July Cup (G1)
July 12, 2019
Lightening quick at Newmarket today, Raffle Prize set a new course record of 1m 9.09s in the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes over the 6F July Course, bettering the 1m 09.11 Lethal Force clocked winning this in 2013.
It could fall again tomorrow. The race brings the meeting of the three-year-old’s and their older brethren.
The older brigade sees Limato back, winner in 2016, second in 2017, he showed his well being winning the G3 Criterion Stakes over 7F here two weeks ago. Likewise Brando, second last year, third the year before, he had a confidence booster with a Hamilton win over the trip a month ago. They’ll have to defy history as no seven-year-olds have won this.
If it is to go to an older horse, the five-year-old’s Dream Of Dreams, a typical Sir Micheal Stoute improver, just failed to catch Blue Point in the G1 Diamond Jubilee, and Cape Byron, the Wokingham winner must come into the reckoning.
Of of five three-year-olds, Advertise with Frankie Dettori in the plate heads the market at 3/1, he commands the highest respect, racing against his own age group he was a convincing winner of the G1 Commonwealth Cup, (Ten Sovereigns, 2½L behind in fourth), beaten only by Too Darn Hot and Calyx as a two-year-old, he was a G1 winner in Ireland in the Pheonix Stakes from So Perfect (re-opposes here).
The other three-year-old’s, Pretty Pollyanna and Fairyland, both fillies, were pacey sorts as juveniles, Pretty Pollyanna took the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes here last year following up in the G1 Prix Morny, Fairyland bagged the G1 Cheveley Park here in September. Both were tried at a mile, Fairyland ran fifth at Newmarket in the 1000 Guineas, sixth at the Curragh in the Irish 1000 Guineas, then dropped to 5F where she’d a good run behind Blue Point in the G1 King’s Stand Stakes. Pretty Pollyanna second at the Curragh, showed a nice turn of foot, ran seventh in the Coronation Stakes, the drop in trip will surely be to her benefit.
The three-year-olds have had the upper hand in the last five years, three wins, Muhaarar in 2015, Harry Angel in 2017 and US Navy Flag in 2018, all colt’s. The trend could continue, with a twist, one of the fillies, getting a 3 lb pull from their peers and more from the older one’s might outpace them, turning Newmarket into a Fairyland.
Recommendation: Fairyland 8/1 win
