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Darley July Cup 2011  

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Stellar International Cast Among 57 for July Cup
05/05/11

This year’s £400,000 Group One Darley July Cup will be a mouth-watering clash of the continents with sprinters representing Asia, Africa, Australasia, North America and Europe featuring among the 57 horses entered for the six-furlong contest at Newmarket on Saturday, 9th July.

The highlight of the three-day Newmarket July Festival, from Thursday, 7th July to Saturday, 9th July, 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.      

A truly international entry includes Singapore’s champion sprinter Rocket Man, who has dominated the division in his homeland and confirmed himself as a leading player on the world stage in recent months. The Patrick Shaw-trained six-year-old went down by a short-head in the Group One Hong Kong Sprint in December before posting a comprehensive success in the Group One Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan in March.

Sunny King, representing Hong Kong trainer John Moore, was third behind Rocket Man in Dubai and the six-year-old has performed admirably in Group One company in Hong Kong, while South African handler Mike de Kock has entered Musir, who was beaten just over half a length when third in the Group One Champions Mile at Sha Tin on 25th April.

Despite their recent dominance of the other two British legs of the Global Sprint Challenge at Royal Ascot, no Australian-trained horse has yet triumphed in the Darley July Cup. A quartet of Antipodean entries for this year’s contest includes the Danny O’Brien-trained Star Witness, successful in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington in October. Fellow Group One winner Eagle Falls, who took the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in February, may represent trainer David Hayes.

Hinchinbrook, runner-up in the Group One All Aged Stakes at Randwick on 23rd April, could represent the Peter Moody stable, while Mark Kavanagh has given an entry to Shrapnel, a Group Two winner at Morphettville in March.

Globetrotting Florida-based trainer Wesley Ward, fresh from saddling three winners in France over the weekend, may be represented at Newmarket by progressive three-year-old filly Holiday For Kitten as he bids for further glory in Britain following his exploits at Royal Ascot in 2009.

James Fanshawe sent out Frizzante to triumph in the Darley July Cup in 2004 and the Newmarket handler is hoping for success with Society Rock, who was runner-up to Starspangledbanner in last year’s Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot before coming home seventh behind the same rival in the Darley July Cup. The Newmarket trainer has also entered the progressive Mac’s Power, who ended his 2010 campaign with a never-nearer fourth in a Doncaster Listed contest in November.

Fanshawe revealed: “We haven’t finalised plans for Society Rock but he is entered to run at Haydock on Saturday and at York next week. I am just keeping an eye on the ground but my preference at the moment is to go to Haydock with him, providing they get some rain up there.

“He was disappointing on his seasonal return (at Newmarket on 14th April) but hopefully he can soon put that effort behind him. He ran very well in the Golden Jubilee Stakes and didn’t get the clearest of runs in the Darley July Cup.

“I’d like to get him back winning again and then make a proper plan for him. Hopefully, he is going to be a nice sprinter for this year.

“It’s quite an ambitious entry for Mac’s Power but he was a horse who was really going the right way last season. He’s a big gelding with lots of scope and he loves some ease in the ground and you never know if there is some give in the going.”

Lady Of The Desert
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Lady Of The Desert

Other notable contenders include Group One Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye runner-up Lady Of The Desert, from the stable of Brian Meehan, the Henry Candy-trained Markab, successful in the Group One Haydock Sprint Cup, and Dream Ahead, who posted a pair of Group One victories for trainer David Simcock last year and ended the season as joint top-rated European juvenile alongside Frankel.

Aidan O’Brien landed the spoils for a third time in 2010 courtesy of Starspangledbanner and Ireland’s champion trainer has a trio of entries headed by Group One Phoenix Stakes winner Zoffany, while the Jim Bolger-trained Glor Na Mara is also among the seven Irish-trained contenders.

The five French-trained entries include War Artist, who took third in the 2008 Darley July Cup prior to joining current handler Rodolphe Collet, and the Mikel Delzangles-trained Total Gallery, who was purchased by Qatar’s Sheikh Fahad Al Thani at the end of last season.

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