IT’S Super Saturday again, or not so super, depending on your perspective. Not easy if you have multiple entries and transport and riders to organise, or if you have to go to a seven-year-old’s birthday party, but super-duper if you have seven hours of discretionary time at your disposal and seven screens on your desk, or a runner with a chance in the Darley July Cup.

Charlie Appleby has two of them, and, once again, it can’t have been easy for William Buick to decide between them. The Creative Force/Naval Crown conundrum is one that has confounded the rider more than most and, top-class rider though William Buick is, he can only ride one of them at a time.

When the pair of them met in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, William Buick rode Naval Crown, and he finished second, beaten just over a length by James Doyle on Creative Force.

When they met in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot this year, William Buick rode Creative Force, and he finished second, beaten a neck by James Doyle on Naval Crown.

There obviously isn’t much between the Godolphin pair. Charlie Appleby said after the Platinum Jubilee that, even though Naval Crown was allowed go off at 33/1, almost three times greater than Creative Force’s SP, William Buick found it difficult to split the pair of them before the Ascot race.

And it is probable that he found it difficult to split the pair of them before today too.

Under-rated

It may be, however, that the fact that Buick has gone for Creative Force has tilted the market in his favour, and that Naval Crown is being under-rated a little as a consequence. The Dubawi colt did really well to win at Ascot. He had to do a lot of running on his own on the stands’ side. He had Home Affairs to chase through the early part of the race, but Chris Waller’s horse dropped away at the two-furlong marker and, from that point, Naval Crown was on his own on the near side.

Creative Force finished off his race strongly on the far side, but Naval Crown kept on well enough on the stands rail to hold on by a neck.

Well clear

In so doing, significantly, Naval Crown came well clear of his rivals on the near side. Of the eight other horses who raced in the near-side group, King’s Lynn did best, and he finished 14th overall, four and a half lengths behind the winner.

The Godolphin horse did well to win, racing prominently from early at a track that usually favours more patient tactics. By contrast, Newmarket’s July course is a track at which pace holds up well, and that should play to Naval Crown’s strengths.

When he was beaten by Creative Force in the Jersey Stakes, he only gave best inside the final furlong, and that was over seven furlongs on soft ground.

Over a sharp six furlongs on fast ground, he has the pace to get into a nice racing rhythm in a good prominent position from early, and, if he does, he could run a big race. We know that he stays six furlongs well.

Danger

Creative Force is obviously a big danger, but he will probably be coming from off the pace. Only fifth in the July Cup last year, when it all happened a little quickly for him, he is probably at his best over a stiff six furlongs or an easy seven, ideally on easy ground.

He may be good enough to win today, but he will probably be competing under conditions that are less than optimal.

Perfect Power is obviously a big player. The Middle Park Stakes winner from last year, Richard Fahey’s horse was very good in winning the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

He will have Christophe Soumillon for company – which he probably wouldn’t have had if he had gone for tomorrow’s Prix Jean Prat instead – but he is short, and conditions may be faster than ideal for him.

It will be good to see Romantic Proposal in action again. Eddie Lynam’s remarkable mare, winner of the Flying Five last year, is still apparently progressive at the age of six.

She looked as good as ever in sauntering to victory under Chris Hayes in a listed race at Naas on her debut this season.

It is a shame that she had to miss the Platinum Jubilee, Ascot would have suited her style of racing ideally.

At Newmarket, at a track that probably doesn’t play to her strengths, and racing for the first time since April, it will be some training performance by Eddie Lynam if she can prevail.

Rock can prevail

The Bet365 Bunbury Cup is obviously hugely competitive, but Titan Rock could run well at a decent price.

John Quinn’s horse was progressive at the end of last season, he ran out an impressive winner of a seven-furlong handicap at Ayr off a mark of 90 on his final run last season.

He didn’t make his debut this season until last month, when he put up a nice performance to finish fourth behind Lion Tower in a good seven-furlong handicap at York.

Slowly away that day and held up from his wide draw, he made eye-catching progress early in the home straight, and he kept on well on the far side to finish fourth, just missing out on third place.

That was his seasonal debut, his first run since he had a wind operation, so there was every chance that he would progress from that.

He was well beaten last weekend in a handicap at Haydock, but you can easily allow him that, as the ground would have been softer than ideal and, actually, he ran better than his finishing position in 11th place suggests.

Held up in a race in which the pace held up well, he travelled well into the home straight on the inside, and he wasn’t given a hard time once it was obvious that he couldn’t win.

Fast ground

He will have lots of elements in his favour today. He should have the fast pace off which he thrives, he goes well on fast ground, and he goes well at Newmarket.

On his only run on the July Course, at this meeting last year, he ran well to finish third in a one-mile handicap behind Royal Fleet, now a Group 3 winner and rated 17lb higher than he was then, just weakening close home over a distance that stretched him.

He gets to race today off a handicap rating of 92, just 2lb higher than the mark off which he won at Ayr last September, and it is probable that John Quinn has had today in mind for him for a while.

Recommended

Titan Rock, 1 point each-way, 3.50 Newmarket, 25/1 (generally)

Naval Crown, 1 point win, 4.25 Newmarket, 13/2 (generally)