club. Prime Defender, after winning the Listed Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March, ran in the KrisFlyer International Sprint in Singapore in May but came home last of 13.
Ancien Regime made his Godolphin and seasonal debut when second in the Group Three Chipcase Stakes at Newcastle last month.
Stephen Wallis, Managing Director of Newmarket Racecourses, said:
“This is a tremendous potential line-up for the Darley July Cup - the Ashes are not going to be over in Wales, they are going to be in the east of England at Newmarket!”
A total of 17 juveniles have been declared for the seven-furlong £80,000 Group Two Meydan Superlative Stakes, including Royal Ascot winner Big Audio (Oratorio ex Tarbela by Grand Lodge), who scored in the Chesham Stakes and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Beethoven (Oratorio ex Queen Titi by Sadler’s Wells) who was fourth in the same race.
Friday’s action starts with the competitive £40,000 Premier Travel Handicap (36 entries) and the seven-race card also includes a EBF Fillies’ Maiden (21 entries), the £20,000 Weatherbys Nursery Handicap (25 entries), and a £15,000 Handicap (33 entries).
GROUND
The going at Newmarket is currently Good To Firm and six millimetres of water is being applied to the July Course and further watering will take place as necessary. The forecast is for mainly dry weather with sunny spells. There are light showers forecast early in the week with three to four millimetres due to fall Monday and Tuesday. The weather for the balance of the Champagne Lanson Festival - is forecast to be dry.
