Cinderella’s Dream on course for Breeders’ Cup redemption after Falmouth first

Royal Ascot last month was something of a struggle for Charlie Appleby but his “home” meeting this week has been a different story and the former champion trainer will head into the final day of the July Festival looking for a second Group One in as many days after Cinderella’s Dream edged out January, the favourite, in the Falmouth Stakes on Friday.

Appleby has two runners in Saturday’s July Cup, the midsummer sprint championship, including the probable favourite, Notable Speech, and ended the middle afternoon of the meeting with six wins from 13 starters over the first two days.

Cinderella’s Dream, meanwhile, was a perfect reminder of how the trainer’s fortunes have turned around in recent weeks, as the first Group One win of her career followed a defeat as the 5-4 favourite for a Group Two at the Royal meeting.

“I just don’t know whether she was 100% at Ascot,” Appleby said. “We were beaten turning in in my opinion, [but] Will was just travelling so much better today and when they hit the rising ground, I thought it would be tough to get past her.”

Cinderella’s Dream was the favourite for last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf but finished a half-length second after running into traffic problems around Del Mar’s tight turf circuit.

The San Diego track is the venue for the Breeders’ Cup once again in November and Appleby will work backwards from there in terms of Cinderella’s Dream’s schedule for the remainder of the year.

“She’s as tough as teak and I’m delighted for her getting a Group One as she’s been so consistent,” Appleby said. “It annoyed me when that got away from us last year so we’re very much going back for another crack.”

Charlie Appleby has had six wins from 13 starters over the first two days of the Newmarket July festival. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

The Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes has been won by a subsequent 1,000 Guineas winner as recently as 2022 when Saeed bin Suroor’s Mawj beat another future Group One winner in Lezoo – and Karl Burke has next year’s Newmarket Classic very much in mind for Venetian Sun after she maintained her unbeaten record with a neck success in the latest renewal.

“Her pedigree says she is more a miler at least, and a three-year-old,” Burke said. “She’s a very mature filly with a great engine and I think racing against the very best horses will bring out the best in her.”

Bank on Bermuda to lift Cup

The July Cup and two of the season’s most valuable handicaps are the highlights of ITV Racing’s busiest Saturday of the year and with the shrewd William Haggas stable fielding a strong favourite in both the Bunbury Cup and John Smith’s Cup, the Group One sprint at Newmarket is arguably the most interesting betting contest of the day after Notable Speech, last year’s 2,000 Guineas winner, was a surprise addition to the field earlier this week.

The last 2,000 Guineas winner to add a July Cup to his record was Tetratema in 1921, but Notable Speech went straight to the top of the betting on Monday with both Charlie Appleby and William Buick expressing cautious optimism that he will cope with the drop back in trip.

“Obviously we won’t know fully about six furlongs until we try it, but it’s worth a try,” Buick said this week. “He’s a horse with loads of speed and if he can adapt to that early pace and be within himself, I think he’ll be there with a very good shot.”

Notable Speech is the top-rated runner in Saturday’s race but not by much, and while there is no standout in the current crop of sprinters, it still requires a slight leap of faith to back him at around 5-2. Whistlejacket, a Group One winner as a juvenile last season, is a live contender, but Flora Of Bermuda (4.35) also arrives with strong credentials having finished third in the Jubilee at Ascot last month.

Andrew Balding’s filly has gone close at the highest level already, still looks to be improving from race to race and is a fair bet at around 5-1 to finally notch a Group One win.

Newmarket 1.40 This is generally one of the strongest fillies’ maidens of the season and Desert Flower, this year’s 1,000 Guineas winner, was Charlie Appleby’s fifth winner in eight runnings 12 months ago. William Buick has picked Snow Light from Appleby’s two runners and the hint is probably worth taking.

York 2.00 Owen Burrows’s Remmooz lost his unbeaten record in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last month but was still showing signs of inexperience there and and is likely to progress for the run.

Newmarket 2.12 Miss Nightfall was much better than the bare result when sixth in an ultra-competitive race at Royal Ascot last time and arrives here running off just a 1lb higher mark.

Ascot 2.22 Three Royal Ascot winners head the betting for this Group Two including Never So Brave, who put up one of the best handicap performances of the season to win the Buckingham Palace Stakes under 9st 12lb can take the step up in class in his stride.

York 2.35 The admirably consistent Jm Jungle is a regular over this track and trip and could have a little too much speed for his rivals as he steps out of handicap company in Britain for the first time.

Newmarket 2.50 William Haggas’s More Thunder has an obvious chance on the form of his close second in the Wokingham Handicap but he had a hard race to get as close as he did after being outpaced three out and his short price makes the market for an each-way bet on Ebt’s Guard at around 20-1. He was less than four lengths behind impressive winner My Cloud in the Hunt Cup last time, one of several pieces of form that give him a realistic chance to upset the favourite.

York 3.10 It is 15 years since a three-year-old landed this ultra-competitive handicap but only a handful have made it into the field and it is not a stat that should put anyone off backing Archivist. He was a cosy winner off a 5lb lower mark on his handicap debut at this track last month, is bred to improve for this step up in trip and a single-figure draw is a big boost for his chance too.

Newmarket 3.25 It took five attempts for Mister Winston to get off the mark at Chester last time out but he showed definite improvement to go two and a quarter lengths clear of the runner-up and starts out in handicaps off what could prove to be a generous mark.

York 3.45 Tabletalk, last year’s Melrose winner over course and distance, has been shaping well over shorter trips this year while also threatening to return to winning form when he steps back up to a mile and three-quarters. He is a solid option against likely favourite Al Qareem, who was gifted a soft lead for his win last time out.

Newmarket 4.00 Aidan O’Brien’s Italy beat a subsequent Royal Ascot runner-up on his debut at Leopardstown in May and can get the better of another once-raced winner, Saba Desert, in what promises to be a fascinating and informative juvenile contest.

Ascot 4.50 Having finished well clear in the unfavoured group on the stands’ side in the Wokingham last time out, Holkham Bay clearly remains in top form and this return to the minimum trip is unlikely to be an issue.