July Cup Stakes Guide 2021

Roger Teal’s stable star took his form to new heights last season when capturing this race under Cieren Fallon.

Brushing aside multiple Royal Ascot winners he looked to have the 6 furlong division at his mercy.

His form tailed off subsequently however. The deep ground on champion’s day blunted his turn of foot.

A trip to Saudi Arabia was fruitless and he struggled initially when back on home turf. Beaten in a group 3 at Newmarket, he was then unable to live with Starman in the Clipper Logistics at York.

He bounced back to form at Royal Ascot last month and put in a spellbinding performance to win the King’s Stand over 5 furlongs.

Dropping in trip wasn’t an issue as the field went hard, held up off the stiff pace, he cut through late on and surged to another group one success.

Moving back up in trip should harbour no concerns and he looks to be back to his spine tingling best.

He’s got 3.5 lengths to find with Starman however.

Has tight form linking with Oxted as the pair squared off in the Clipper Logistics at York in mid May.

A very lightly raced 4 year old, he didn’t make his debut until he was 3 years old and immediately struck up a sequence of 3 wins.

A maiden and a novice were followed up by a listed race where he scalped the ever consistent Dakota Gold at York.

Unable to land a blow in the British Champion Stakes Sprint on deep ground he lost his unbeaten record.

He regained the winning thread immediately this season when returning at the Dante Festival to run out a ready winner of the grade 2 sprint.

Oisin Murphy took over in the saddle and was strong in the finish to keep Nahaar at bay by a neck.

He left a few of today’s rivals in his wake that day and looked like the new superstar of the sprint division.
He’s been rested since and skipped Ascot.

He’s got form over most of this field and looks the one to beat on paper. Tom Marquand comes back into the saddle.

The first of the three year olds to take their chance against the older horses is Dragon Symbol. His rise through the ranks has been astounding this year.

He bolted up on debut under Hollie Doyle at Wolverhampton and quickly backed that up under a penalty. Moved into handicaps he made a mockery of a mark of 85 to record his hat trick.

Dropped in trip to 5 furlongs and moved into a conditions race, he again put up a stellar performance to another win.
Rightly moved into graded company he contested the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock on bottomless ground.

He was just denied by outsider Rohaan by a nose who’s since won the Wokingham off an eye-watering mark of 112.

With strong form in the books we last saw Dragon Symbol be first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup only for the result to be overturned in the steward’s room afterwards.

He’s worth his chance here. He and Campanelle pulled well clear in the Commonwealth Cup and he could just make the most of his weight for age allowance.

A winner of five of his 6 outings, creative force has been highly consistent for trainer Charlie Appleby.

An easy maiden win as a 2 year old, he only ran once more in his juvenile campaign in a poor showing in the Coventry Stakes to finish 10th.

He’s really come to life in his 3 year old campaign. A handicap handicap win at Newmarket early in the season over 6 furlongs is some red hot 3 year old form. Royal Ascot winners Significantly and Rohaan were both easily beaten.

Creative Force easily shifted from handicap company to gain listed honours at Newbury over 6 furlongs again and took his form up another notch when winning the Jersey Stakes At Ascot last month.

Smart form this season that’s worked out well, he stays further than 6 furlongs so won’t mind them going hard up front. A smart looking 3 year old in receipt of 6lbs from his elders.

ForAndrew Balding and the King Power Racing colours is Chil Chil.

The 5 year old has slowly climbed the ranks from handicaps and has been relatively consistent over sprinting trips in handicap company.

The mare has put in some massive performances at Newmarket with form reading 121. She took her form to another level recently when winning a group 3 at Newcastle on the all weather.

She travelled powerfully and stayed on well to hit the front within the last furlong to a dominant victory.

This represents a major step up in class for her, despite her going well at Newmarket many times this might be a struggle for her to get competitive in a deep group 1.

Another for King Power Racing is striking grey Art Power. A couple of low level victories came in his late 2 year old career and early 3 year old season but he really rose to prominence with a bloodless victory in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Handicap at Royal Ascot last year.

A trip over to Ireland yielded group 3 honours but he’s struggled to regain the winning thread since.

