The final day of The Newmarket July Festival is all about the July Cup.
This Group 1 Race is one of the most valuable and prestigious sprint races in the world and the winner is often acknowledged to be the best sprinter in Europe.
Bet on the 2025 July Cup with William Hill
One of the main attractions of this race is the clash of the generations it represents. This is really the first time each season, where the three-year-olds get to lock horns with their elders over this trip at the top level.
Antepost View: This Year’s Contenders
Twenty-three entries were received for the 2025 renewal of the July Cup when the race closed on May 20th. However, there is still an opportunity for a trainer to supplement his horse into the race at a cost of £36,000 by noon on July 7th.
Currently heading the horse racing betting, around the 4/1 mark, is the Andrew Balding-trained/Wathnan Racing-owned FLORA OF BERMUDA, which is hardly surprising given her level of form recently.
Second in the Group 2 Clipper Stakes at York to Inisherin, the Dark Angel-filly ran impressively to finish third to Lazzat in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. If she reproduces the same level of form again, then she’s in with a live shout.
Hot on Flora’s heels in the betting market is the Godolphin-owned SYMBOL OF HONOUR (9/2).
The three-year-old secured victory in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park in May and returns to racing after a mini-break.
Charlie Appleby’s youngster sealed another win at Haydock just a week on from his Listed success at Newbury. Normally the Haydock Group 2 is a stepping stone to the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, but with Symbol Of Honour being a gelding he didn’t qualify to run there.
You would like to think that this handy rest period would be the perfect preparation for a crack at the July meeting’s feature race.
Super solid performer KINROSS (16/1) has to be respected in a contest like this, and Ralph Beckett’s eight-year-old showed that the fire still burn bright in the John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock.
The seasoned-sprinter will arrive at headquarters on the back of a 42-day break and at 16/1, he’s probably too big of a price to ignore.
Kevin Ryan’s INISHERIN (7/1) could well bounce back to form after facing defeat in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
To be fair, he wasn’t a million miles behind in seventh place, and all of these top sprinters can be excused an off day. It would be complete folly to rule him out based upon his last effort.
Pressroom colleague – Steve Mullen (Templegate), believes that trainer William Haggas may well be tempted to supplement his recent Wokingham runner-up MORE THUNDER (no price unless supplemented in our sports betting) into this valuable sprint.
His speed figures in the latter half of the Royal Ascot sprint were extraordinary, and Templegate believes that the Night Of Thunder-colt can carry the famous colours of Saeed Suhail to victory, should he be entered.
July Cup antepost selection: KINROSS (16/1, E/W)
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at time of writing*
