The 2017 renewal of the July Cup, which is one of the richest sprints of the campaign, takes place at Newmarket on Saturday July 1st. Our ante-post market is already live and here are 3 horses that are seen by many as being potential winners.
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Age: 3 (Foaled February 23rd, 2014)
Sex: Grey Colt
Breeding: Scat Daddy (USA) – Mekko Hokte (USA) (Holy Bull (USA))
Trainer: A P O’Brien
Owner: Mrs John Magnier,Mr M Tabor & Mr D Smith
Unbeaten in 5 starts and followed-up victories at both Dundalk and the Curragh with a comprehensive defeat of Mehmas in the Coventry Stakes. The Scat Daddy colt easily won the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes and was no-less dominant when seeing-off Psychedelic Funk, in the Lacken Stakes at Naas on seasonal reappearance. An outstanding-looking horse and surely the one to beat if he runs.
Limato (IRE)
Age: 5 (Foaled February 8th, 2012)
Sex: Bay Gelding
Breeding: Tagula (IRE) – Come April (Singspiel (IRE))
Trainer: H Candy
Owner: Mr Paul G Jacobs
Looked rusty in his only outing of 2017, so far, trailing in 10th of 12 in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan when expected to go close. Also somewhat disappointing when 6th of 8 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, on his final appearance of 2016. Won this encounter last year though, when the field included the likes of Quiet Reflection, Magical Memory, Air Force Blue and Twilight Son, so cannot be ruled-out.
Harry Angel (IRE)
Age: 3 (Foaled February 8th, 2014)
Sex: Bay Colt
Breeding: Dark Angel (IRE) – Beatrix Potter (IRE)
Trainer: C G Cox
Owner: Mr Peter Ridgers
Raced just twice, as a 2-year-old, but comfortably won the Mill Reef Stakes by 2.5 lengths from Perfect Angel. Had a tantrum in the stalls, before finishing runner-up to Blue Point in the Pavilion Stakes and pulled very-hard in that race. Harry Angel put that bad day at the office firmly behind him, when making all and crushing rivals in the Sandy Lane Stakes. Appears to be a superb sprinter, in the making.
Others attracting bets include Acapulco, Tasleet, Dream Castle and The Tin Man.
Race History
The race was inaugurated in 1876 and the winner of the first and second ever July Cups was a horse called Springfield. Owned by Queen Victoria, Springfield was a bay stallion, sired by St Albans and out of a dam called Viridis.
James Ryan had the honour of training the Queen’s horse and Springfield was also a winner of the 1875 Gimcrack Stakes, the 1877 Queen’s Stand Plate and the 1877 Champion Stakes. The horse had nineteen outings on the track and was successful in seventeen of them. In the two races where he was beaten, Springfield came second!
Lester Piggott’s final July Cup win came aboard Mr Brooks in 1992. Mr Brooks was sired by Blazing Saddles and his dam was Double Finesse. Mr Brooks other major victories were the Gladness Stakes (1991), the Ballyogan Stakes (1991), the Concorde Stakes (1991), the Grosser Preis von Berlin1 (1992) and the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1992).
Les Arcs impressively won this race as a six year-old in 2006. The American brown gelding also won the Cammidge Trophy and the Golden Jubilee Stakes in the same year, an outstanding achievement for a thoroughbred in the autumn of his flat racing career.
Dream Ahead carried Hayley Turner into the history books in 2011, helping her to become the first female jockey to have ridden the winner in a British G1 race.
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