This year’s £400,000 Group One Darley July Cup looks set to be another outstanding renewal with the world’s leading sprinters featuring among an entry of 76 for the 1200m contest.
Among the entries for the Group One feature are horses trained in Australia, America, France Hong Kong and Germany along with the home teams from Britain and Ireland.
The highlight of the three-day Newmarket July Festival on Friday, 9th of July, the Darley July Cup is one of the three British legs of the Global Sprint Challenge alongside the King’s Stand Stakes and the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Global Sprint Challenge
Having plundered the English 2000 Guineas, with Makfi, French trainer Mikel Delzangles is eyeing up another major at Newmarket with Marchand D’Or, who posted a scintillating victory in the 2008 Darley July Cup for former handler Freddie Head.
Australian sprinters have dominated the first two British legs of the Global Sprint Challenge at Royal Ascot but have yet to emerge victorious in the Darley July Cup. A quartet of entries features the David Hayes-trained pair of Nicconi, who landed the Group One Lightning Stakes at Flemington in January, and Group Two winner Eagle Falls. Gold Trail, from the yard of Gary Portelli, and the Paul Messara-trained Alverta also boast Group One-winning form down under.
Two of the most exciting southern hemisphere performers of recent years may also line up for new connections. Dual Group One winner Starspangledbanner was purchased by Michael Tabor in January and is set to race for Aidan O’Brien this summer, while Denman, successful in the Group One Golden Rose Stakes in August, has been transferred from Peter Snowden to Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor by Sheikh Mohammed.
Denman
A pair of Hong Kong-trained entries consists of the Derek Cruz-trained Joy And Fun, successful in the Group Three Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, and Happy Zero, who triumphed in the Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin in March for handler John Moore.
Dubai Golden Shaheen victor Kinsale King, one of three entries hailing from the United States, has been entered by Carl O’Callaghan alongside stable companion Leaving New York. Todd Pletcher enjoyed his first success in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday and the New York trainer may be represented by the progressive West Ocean, who has posted impressive wins on his two most recent starts.
The “Budapest Bullet” Overdose, unbeaten in 13 starts, is set to make his British debut at Royal Ascot ahead of a possible tilt at Newmarket, while French handler Alain de Royer-Dupre may be represented by Prix de la Foret scorer Varenar and War Artist, who took third in the 2008 Darley July Cup when in the care of James Eustace.
The home challenge is set to be headed by Fleeting Spirit, who survived a stewards’ enquiry to triumph over Main Aim in last year’s race. The Jeremy Noseda-trained filly went on to finish second behind Regal Parade in the Haydock Sprint Cup and filled the same spot in the Prix de l’Abbaye.
Other notable entries include the Aidan O’Brien-trained Rip Van Winkle and Paco Boy, from the stable of Richard Hannon, who have posted Group One victories over a mile, and last year’s Stan James-sponsored 2000 Guineas runner-up Delegator.
The classic generation is also set to be well represented and the 29 three-year-olds entered included Canford Cliffs, third in the 2000 Guineas recently, as well as Awzaan and Showcasing, who took first and third respectively in last season’s Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien has given an entry to the highly regarded pair of Steinbeck and Lillie Langtry, successful in the Tattersalls Timeform Fillies’ 800 on the Rowley Mile in October.
