A total of 16 horses go forward today for the highlight of the Moët & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket this week – the Group One Darley July Cup (Saturday 9th July).
Three year old colt Flaming Rib (Hugo Palmer) was today supplemented for the six-furlong contest at a cost of £36,000. The son of Ribchester was last seen when runner-up to the re-opposing Perfect Power (Richard Fahey) in the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
This year’s renewal of the Darley Cup – the 143rd since the contest was first staged in 1876 – is set to welcome two intercontinental challengers in Artorius (Anthony & Sam Freedman) from Australia and King Hermes (Yoshito Yahagi), who is set to fly the flag for Japan.
Artorius, who finished a fine third on his UK debut behind Naval Crown and Creative Force (both trained by Charlie Appleby) in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, is aiming to become the first horse from Down Under to claim the Darley July Cup. The closest an Australian-trained horse has come to winning the Darley Cup was in 2003, when Choisir was runner-up to Oasis Dream.
King Hermes, winner of the seven-furlong Group Two Keio Hai Nisai Stakes in his homeland, will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of Agnes World who became the Japanese-trained winner in the UK when landing 2000 Darley July Cup.
The Darley July Cup, which has a published value of a record £600,000 in 2022, is part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.
4:25pm Darley July Cup Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) 6f
Alcohol Free (IRE) 4 9 5 Jeff Smith Andrew Balding Rob Hornby
Artorius (AUS) 4 9 8 Newgate, China Horse Club & Partners Anthony & Sam Freedman AUS Jamie Spencer
Blackrod 4 9 8 David Armstrong Michael Dods Connor Beasley
Cadamosto (IRE) 3 9 2 D.Smith,Mrs J.Magnier,M.Tabor,Westerberg Aidan O'Brien IRE
Creative Force (IRE) 4 9 8 Godolphin Charlie Appleby William Buick
Double Or Bubble (IRE) 5 9 5 Mr S Fustok Chris Wall Jack Mitchell
Emaraaty Ana 6 9 8 Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Kevin Ryan
Flaming Rib (IRE) 3 9 2 Dale Dolan Dooley Owen Hugo Palmer
Happy Romance (IRE) 4 9 5 The McMurray Family Richard Hannon Sean Levey
King Hermes (JPN) 3 9 2 Hiroo Race Co. Ltd. Yoshito Yahagi JPN
Kinross 5 9 8 Marc Chan Ralph Beckett
Naval Crown 4 9 8 Godolphin Charlie Appleby
New York City (IRE) 3 9 2 Westerberg/Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
Perfect Power (IRE) 3 9 2 Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum Richard Fahey Christophe Soumillon
Romantic Proposal (IRE) 6 9 5 Clipper Logistics Group Ltd Edward Lynam IRE
Twilight Jet (IRE) 3 9 2 M Iavarone/Julia Iavarone/M O'Callaghan Michael O'Callaghan IRE
16 go forward - 15 confirmations plus 1 supplementary entry
4 Irish-trained
1 Australian-trained
1 Japanese-trained
