Excelebration among July Cup contenders Bated Breath remains on course to bid for an elusive first Group One haul in the Darley July Cup. The five-year-old was narrowly beaten by Dream Ahead in this race last summer and subsequently went close in the Sprint Cup at Haydock and a Grade One in America. Roger Charlton's speedball made an excellent return to action when breaking the five-furlong course record in Haydock's Temple Stakes and was second to Hong Kong raider Little Bridge in last week's King's Stand Stakes. Charlton said: "We are looking at the July Cup with Bated Breath. He has come out of his race at Royal Ascot in good form. "He is a very consistent horse and ran right up to his best in the King's Stand on ground that wasn't ideal. "He has run over five furlongs this year, but I think the step back up to six furlongs will suit him. "We are also looking at the July Cup with Genki, who ran well in the race last year." The Charlton-trained pair feature among 28 remaining July Cup entries following the latest forfeit stage. On course to make his second British appearance is the Bahrain-trained Krypton Factor. The Fawzi Nass inmate was sixth behind Black Caviar in Saturday's Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Oliver St Lawrence, racing manager to Nass, said: "Krypton Factor is an intended runner in the July Cup. He is fine after his race at Royal Ascot, but he would have preferred firmer ground. "He ran a creditable race - he was beaten just over two lengths - and was in the middle of the course where we think the ground was a bit softer. On grass, he wants the ground firmer than it was at Ascot. "The uphill finish at Newmarket will suit him too, but the ground is the main thing with him." Other interesting contenders include Aidan O'Brien's top-class miler Excelebration, James Fanshawe's Society Rock and Godolphin's Sepoy, a winner of 10 of his 12 starts in Australia.