A poor run in the Nunthorpe was followed by a couple of 4th place finishes in group ones.

A return to the course in the Clipper Logistics Stakes at York saw him go off joint favourite but have to settle for a lacklustre 6th.

Showing more of what he’s capable of with a 3rd place in the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot last month he looks to be struggling to get the better of the proven group 1 horses.

Looks held on previous form but could be in place claims again.

A likeable sort Glen Shiel. Tried over middle distance trips as a younger horse he’s found his niche sprinting.

Coming from handicaps he notched his first group success last year when winning over in Ireland at the Curragh.

Gotten the better of by Dream Of Dreams at Haydock he had to settle for 2nd place but bounced right back to form with a gutsy win of the British Champion Sprint Stakes at Ascot at the end of last season.

Beaten on comeback over in Ireland despite being favourite, he put in another stellar performance to be 2nd to Dream Of Dreams in the Diamond Jubilee at Ascot last month.

Another bold showing is likely on the cards and a stiff 6 furlongs is right up his alley. Hollie Doyle retains the partnership and the pair will go close again.

Clive Cox brings the lightly raced Supremacy here. Beaten easily on his debut run as a 2 year old, he quickly left that behind and won a maiden with utmost ease.

Swiftly following that up with a group 2 win at Goodwood he looked to be improving at a rate of knots.

Another massive step forward came when winning the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket to round out a brilliant juvenile season.

Only seen once so far this campaign, he went off favourite for a group 3 at Ascot in a Commonwealth Cup trial but trialled home in last.

Maybe desperately needing the run he’ll likely come on for that first outing. However it was such a poor showing it would be hard to have any real confidence in him going for this.

An 8 year old trained over in America by Brendan Walsh, Extravagant Kid makes another appearance here in England.
A wealth of experience in his career has yielded plenty of success.

Most notably a group 1 victory in Meydan over 6 furlongs, beating Final Song and Acklam Express.

Strangely he was gelded after his group 1 win and came over for his first run this side of the Atlantic with a bold showing in the King’s Stand at Ascot last month to finish 3rd.

His best run has come over 6 furlongs and the minimum trip at Ascot just looked to task him too much for pace. An interesting runner if the change in trip shows him at his best.

Six year old Good Effort represents Ismail Mohammed here having recently being beaten by Chil Chil up at Newcastle in the group 3 race there.

He’s been highly tried over a variety of trips but has found his feet over 6 furlongs. Multiple handicap wins and a couple of listed wins are his career bests and he’s earned himself a decent rating of 110.

He’s won over this course and distance before and ran a screamer last time out when getting caught late on by Chil Chil in the group 3 at Newcastle.

Ratings would have that as a career best but he’ll need to improve again to get involved here. He looks held by Chil Chil and she doesn't look to be of the quality for a deep group one race.

Another 3 year old taking his chance against the older horses. A smart debut winner as a 2 year old, he had subsequent group winner Fev Rover back in 2nd, Method took to listed level on his second outing with ease too.

He’s not managed to get his head in front since after going for loftier targets.

Only managing 8th in the Middle Park Stakes behind Supremacy, he disappointed again when being brushed aside by Winter Power over 5 furlongs at Newmarket at the end of last season.

Returning to the track for the group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in May he was well held behind Dragon Symbol and Rohaan, settling for 5th.

He had some smart juvenile form but might just find group ones a little bit out of his reach.

Charlie Appleby also saddle Glorious Journey here off the back of a group success here at Newmarket late last month.

The son of Dubawi has notched a couple of group 3 and listed wins in his career having bounced between 6 and 7 furlongs.

He ran in this 2 years ago but was left for dead by Ten Sovereigns and only managed 8th of the 12 runners.
Another who’s got solid enough form at sprinting trips but just looks to be shy of the quality needed for a group one.

The outsider in the betting, is veteran sprinter Brando. The 9 year old hasn’t won since June of 2019 but has put in many creditable performances since.

A winner of the group 3 Abernant Stakes twice, he has plenty of smart form in the books over the years but has been struggling to get his head in front recently.

