July Cup Update

Crack sprinter Benbaun is among 66 top-class contenders entered for the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Friday, July 11, which for the first time this year is part of the prestigious Global Sprint Challenge.

The Darley July Cup, this year carrying record prize money of #400,000, has attracted a fantastic international entry that includes three speedsters from Australia and one from New Zealand, as well as 14 trained in Ireland and five from France.

Benbaun enjoyed a tremendous run of success in 2007, winning four of six starts including the Group One Prix de l?Abbaye over five furlongs at Longchamp in October.

The Mark Wallace-trained seven-year-old saw off a top-class field of sprinters as he drew two lengths clear of Kingsgate Native in the Paris spectacle and the trainer is looking forward to a first tilt at the speed test on Newmarket?s historic July Course on what will be the concluding day of the Ritz Club July Festival.

The Newmarket handler revealed today: "Benbaun hasn?t run in the Darley July Cup in previous years but he has a Group One penalty this season so he probably has to take in more of the top races now.

"He?ll start off in the Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh in three weeks and then we may run him twice at Royal Ascot, we?re not sure yet. We?ll probably run him in the King?s Stand and see how he is before considering the Golden Jubilee, and then we?ll see about the Darley July Cup afterwards.

"I was delighted with him last season. You don?t get many sprinters that win four out of six in the year, all in Group races, so I was really thrilled and if he could do it all again I?d be even more delighted."

Benbaun?s only disappointment came when last of 13 behind Sacred Kingdom in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint in December, but Wallace believes his charge is firing again after a break.

He continued: "His last run in Hong Kong is one to forget. It was the end of a long season and there was a lot of travelling. You don?t win all those Group races, and especially Group Ones, without it taking something out of you. He was a bit light after Hong Kong but looks great now. He?s a picture and I?m delighted with him."

Benbaun could lock horns again with Prix de l?Abbaye second Kingsgate Native, who enjoyed a phenomenal two-year-old campaign, defeating his elders in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August prior to his runner-up finish at Longchamp.

Trainer John Best is looking forward to pitching his charge in against his elders once more as he prepares the Mujadil colt for a three-year-old campaign that will begin at Royal Ascot.

Best revealed today: "We want to keep our options open. He?s entered at Royal Ascot where the King?s Stand Stakes will be his first port of call and we?ll decide after that whether we step him up to six furlongs in the Darley July Cup or not.

"At this stage, we need to see how things work out. I think he will stay six furlongs but whether he?ll stay a stiff six like at Newmarket, I don?t know. I?m sure that the owners, Cheveley Park and John Mayne, want to campaign him to make him the best possible stallion prospect and if he won over six furlongs that would make a significant difference.

"He looks fine at present. I think it will be really tough for the three-year-olds against the older horses, even though Captain Gerrard won at the weekend. When we scored with him as a two-year-old, we had an extremely mature juvenile and I haven?t yet done enough with him to say whether he has improved from last year. Physically, he looks fine but he always looked like a three or a four-year-old, even last year.

"He?s only cantering at the moment and I haven?t worked him yet but we have another six weeks until Ascot and we?ll take him for a racecourse gallop before then."

The Australian contingent includes the brilliant Joe Janiak-trained Takeover Target, winner of the 2006 King?s Stand Stakes and one of the world?s best sprinters in recent seasons. The nine-year-old finished seventh in the 2006 Darley July Cup.

Trainer Peter Moody could send last season?s King?s Stand third Magnus, while West Australian trainer Darren McAuliffe has engaged his rising star Universal Ruler, who landed six wins on the bounce and recently ran to within half a second of Miss Andretti?s course record at Ascot race track in Australia.

Top New Zealand mare Seachange, a multiple Group One winner, has also been entered as has Haradasun, a Group One winner in Australia who is now with Aidan O?Brien in Ireland.

O?Brien?s 10 entries also include StanJamesUK.com 2000 Guineas winner Henrythenavigator, last season?s Poule d?Essai des Poulains victor Astronomer Royal and US Ranger. The Ballydoyle handler landed the prize in 1999 with Stravinsky and 2001 with Mozart.

StanJamesUK.com 1000 Guineas heroine Natagora has been engaged by trainer Pascal Bary, while the French raiding party could also include dual Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Marchand D?Or, fourth in last year?s Darley July Cup.

The 2007 victor Sakhee?s Secret, who delighted trainer Hughie Morrison when runner-up in the Group Three Stan James 08000 383384 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket in May 4, could bid for a repeat win, while 2006 hero Les Arcs is also engaged, having missed most of last season.

The James Fanshawe-trained Sir Gerry landed a Listed race at Ascot on April 30 and is one of several interesting three-year-olds engaged, along with the John Gosden-trained 2000 Guineas fourth Raven?s Pass, last season?s TNT July Stakes victor Winker Watson, and the Tommy Stack-trained Group One winner Myboycharlie.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor is looking for a first triumph in the Darley July Cup and has entered last season?s fifth, Dandy Man, along with Diabolical and Greek Renaissance.

Newmarket Racecourses Director of Racing, Michael Prosser, said: "We are delighted to be a part of the enormously successful Global Sprint Challenge. The Darley July Cup winner so often goes on to be crowned champion sprinter and it is fitting that a race with such a strong heritage has now been incorporated into the global competition.

"It is great to see a top-class international entry, with the likes of Takeover Target and the New Zealand champion Seachange likely to take on last year?s hero Sakhee?s Secret."