Off King's Stand Win, Blue Point Eyes Darley July Cup
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Photo: Mathea Kelley
William Buick celebrates victory aboard Blue Point in last month's King's Stand Stakes
The first contest each year in which 3-year-old sprinters get to prove themselves against older rivals at the highest level has attracted seven group 1 winners to the lineup for the July 14 Darley July Cup (G1) at Newmarket.
The race has an exceptional pedigree. The past five winners have gone on to be crowned top European-trained sprinter in the World Thoroughbred Rankings.
Likely favorite Blue Point has been regarded as a fantastic prospect ever since he placed in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1) and the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old in 2016. But it took him until the King's Stand Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot last month to finally make his group 1 breakthrough. With some smart performers in the expected field of 14, Blue Point will not have it all his own way.
Champion trainer Aidan O'Brien, a three-time winner of the race, has five runners, including dual juvenile group 1 winner U S Navy Flag, who is dropping back in trip having contested some of the top mile races this season. The Kentucky-bred son of War Front held off all but one of his rivals in the Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) two starts ago.
He's far from the only high-quality 3-year-old entered, though, with other leading representatives of the younger generation including Eqtidaar and Sands of Mali. That pair finished first and second—separated by half a length—in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot last month. Eqtidaar is a homebred, like this race's 2015 winner and champion sprinter Muhaarar, for Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, he warmed up for the race by cantering on the July racecourse under now-retired Ted Durcan July 10.
"That was little more than a leg stretch for Eqtidaar, but he's in super order and handled the undulations fine," Durcan said. "The great thing about him is he has a great mind and was taking everything in. Hopefully, that will put him spot-on for Saturday, and he has to be a player."
Stoute, who has won the July Cup three times but not since Ajdal in 1987, was represented by assistant James Horton, who said: "Eqtidaar's weight has been very good since Ascot, and he has every reason to turn up back here on Saturday with a good shout."