Venetian Sun, Satono Reve to head mouth-watering July Cup

NEWMARKET – A field of 13 runners has been confirmed at the five-day stage for the Group 1 July Cup (1,200m) at Newmarket on July 11, with some interesting contenders among them.

The standout duo who have turned this 2026 renewal of the British classic into a blockbuster rendition are undoubtedly Venetian Sun and Satono Reve, but the 150-year-old race is certainly not lacking in depth either.

Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun reflects recent positive trends, both for her gender and family line.

With the race won by two fillies in the last five years, Venetian Sun will be aiming to enhance the record while carrying a nine-pound weight allowance against her older male rivals.

Sire Starman’s win in the 2021 July Cup and Venetian Sun’s last win in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup (1,200m) at Royal Ascot are also solid positives. Shaquille completed the same double in 2023.

Burke has the utmost faith in Venetian Sun, but admitted the six-time winning filly would be facing her sternest test so far.

“She’s in great form, very happy with her. I haven’t had to be hard on her since Ascot,” he told Racing TV.

“She did a lovely piece of work last week and we’re all set to go. It’s probably the hardest race she’s run in so far.

“When you start taking on these older, seasoned sprinters you have to step up again, but she’s got a lot of weapons that will help her.

“She travels strongly, she’s very relaxed and there should be a good pace in the race with Quinault in there. He’d be an obvious one to go forward along with a couple of others.”

With foreign focus mainly centred on Royal Ascot, Japanese globetrotter Satono Reve will be the sole overseas raider as he aims to become the July Cup’s first international winner since French victor Marchand d’Or in 2008.

Satono Reve has been agonisingly denied in back-to-back renewals of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1,200m) at Royal Ascot on June 20, but Japanese trainer Noriyuki Hori and connections will be hoping the Lord Kanaloa entire can emulate compatriot Agnes World, who took the July Cup in 2000.

Even if Aidan O’Brien was a regular visitor to the July Cup during the first 20 years of the new century, taking victory at Newmarket with sprinting stars Mozart, Starspangledbanner and US Navy Flag, Mission Central will be aiming to provide the Irish maestro with a first success in the race since 2019.

The son of No Nay Never could be O’Brien’s new sprinting star, but is a particularly unusual runner from Ballydoyle as a rare gelded representative.

However, his come-from-behind victory in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1,000m) on June 16 and unbeaten status over six furlongs makes plenty of appeal.

After No Half Measures caused a major upset when winning the 2025 renewal at 66-1, there will be no shortage of outsiders hoping to emulate the Richard Hughes-trained filly by Cable Bay.

Fellow long shots Flora Of Bermuda (40-1), Powerful Glory (50-1), Quinault (50-1) and Prince Of India (66-1) will be hoping to make a similar impact.

Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda had stall-related trouble when last in last year’s renewal and on her most recent run at Royal Ascot in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

But her best sprinting form such as her Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes third is enough to put her in the top three.

RACING AND SPORTS