It is a big weekend for the sprinters as the top six furlong specialists head to Newmarket for the July Cup.
Nine horses will line up in pursuit of prize money of over £350,000 for the winner, with Shaquille the current favourite of those with William Hill at 3.50.
Julie Camacho’s 3-year-old has won all of his last five races, and six of his career seven. Last time out at Royal Ascot, he added a Group 1 win to his list of honours, triumphing in the Commonwealth Cup ahead of Little Big Bear.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 14th, 3:30 P.M. (BST)
Oisin Murphy was on board that day, but tomorrow 23-year-old Rossa Ryan will take the first ride in search of his first Group 1 victory.
Kinross, at 4.00, also has a new jockey to get accustomed to; despite regular jockey Frankie Dettori’s ban coming to an end, William Buick has been given the nod by Ralph Beckett after a disappointing seventh in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Before that, the 6-year-old had not finished out of the first three in his previous six, including a win at Longchamp in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret.
In winning form, taking his last four, is Azure Blue (5.00) for Michael Dods. Her most recent win, under tomorrow’s rider Paul Mulrennan, was the 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes in May. The Group 2 was her first run at group level, let alone win.
Finishing behind Shaquille at Ascot is 5.50 chance Little Big Bear. Last year’s Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes winner did not take well to the longer distance in the 2000 Guineas before being put back to six furlongs by Aidan O’Brien at Haydock, winning a Group 2 before coming close at Ascot.
7-year-old Khaadem (13.00) proved he can still better the youngsters, winning the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes when going off at 81.00. Rob Hornby will be on board for the first time.
Art Power (23.00) was well beaten in the same race after winning a Group 2 at the Curragh in May, though that was his only first five finish in his last five races. At 26.00 is Vadream, who had a Group 3 win this season but was also nowhere at Ascot, this time in the King’s Stand Stakes.
Also well beaten in the Jubilee was Emaraaty Ana, who has gone nearly two years without a win, and Run To Freedom, who has done little since a shock second in the British Champions Sprint Stakes in October.
