Dubai Fresh from capturing the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park in the UK Charlie Appleby will be hopeful of continuing Godolphin’s big-race winning momentum when he sends out Jungle Cat to contest this week’s Group 1 Darley July Cup, one of Britain’s most valuable and prestigious sprint races.
Appleby’s Hawkbill provided Godolphin with a fourth Eclipse trophy last weekend and the Newmarket-based handler will undoubtedly be high in confidence when Jungle Cat lines up in a bid to give the Dubai-owned stable a maiden success in the six furlong contest worth a tidy 533,750 pounds (Dh2,571,713).
The son of Iffraaj is seeking a first win since landing the Meydan City Handicap at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai in January.
He has had two outings in the UK this season where he twice finished behind high-class sprinter Profitable, when second in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket in April and fourth in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
Profitable heads the strong field of 19 horses remaining in the July Cup, a race which is acknowledged as the pinnacle of sprint races in Europe and whose winner is regarded as the continent’s champion sprinter.
Run over Newmarket’s July Course, the race is a part of both the QIPCO British Champions Series and the Global Sprint Challenge.
Trained by Clive Cox, Profitable is unbeaten in three starts this season, but is making only his second six furlong start in 15 racecourse appearance.
“There are no two ways about it, the sixth furlong is an unknown and is something that we are a little uncertain about,” said Cox.
“He has been extremely successful over five furlongs and since the Nunthorpe Stakes at York is far enough away we were very keen to give him a run in between then and Royal Ascot.
“Winning the Darley July Cup three years ago with Lethal Force was a very memorable occasion and it fills me with excitement to be going back there on Saturday with a horse in tip-top order like Profitable
Other leading contenders are the Henry Candy-trained pair of Twilight Son, already a dual Group 1 winner over this trip, and Limato, beaten favourite in Group 1 company on both of his last two starts.
Charlie Hills, who won the July cup twelve months ago with Muhaarar, is represented by both the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes winner, Magical Memory and the King’s Stand runner-up, Cotai Glory.
The Darley July Cup is the first opportunity for the best three-year-old sprinters to prove themselves against older horses and the younger generation is represented by a trio of challengers from the yard of the Irish Champion Trainer, Aidan O’Brien, headed by last year’s Champion Juvenile, Air Force Blue, plus Karl Burke’s recent Commonwealth Cup winner, Quiet Reflection.