July Cup declarations: Big guns all stand their ground for cracker Venetian Sun will face 10 rivals as she bids to plant her flag at the summit of the sprinting division in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday. Karl Burke’s filly has already made a significant impact since returned to sprinting following a Guineas campaign, winning the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock and the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. But if she is to mark herself as something out of the ordinary the Starman filly now has to do it against her elders in a high-class field. Royal Ascot Winners Setup Blockbuster Clash Newmarket’s July meeting feature has attracted the winners of both of the other big sprints at Royal Ascot in Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Almeraq (William Haggas) and King Charles III Stakes winner Mission Central (Aidan O’Brien). Rapidly-improving Wokingham Handicap winner Double Rush will take his chance, while Japanese raider Satono Reve, narrowly denied by Almeraq at the Royal meeting, and last year’s runner-up Big Mojo both bring strong credentials to the table. The Haggas-trained Division, just three-quarters of a length behind Venetian Sun in the Commonwealth Cup, Donnacha O’Brien’s Comanche Brave, Coppull, reliable six-year-old Quinault and Prince Of India complete the line-up. Venetian Sun looks to still have a significant upside in terms of sprinting potential and gets weight from all her rivals. Almeraq, the horse nearly killed in a fall which put a temporary halt to jockey Jim Crowley’s career at York last summer, has to give 9lb to the Burke runner, while fellow three-year-old Mission Central concedes 3lb to Clifford Lee’s mount. Classic Prospects Aim for Superlative Stakes Glory Highly-rated Curragh scorer Abraham Lincoln looks set to go off odds on in the Group Two Boodles Superlative Stakes on the July Cup undercard following a promising debut victory at the Curragh at the end of last month. He faces decent opposition in the shape of Godolphin’s Al Hudaiba, a comfortable winner over course and distance last month, and Pikachu, fifth in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot behind Nola Soul. Just 15 go to post for the £100,000-added Betway Bunbury Cup with Ian Williams’s Aalto and Charlie Hills’ Elarak towards the front end of the betting for the seven-furlong handicap. Video replays are now available to view on irishracing.com from all Irish racecourses, along with a selection of premier British tracks.