His last good run came back in October last year in the British Champion Sprint Stakes when coming 2nd by a nose to Glen Shiel.

What was probably a career best at Ascot would give him a chance here but he’s struggled to replicate a run to anywhere near that level this season. Likely to be left behind by younger legs again.

A gelding by Shamardal for Kevin Ryan, he was a good group 2 winner as a juvenile when winning the Gimcrack Stakes at York.

Taken over a mile during his 3 year old campaign, he only beat one rival home in the 2019 2000 Guineas and didn’t taste success again until dropping back in trip and grade to win over 6 furlongs at Salisbury.

He’s not managed to win since but has run very well in defeat subsequently, including two placed efforts in Abernant Stakes on the Rowley Mile.

A gelding operation before this season hasn’t yielded the desired results yet and he’s only managed to be 3rd in a group 3 race this campaign.

Lacking real group quality and likely to be left behind by the principles.

Another one deep in the betting, Charles Hills’ Garrus ran a career best to be 5th in the Diamond Jubilee last month at Royal Ascot.

A listed winner as a 3 year old over 5 furlongs, he’s since struggled in higher grade races. He’s been busy this year and was narrowly beaten by subsequent group winner Came From The Dark in a handicap in mid April.

Left for dead by Dream Of Dreams in a listed race at Windsor in May, he bumped into the same rival again in the Diamond Jubilee but ran creditably to be 5th.

A career best would be needed from this 5 year old to get involved and he doesn’t look to have that kind of improvement left in him.

A very well versed 7 year old in Summerghand. He’s been a brilliant servant for trainer David O’Meara. A winner of the Steward’s Cup off top weight last year, he got a very well deserved group win this season.

Causing an upset when overhauling Oxted in the Abernant Stakes, despite being off level weights he managed to turn away the group 1 winner in a gutsy performance.

He’s moved up in grade subsequently but has found group 2 and group 1 races far too hot to handle.

Last seen coming 10th of 12 in the Diamond Jubilee last month, he looks to have far too much on his plate again to get involved.

Roger Varian and David Egan team up with Line Of Departure.

Another 3 year old runner, he was bust as a 2 year old and garnered plenty of experience in his juvenile season.

He managed to notch 3 wins, having come from handicaps to win a class 2 conditions race at Doncaster.

Moved up into group company for his last run of the season he struggled against better quality opponents and came home last of 8.

A listed win at Salisbury on return over 6 furlongs was by far a career best as he easily brushed aside Khadeem.

Worth another go in deeper waters now he’s older he’s entitled to come on for his seasonal prep run and could offer any amount of improvement.

Might find a couple too good to get into the place money, he will be interesting to follow going forward.

Some really smart form in the books this year from this 3 year old. Winning a class 6 handicap off a mark of 55 back in December of last year is a distant memory for this now 116 rated horse.

His rise through the ranks has been exemplary, the only blips coming in a 7 furlong race which tested his stamina too much and a 5th at Newmarket behind Creative Force and Significantly.

He’s improved bundles for moving into group races since. A group 3 win at a massive price in the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot in late April was followed up with a group 2 win at an even bigger price at Haydock.

Not un-fancied when last seen at Ascot in the Wokingham handicap, he made a mockery of the handicapper again and defied a mark of 112 to record another victory.

If the rules had allowed him to run in the Commonwealth Cup he’d likely have won that having already scalped Dragon Symbol this season.

Highly deserving of his go at a group 1 he’s a great each way pick and will make maximum use of his 3 year old allowance.

A rapid filly as a juvenile last season, she handily won her maiden by a wide margin before taking listed honours at Naas when beating the well touted Frenetic.

She came over to England for the Lowther Stakes where she showed a strong turn of foot again to capture her first group prize.

She’s struggled to hit the same heights since and was turned away by Alcohol Free in the Cheveley Park Stakes at the end of last season.

Finishing 3rd at the Breeder’s Cup meeting over a mile hinted at a big run in the Guineas but she only beat one rival home in the Irish 1000 Guineas.

Dropping back in trip is likely a good move but she’s left a big question mark to her ability as a 3 year old. She gets all the weight allowances possible but it’s hard to have much faith in her.