Keeneland Swan On Course For Darley July Cup Japanese raider, Keeneland Swan, who finished 10th on his first run in Europe in the group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at the Royal Meeting at York, is on course to contest the Darley July Cup, highlight of the July Meeting at Newmarket. The six-year-old son of Distant View will get acquainted with the July Course tomorrow (Thursday, June 30) when he will work on the track shortly after 7am. Though beaten just over 10 lengths at York, that race came just six days after Keeneland Swan had arrived in the UK and improvement is expected now that he has had time to acclimatise and settle in. Keeneland Swan has yet to taste Group 1 success, but he has been second and third in two Group 1s over six furlongs in Japan and has won a Group 3 contest. His trainer, Hideyuki Mori, knows exactly what it takes to win the Darley July Cup, having saddled Agnes World to success in 2000. He also sent out Seeking The Dia to finish 12th last year. The BHB has revealed that, with a rating of 110, Keeneland Swan currently stands at 20th equal (with four other horses) in the official ratings of the 51 horses remaining engaged in the Darley July Cup. Although the maximum field size is 20, Newmarket envisages no problem with Keeneland Swan getting a run as several higher-rated horses are either certain non-runners or are thought unlikely to run, including the recently retired Coolmore pair of Antonius Pius and Footstepsinthesand, Godolphin?s Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Dubawi, and Luca Cumani?s Australian import, Starcraft. After a request from Newmarket, the BHB has introduced a reserve system for the Darley July Cup this year to give every possible chance for a full field of 20 going to post. Two reserves can now be brought in if there are withdrawals up to 11.30am the day before the race. Last year several horses were eliminated from the race, although there were no withdrawals and all 20 ran. Michael Prosser, Newmarket?s Clerk of the Course, commented: 'Keeneland Swan seems sure to get a run next week which is very good news for a race that has developed such a strong international profile. Such is the competition at the top level of sprinting that for the second year running horses may have to be eliminated from the Darley July Cup, as also happened at York in the Golden Jubilee, and it is precisely for this reason that I asked the BHB to introduce a reserve system for our race.'
