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Key events
Satono Reve, incidentally, would be following an illustrious and historic compatriot onto the July Cup’s roll of honour if he can triumph this afternoon, as Agnes World’s win in 2000, with the equally legendary Yutaka Take holding the reins, was the first ever Group One win for a Japanese-trained runner in the UK.
JULY CUP CONTENDER: SATONO REVE
Age: 7. Career: 19 races, 9 wins. Group One wins: 2. Trainer: Noriyuki Hori. Timeform rating: 123.
No horse has gone closer than Satono Reve to giving Japan its first ever win at Royal Ascot, as Noriyuki Hori’s sprinter has finished second in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs for the last two years.
His latest defeat was particularly agonising, as he did everything right bar getting his nose down on the line as Almeraq finished fastest of all to deny him the win.
His overall form stacks up impressively in this field and the easier finish on the July course may well suit Satono Reve better than the stiff climb to the line at Ascot.
The punters certainly seem to think so, as he has been backed all morning to currently stand at 2-1 favourite and a repeat of his form earlier this year behind the legendary Hong Kong-trained sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, might well be more than enough.
2.15 NEWMARKET, FILLIES’ HANDICAP, 7F
The nine runners in this fillies’ handicap are all priced up at between 7-2 and 16-1 at present so no outcome would be an entire surprise. Machadadorp, though, looks like a worthy favourite for the Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy combo, as the form of her narrow win last time was franked when the second went in next time up, and her opening mark of 86 looks more than fair on that basis. True Test, sixth of 30 from an iffy draw in the cauldron of Royal Ascot last time, is a serious rival, though, while from among the older, more experienced competitors, Song N Dance and Shallow both have distinct chances on their best form.
SELECTION: MACHADADORP
1.55 ASCOT, HANDICAP, 5F
The high-numbers had by far the best of it at the Royal meeting last month and while the stalls are in the centre rather than spread right across the course, the near side still appeals as the likeliest source of the winner here. Horses that race up with the pace also tend to be favoured over the minimum trip at this track, and for me at least, the speedy Schrodinger’s Cat, who is drawn in stall 13, fits the bill at around 10-1. He is two stalls away from Regal Envoy, one of the few horses in the race that might give him a lead, and showed that he remains in top form when edged out by a short-head at York last month. Behike, who had little chance from his draw at the Royal meeting last time, has a better pitch today and every hope of success if he is back to his earlier winning form at Lingfield, while Havana Hurricane has a track-and-trip win to his name in the Windsor Castle Stakes last June although his hold-up running style is not ideal.
SELECTION: SCHRODINGER’S CAT
1.40 NEWMARKET, MAIDEN STAKES, 2YO, 7F
A rare appearance for a maiden event on the ITV schedule and while it’s not a race to be betting in, it has a strong back-catalogue of winners and runners that went on to better things. Constitution River, this year’s leading three-year-old, was beaten a short-head in last year’s race – it remains the only defeat on his record – while Field Of Gold, a multiple Group One winner last season, was the winner two years ago.
There’s an obvious favourite in Aidan O’Brien’s Haffner, who was second behind stable companion Abraham Lincoln, the current second favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas, in a similar race at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend, but it would be no surprise at all if one of the unraced runners if either Al Wathba (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) or Subscription (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) were up to the task of winning this on debut. Appleby is looking for his fifth success in the last decade and his overall record at the July Festival is second to none.
SELECTION: AL WATHBA.
JULY CUP CONTENDER: VENETIAN SUN
Age: 3. Career: 8 races, 6 wins. Group One wins: 2. Trainer: Karl Burke. Timeform rating: 118.
Karl Burke’s three-year-old filly gave her owner, Tony Bloom, his biggest win since deciding to invest heavily in the Flat game when she took the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last month.
She has a leading chance on that form and was a solid favourite for today’s feature event after the final declarations on Thursday morning, but has been drifting steadily this morning after doubts were raised about whether she will line up on the increasingly quick ground.
The going has been good-to-firm for both of Venetian Sun’s Group One wins – she also took the Prix Morny against the colts, including Gstaad, this year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, at Deauville last summer – but Burke believes she is better with some cut in the ground and is particularly sensitive ahead of his star filly’s first run in all-aged company.
It may still be a while before her participation, or otherwise, is confirmed, as Sean Graham, Bloom’s racing manager, may opt to see how the jockeys feel the ground is riding after the first race at 1.40 before reaching a final decision.
Preamble
Good afternoon and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of Flat racing’s annual “Super Saturday” – the busiest and most wide-ranging afternoon of action in the calendar.
There are a dozen races from three different tracks – Newmarket, Ascot and York – on the ITV Racing schedule, including the Group One July Cup – the midsummer sprinting championship – at 4.35, and two of the sport’s most historic and popular handicaps: the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket (3.25) and the John Smith’s Cup at York (3.45).
Along the way there’s also a chance to see the current second-favourite for next season’s 2,000 Guineas, Abraham Lincoln, in action in the Superlative Stakes (Newmarket 4.00), while the second and fourth from the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot last month take each other on again over the same track and trip at 2.27.
The action at Newmarket is underway at 1.40, after which it is all going to be a bit of a blur until the Group Three Silver Cup closes out the televised action at 4.55, so I’ll be teeing up the main contenders for Group One glory in the July Cup with video form, ratings and pen-pics before it all kicks off.
There will be race-by-race previews too through the afternoon, though there’s a summary of my picks for the dozen ITV races here. So, leap into the saddle, shake the reins and hang on tight: it promises to be quite a ride.
