NAVAL CROWN is fancied to rule the waves in the Darley July Cup (4.25) at Newmarket this afternoon.
To land the £356,422, the Charlie Appleby-trained son of Dubawi must confirm his superiority over the opponents that re-engage from the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot three weeks ago.
Naval Crown beat stablemate Creative Force by a neck on the Royal heath, with Australian raider Artorius motoring home in third and four of today’s opponents further back. And there are plenty of reasons to think James Doyle’s mount can stay ahead of his rivals.
Although the bookies cheered the 33-1 skinner, there was no element of fluke about the result as Naval Crown, racing down the stands’ side, overhauled his fellow Godolphin runner – Creative Force led the group in the middle of the course – on the climb to the line. That was Naval Crown’s second start at six furlongs – the four-year-old had done his racing at seven furlongs and a mile prior to a fourth at Meydan in March.
There should be more to come at the distance as he bids for a second victory at the highest level.
VAFORTINO and boy wonder Benoit de la Sayette are the combination to follow in the bet365 Bunbury Cup (3.50). A two-time winner for Joseph O’Brien, the son of New Bay moved to Kevin Philippart de Foy for his four-year-old campaign, starting out for his new stable with a second at Newcastle at the end of March.
Sticking to seven furlongs, Vafortino went one better in Ascot’s historic Victoria Cup, beating Accidental Agent by half a length, before returning to Berkshire for the Buckingham Palace Handicap at the Royal meeting in the middle of last month. Vafortino didn’t get the breaks that day – he was short of room at the two-furlong pole and inside the final 100 yards – in coming home in 11th place behind Inver Park.
But the seven-furlong specialist is worth sticking with and, granted clear passage, Vafortino – star apprentice de la Sayette can call on a valuable 5lb allowance – is taken to show his true colours.
Charlie Appleby usually sends a high-ranking two-year-old to the bet365 Superlative Stakes (3.15) – the Godolphin trainer has won the Group 2 four times, including the past two runnings – so VICTORY DANCE must be high on the list. Dubawi’s son had to work to justify odds of 8-11 by a head over course and distance three weeks ago, but Victory Dance is expected to take a giant leap forward on his second visit to the track.
Will Buick has strong claims on a double, set up by GOLDEN SPICE in the Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa Fillies’ Handicap (2.05). A week on from landing the Coral-Eclipse aboard Vadeni – and copping a 12-day ban for his post-race celebrations – Christophe Soumillon is on course for another ITV Saturday winner, courtesy of LAASUDOOD in the bet365 Mile Handicap (2.40).
At Ascot, Laasudood’s Richard Hannon stablemate CHINDIT is the horse to be on in the Group 2 Fred Cowley MBE Summer Mile (3.35). Saddling with the unenviable task of taking on Baaeed on his last two outings – Chindit ran third in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and fourth in Royal Ascot’s Queen Anne Stakes – Pat Dobbs’ partner should find this assignment less daunting.
The Betfred Heritage Handicap (3.00) looks wide open, but ZARZYNI is capable of a bold show. Successful in a big-field handicap at Musselburgh in mid-April, the David and Nicola Barron five-year-old matched that form with a fourth in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket a fortnight later, and is capable of defying top weight.
INTELLOGENT is the clever choice in the John Smith’s Cup Handicap (4.05) at York. Jane Chapple-Hyam had a Royal Ascot to remember, with Saffron Beach and Claymore making the hallowed winner’s enclosure. And the Newmarket-based Melburnian also got within half a length of the Royal Hunt Cup, as Intellogent ran a determined second to Dark Shift.
The evidence of that run is that the Intello gelding is worth a try at a mile and a quarter – he won over an extended nine furlongs when trained in France – and a 4lb rise for his Ascot endeavour is within range.
Just three runners turn up for the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes (2.20), in which WITHOUT A FIGHT is a worthy favourite to follow up a last-time-out course-and-distance score. Andrea Atzeni’s mount was tackling a mile and three-quarters for the first time with a length-and-three-quarter margin at Listed level, and a reproduction of that form will make him hard to beat.
Surely a return to her beloved Knavesmire – she is three from four at the Ascot of the north - will reignite the spark in last season’s Nunthorpe Stakes heroine WINTER POWER as she bids to return to recapture winning form in the Listed John Smith’s City Walls Stakes (4.40).
Karl Burke’s EILEAN DUBH came out on top on his only previous visit to York, and he makes plenty of appeal in the opening John Smith’s Racing Handicap (1.45).
