Richard Fahey is eyeing a crack at the Darley July Cup on Saturday week with his classy sprinter Don't Touch.
The four-year-old has only lost one of his eight outings to date, a Group 2 at the Curragh, but he was only beaten a length and a quarter.
He got back to winning ways at Salisbury, beating the smart Danzeno, and will now test the water at the highest level.
"It was a messy race in Ireland, a 14-1 shot beat a 12-1 shot and a 10-1 shot and there were only seven runners," said Fahey. "He wasn't beaten far and the ground was a bit dead for him, we've loads of excuses but he's bounced back and he's won so we'll look forward.
"He won a Listed race and I think everyone thought he should have won it easier, but it was more like a Group Two than a Listed. He came through that with flying colours. He's rated 112, there aren't many places to go so we'll probably chuck him in the July Cup and see how he goes.
"It's tough when they get up there, the better the horse the less options they have."
MONGOLIAN MORRIS
Luke Morris, the man who has ridden more winners in Britain than anyone else in 2016, has been booked to ride the American challenger, Mongolian Saturday, in the July Cup.
Winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland last October, Mongolian Saturday is trained in America by the Mongolian national, Enebish Ganbat. Ridden by his groom, Santiago Aragon, in a piece of work at Newmarket on Wednesday he moved steadily over much of the final seven furlongs of the July Course and was only asked to quicken up for the last quarter mile.
His trainer said afterwards: "I am more experienced now and have learned that you can’t work your horses so fast here, especially uphill and on soft ground which takes a lot of energy. It’s very different to America.”
“Before Royal Ascot he went four furlongs in 43 and a half seconds and that was too much, it finished him.”
“We also discovered after Ascot that he was suffering from a big ulcer but, thanks to the help of Tristan Sander [of Baker & McVeigh Veterinary Practice], we have been treating him ever since. I am not sure about winning the July Cup but I am sure that he will run better than at Ascot.”
“We have booked Luke Morris to ride him but unfortunately his owner will not be here to see him as the race clashes with the biggest meeting in Mongolia, staged near Ulan Bator, where some of the races are run over a 15-mile course and can have more than 700 runners.”
QUIETLY FANCIED
Quiet Reflection, the decisive winner of the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, heads the three-year-olds among the 36 entries remaining in the July Cup.
The 'class of 2016' could be represented by not only Quiet Reflection and Washington DC – first and third in the Commonwealth Cup – but also last year’s European champion two-year-old, Air Force Blue, who will be dropping back in trip following two recent disappointments over a mile.
They could be taken on by a plethora of crack older speedsters led by Twilight Son, winner of last season’s Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup. Henry Candy’s colt followed up in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and could be reopposed at Newmarket by three of his four closest pursuers that day – Signs Of Blessing, Magical Memory and Suedois.
Previously successful in both the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes at York and the Group 3 Abernant Stakes on Newmarket’s other course, the Rowley Mile, Magical Memory was possibly unsuited by the slow pace in the Diamond Jubilee.
He is in the care of Charlie Hills, trainer of last year’s Darley July Cup winner, Muhaarar, and could be joined in the line-up by his stablemate, Cotai Glory, fresh from a fine second place in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
DARLEY JULY CUP ENTRIES
Arod (IRE), Bobby's Kitten (USA), Buckstay (IRE), Cotai Glory (GB), Cougar Mountain (IRE), Danzeno (GB), Dick Whittington (IRE), Don't Touch (GB), Eastern Impact (IRE), Goken (FR), Jungle Cat (IRE), Lancelot du Lac (ITY), Limato (IRE), Magical Memory (IRE), Markaz (IRE), Mongolian Saturday (USA), Moviesta (USA), Signs of Blessing (IRE), Sole Power (GB), Strath Burn (GB), Suedois (FR), The Happy Prince (IRE), The Tin Man (GB), Tupi (IRE), Twilight Son (GB), Waady (IRE), Yuften (GB), Fort Del Oro (IRE), Air Force Blue (USA), Ajaya (GB), Buratino (IRE), Donjuan Triumphant (IRE), Washington DC (IRE), Waterloo Bridge (IRE), Besharah (IRE), Quiet Reflection (GB) (36).
LATEST BETTING: 9/2 Twilight Son, 6 Magical Memory, 8 Quiet Reflection, 10 Limato, 14 Air Force Blue, Bobbys Kitten, Dont Touch, 16 Danzeno, Home Of The Brave, The Tin Man