BENTLEY BISCUIT TEAM “VERY CONFIDENT” AHEAD OF GROUP ONE DARLEY JULY CUP BID
*MINE PRIMED FOR LADBROKES BUNBURY CUP FOUR-TIMER*
Crack Australian sprinter Bentley Biscuit is in “flying” form ahead of Europe’s richest sprint, the £375,000 Group One Darley July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket’s July Course on Friday, July 13, the final day of the Ritz Club July Festival.
That is the assessment of Rob Waterhouse, husband of the six-year-old gelding’s trainer Gai Waterhouse, who reports that the Aussie star has recovered from the jarring he suffered when coming home last of 20 in the Group Two King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot on June 19.
Waterhouse revealed today: “Gai tells me that he’s absolutely flying. He was over the Ascot race within two or three days and in terms of the ground, the softer the better with him.”
Bentley Biscuit rattled up a hat-trick of Australian Group One wins over six and seven furlongs in the spring before embarking for the UK. The latest of those triumphs came in the Jacob’s Creek Sparkling BTC Cup over six furlongs at Doomben on May 12.
The Peintre Celebre gelding showed a brilliant turn-of-foot on that occasion as he came from last to first in the home straight for a visually impressive short-neck verdict over Takeover Target and the Waterhouse camp is looking forward to proving the Royal Ascot run to be an unfortunate and isolated blip.
Rob Waterhouse continued: “We’re very confident we’ll turn the tables. We think that the six furlongs at Newmarket will suit him far better than the five furlongs at Ascot. He’ll have no trouble with the track or the distance.”
Bentley Biscuit, who will be ridden by champion jockey Ryan Moore, is set to face the Jeremy Noseda-trained Soldier’s Tale, who caught Takeover Target on the line in the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes. Taking a line through Takeover Target, Waterhouse believes that Bentley Biscuit can become the first Australian-trained winner of the Darley July Cup.
The trainer’s husband stated: “I do think he’s come on since he defeated Takeover Target at Doomben and I think that on any view he’s a better horse than Takeover Target.”
Choisir came closest to securing a first Australian triumph in the Darley July Cup when finishing second to Oasis Dream in 2003, while Takeover Target, who misses the race this year, was a close seventh to Les Arcs 12 months ago.
Further Australian interest is added by the presence of Bentley Biscuit’s former stablemate Mutawaajid, who defeated the brilliant filly Gold Edition in the Group Two Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill, Australia, in February but has since left Gai Waterhouse and is set to make his British debut in the Darley July Cup for trainer Mick Channon.
MINE BIDDING FOR UNPRECEDENTED FOUR-TIMER
James Bethell is looking forward to saddling the remarkable gelding Mine in an attempt to win the prestigious £100,000 Ladbrokes Bunbury Cup for an unprecedented fourth time.
The nine-year-old star of the North Yorkshire trainer’s Thorngill yard landed the prestigious seven-furlong heritage handicap in 2002, 2005 and 2006 and was the short-head runner-up to subsequent Group One winner Patavellian in 2003.
Mine’s current BHB rating of 108 would have excluded him from attempting the historic four-timer in previous years but this season a timely change to the conditions of the race means that it will be run as an open handicap for the first time, rather than a 0-105 contest.
This year’s race, which takes place on Friday, July 13, the final day of the three-day Ritz Club July Festival, carries record prize money of £100,000 compared with £75,000 in 2006.
In seven starts at Newmarket’s July Course, Mine has only once finished out of the first three, when beaten less that two lengths in coming home sixth to Silver Touch in the Group Three Cheveley Park Stud Criterion Stakes last time out on June 30.
James Bethell said: “The Bunbury Cup is the plan. I think it was plenty soft enough when he ran at Newmarket the other day. It was very soft then so I would like it to dry out a little bit.
“He ran a good race in the Criterion Stakes and I think the winner, Silver Touch, is probably very good. It’s just a shame we didn’t track her through. They hadn’t gone a great gallop, which didn’t help, but that shouldn’t be a problem in the Ladbrokes Bunbury Cup.
“They went a hell of a gallop when he won the Listed race at Haydock (June 7) and that suited him down to the ground.”
A fourth Ladbrokes Bunbury Cup was not on Bethell’s mind at the start of the campaign but the trainer is pleased to let his charge bid for another slice of history before returning to the Group race trail.
He said: “The plan was to try and win a Group race this year but he just failed the other day. We’ll see how he gets on next week and then we might aim him at a race at the Curragh.
“His chance at Newmarket really depends on how low the bottom weight goes down to. In the past there has been quite a high cut-off point so he hasn’t had to give an enormous amount of weight away. It would be quite an achievement to win the race for a fourth time. We’ll just hope for the best.
“He’s normally pretty laid back when he goes to the July Course. He seems to be happy there and I think the course suits him with that uphill finish.”
MORE FASHION PRIZES ON FINAL DAY OF RITZ CLUB JULY FESTIVAL
Fashion is a big theme at the 2007 Ritz Club July Festival and the prizes continue on the final day, Darley July Cup day, Friday, July 13, when the focus turns to couples.
There will be every incentive for couples to don their finest attire and compete for 'Best Dressed Couple.'
The exciting prizes are:
1st prize - Dinner (with wine) for two at The Ritz Club, London.
2nd Prize - Weekend break for two at The Gore Hotel located in Kensington, London.
3rd Prize - Porsche Boxter S for the weekend courtesy of Porsche Centre, Cambridge.
In addition, each couple will receive a Goodie Bag including a pair of tickets for Newmarket Nights with The Pet Shop Boys on Friday, July 27.
RACECOURSE ADMISSION DETAILS
Tickets for all enclosures on all three days can be purchased in advance with a 20% discount for booking on-line (note: no discounts for the three-day badge/ticket):
Premier Enclosure - £32 each day or £69 for a three day badge
Grandstand & Paddock - £20 each day or £45 for a three-day ticket
Garden Enclosure - Closed
Children aged under 16 accompanied by an adult will be admitted FREE to both enclosures every day.
For advance bookings or more information: Call 01638 675 500 or visit www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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