HISTORY says that it’s not easy to win two Darley July Cups.

Of course, some of that is down to absence. Some of those recent July Cup winners who, you thought, could go back and win another one, never got the opportunity to do so. You have to buy a ticket.

That said, Limato came up short, Fleeting Spirit came up short, and the record book says that you have to go back to Right Boy in 1958 and 1959 to find the last horse to win back-to-back July Cups. (Right Boy was ridden by Lester Piggott.)

So history is against Oxted today, but there are many elements in his favour. Roger Teal’s horse is a top-class sprinter who put up the best performance of his life when he won the July Cup last year, obviously over today’s course and distance.

As well as that, after suffering two defeats in the early part of this year, he goes into the race on a high after bouncing back to form and winning the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

But Starman had his measure in the Duke of York Stakes at York last time, and there is every chance that Starman will have his measure again today.

Progressive

Ed Walker’s horse was a progressive sprinter last season as a three-year-old, winning his first three races and appearing to improve with each run. He was beaten on his final run last season, but that was on heavy ground in the British Champions’ Sprint Stakes on Champions’ Day at Ascot in October, so you can easily allow him that.

He proved that that run was all wrong when he won the Duke of York Stakes on his debut this season. He quickened up smartly out towards the centre of the track that day, coming away from Oxted, who raced towards the near side, and keeping on well to hold off Nahaarr’s challenge out in the centre.

He skipped Royal Ascot because of the soft ground, so he goes to Newmarket today fresher than most. He has never run at Newmarket, the two best runs of his life have been at York, and that is a little bit of an unknown going into today’s race, but the likelihood is that he is just a high-class and upwardly mobile sprinter who can operate at any track.

Dragon Symbol is a player, he was probably the best horse in the Commonwealth Cup on the day, while Creative Force did well to win the Jersey Stakes, he had to do a lot of running on his own out towards the centre of the track and he did well to get up and beat his stable companion Naval Crown.

He is a talented horse, but this is a big step up in class for him, and a step down in trip, from a stiff seven furlongs on soft ground, which he saw out well, to a sharp six.

Starman has run just five times in his life, he could be still progressing, and there is every chance that he will come on for his first run of the season at York. He could run a big race.

Summer Mile

And Century Dream could run a big race in the Betfred Summer Mile at Ascot. Simon and Ed Crisford’s horse won the Paradise Stakes at Ascot as a three-year-old, and he put up a big performance in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes back there in 2018 to finish a close-up third behind Roaring Lion.

He has never run on Ascot’s round mile before, but the fact that he has high-class form on the straight track is an asset to take into today’s race.

The easy ground is a positive too. He probably put up the best performance of his career when he won the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood last summer on soft ground, when he had Sir Busker and Regal Reality behind him in second and third. He is seven now, but he was only just caught by Oh This Is Us in the Group 3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom’s Derby meeting, and he stepped forward from that last time when he won the Listed Midsummer Stakes at Windsor, keeping on well to beat Top Rank by over a length.

He is 5lb worse off with Top Rank today, but he appeared to win with at least a little in hand last time, and he is a bigger price than James Tate’s horse.

He goes into the race in good form, the ground should be in his favour and he goes well at the track.

As well as that, his wide(ish) draw is probably a positive, as is the fact that the Ascot-adept Jamie Spencer rides him for the first time.

Recommended:

Starman, 4.25 Newmarket, 4/1 (generally), 1 point win

Century Dream, 3.00 Ascot, 6/1 (generally), 1 point win