This Saturday I’m off to Newmarket. It’s July Cup Day and what a big day’s racing we got in store for us. In the seven furlong Fillies Handicap we’ve got Arisaig for Charlie Johnston. I rode her early on for the Rowley mile this season, over a mile, and a suggestion to bring her back to seven furlongs worked wonders. She came back and won over 7, then went back up to a mile in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot and ran a very credible 8th not beaten far so coming back over seven in handicap company, Arisaig is going to have a pretty, pretty decent chance in a competitive handicap, but she’s shown that she’s more than capable at this level
Then we ride Pap’s Turf in the Superlative Stakes for Adrian Keatley, a very good winner all the way winner at Beverly last start. He’s got to take a big step up to be competitive in this race. It looks like a pretty decent race with the favourite Ancient Truth for Godolphin and Pendle Bay of George Bowie, which would be pretty hard to beat. But we’ve got to be in it to win it.
Then we go for the Bunbury Cup. I ride Darkness and I know Darkness very well. I was a winner over course and distance last season. Last start he was a very good winner, a very tough winner in an ultra-competitive handicap on the Rowley mile, but this is a very hard race to win, the Bunbury Cup. But he’s coming in with the best of form, so he is going to be suited to the circumstances of the race – fastly run, big fields. So, hopefully Darkness can take another step forward and be very competitive in the Bunbury Cup.
Looking ahead in the July Cup, I don’t have a ride in the race but a horse I flagged up earlier in the season was Inisherin from Kevin Ryan. He’s gone strength to strength and gone back to sprint distances after running a credible race in the Guineas and has won everything before him so he looks hard to beat in the July Cup this year.
I’m looking forward to a great day’s racing and hopefully we go and bang in a few winners.
