July Cup Tips and Betting Offers
July Cup Preview: Tips, Betting Offers and Odds
The prestigious July Cup is one of the headline acts at Newmarket’s excellent July Festival. Here we take a look at the history of the race, provide our betting tips and highlight some of the best odds and offers surrounding this sprint contest.
First run at Newmarket way back in 1876, this Group 1 event over 6f now offers a total of £500,000 in total prize money and always attracts a more than decent field. Since 2008 it has been part of the Global Sprint Challenge, further adding to the prestige of the event.
July Cup Tips and Betting Offers, 4:40 at Newmarket, 13 July 2019
The July Cup is one of a number of top class races taking place at this time of the year that allows three-year-olds to run outside of their age group. This 6 furlong contest is actually so important that the winner is largely regarded as the premier sprinter in Europe. As ever, a top class field has been assembled at Newmarket with the recent retirement of Blue Point opening up the race and the betting.
Another Younger Horse to Take the Title
Sprinting is a very particular division of horse racing. Whilst many three-year-olds competing against their elders struggle for a lack of experience, sprinters can often get by on their raw ability. That’s been the case quite often in recent years with three of the last four renewals of the July Cup going the way of three-year-olds.
Advertise leads the charge for the younger horses on Saturday. Martyn Meade’s colt was a real star as a juvenile but the high hopes from last year were dashed rather with a very poor run in the 2000 Guineas. Thankfully, he was much better upon being reverted to 6 furlongs in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup but does he have what it takes to win a race that us undoubtedly stronger?
The best price of 3/1 that you’ll find about Advertise’s chances doesn’t exactly look great value. The 8/1 that bet365 are quoting on Fairyland looks much more like it.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly won at the Group 1 level as a juvenile and was stepped up to top class races over a mile against her own sex upon her return this season. Fairyland didn’t really catch the eye until she held her own against sprinters of the very highest calibre over 5 furlongs in the King’s Stand Stakes.
One extra furlong could be just what Fairyland needs to bring the best out of her and maximise the allowance she gets against much of the field for the biggest win of her career.
Brando to Plug on As Normal
Brando is something of a rarity in the field, a genuinely reliable horse. The seven-year-old has been turning in top quality performances in Group level sprints for years now and his recent win at Hamilton showed that he is ready for another serious crack at the July Cup.
With a second and third place finish in this lucrative race already, Brando has more than pulled his weight for connections. He’s not ready to stop competing yet and will plug on for his usual high class run whilst others fade up the punishing Newmarket hill.
Betting Predictions
U S Navy Flag won the July Cup at odds of 8/1 for Aidan O’Brien last year and the powerhouse trainer can repeat that feat 12 months on with Fairyhouse. O’Brien’s decision to revert Fairyhouse for Royal Ascot had some scratching their heads but he’s clearly seen something in her that suggests she could be a top class sprinter and Fairyhouse can kick on from that solid showing in the King’s Stand Stakes by winning the July Cup at 8/1 with bet365.
Those looking for an each way bet will look very hard for a better option than Brando at 12/1 with BetVictor. He is an incredibly consistent performer with a great record in this race and can go well again.
Previous Winners
- 2018 – U S Navy Flag – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
- 2017 – Harry Angel – jockey Adam Kirby, trainer Clive Cox
- 2016 – Limato – jockey Harry Bentley, trainer Henry Candy
- 2015 – Muhaarar – jockey Paul Hanagan, trainer Charlie Hills
- 2014 – Slade Power – jockey Wayne Lordan, trainer Edward Lynam
- 2013 – Lethal Force – jockey Adam Kirby, trainer Clive Cox
- 2012 – Mayson – jockey Paul Hanagan, trainer Richard Fahey
- 2011 – Dream Ahead – jockey Hayley Turner, trainer David Simcock
- 2010 – Starspangledbanner – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
- 2009 – Fleeting Spirit – jockey Tom Queally, trainer Jeremy Noseda
- 2008 – Marchand d’Or – jockey Davy Bonilla, trainer Freddy Head
- 2007 – Sakhee’s Secret – jockey Steve Drowne, trainer Hughie Morrison
- 2006 – Les Arcs – jockey John Egan, trainer Tim Pitt
July Cup History
The race which takes centre stage on the final day of Newmarket’s three day July meeting was first run at the track back in 1876. The winner of that inaugural edition was the impressive Springfield, who won 17 of his 19 career starts. Those seventeen wins included another victory in this race as the horse bred by Queen Victoria successfully defended his crown in 1877. There are numerous others to have done the double here over the years, including the brilliant Diadem and Abernant.
Diadem also won the Kings Stand Stakes twice and the 1000 Guineas during her illustrious career and her name lives on in the form of the Group 1 Diadem Stakes which is run each year at Ascot.
Like his brilliant sire The Tetrarch, Abernant was somewhat dappled in appearance. Also like his sire, he was brilliantly quick. Trained by Noel Murless he utilised this speed to win the Kings Stand Stakes, two Nunthorpe Stakes and two King George Stakes in a period of domination. Undoubtedly one of the greatest sprinters of all time, Abernant also has a race named in is honour, with the Abernant Stakes being run here at Newmarket in April of each year.
Neither Diadem nor Abernant possesses the best record in the history of this race though. That honour belongs to Sundridge who won three in a row between 1902 and 1904.
Now included as part of the Global Sprint Challenge series of races, the contest began to develop a more international feel in the latter part of the 20th century. Anabaa (1996) and Marchand d’Or (2008) scored for France and Agnes World recorded a famous victory for Japan in the year 2000.
Top Jockeys and Trainers
It won’t come as the greatest surprise that it is the legendary Lester Piggott who boasts the best record here amongst the jockeys. Even by his lofty standards though a haul of 10 wins is pretty impressive. Remarkably, four of those wins came in successive years as Piggott proved unstoppable between 1957 and 1960. Lester wasn’t far off repeating the dose 20 years later when winning three in a row between 1978 and 1980.
As of 2016 we have a dead heat amongst the training ranks. Charles Morton won five editions of the race in double quick time between the years of 1903 and 1914, and his record stood until 1990 when racing’s greatest ever trainer, Vincent O’Brien recorded his fifth win, 17 years after his first in 1973.