Racing Centre

MISS ANDRETTI TOPS 54 HIGH-CLASS HORSES LEFT IN DARLEY JULY CUP

Australian sprinting sensation Miss Andretti heads a superb 54-strong entry who stand their ground at the first forfeit stage for the £375,000 Group One Darley July Cup, run over six furlongs on Newmarket's July Course on Friday, July 13, the highlight of the 2007 Ritz Club July Festival.

The six-year-old mare, trained by Lee Freedman, produced a tremendous display to take yesterday's Group Two King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, knocking over two seconds off the course record for five furlongs as she blitzed to a length and three quarter triumph over Irish hope Dandy Man, with compatriot Magnus close up in third place.

Rookie handler Tim Pitt gained his second top level success when Les Arcs held off the fast-finishing Iffraaj in the 2006 Darley July Cup, following up his triumph in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. The seven-year-old ran unplaced on his return this year in the Group Two Duke Of York Stakes at York on May 16.

The Kevin Ryan-trained Amadeus Wolf was ultra-consistent in 2006, including when an excellent fourth to Les Arcs in the Darley July Cup, and looked as a good as ever on his return this year when landing the Duke Of York Stakes, defeating Red Clubs by a length and a quarter.

Aidan O'Brien supplies four of the seven remaining Irish-trained entries, including Excellent Art and Astronomer Royal, first and third in the Group One St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot yesterday, and George Washington, the brilliant 2006 Stan James 2000 Guineas victor who returned from an unsuccessful spell at stud to finish a close fourth to Ramonti in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot the same day.

Sakhee's Secret is undoubtedly one of the most exciting young sprinters in training, having landed all three outings in 2007. Hughie Morrison's three-year-old produced an exhilarating performance on his most recent outing when storming to a four-length victory over Prime Defender in the Listed Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury on June 17.

The Richard Hannon-trained Asset finished ninth behind George Washington in the 2006 Stan James 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, but looked a natural sprinter on his four-year-old debut when comfortably defeating stable companion Assertive by two and a half lengths in the Listed Abernant Stakes at Newmarket on April 19.

Borderlescott is a very consistent performer and provided trainer Robin Bastiman with his biggest success in the 2006 Stewards' Cup at Goodwood, Mark Wallace's Benbaun is yet to win at the highest level but is a classy sprinter, while Bygone Days, who captured the 2006 Group Three Igloos Bentinck Stakes at Newmarket, is the sole Godolphin hope.

US Ranger, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, was undefeated before this year's Stan James 2,000 Guineas, when he finished seventh behind Cockney Rebel, and he runs at Royal Ascot today. He is one of four French-trained entries.

The German-trained entry is Electric Beat, a Group Three scorer over six furlongs at Hamburg in 2006, who ran second on his seasonal return at Hanover on June 10 for handler Andreas Lowe.

Drayton, unplaced behind Cockney Rebel in the Stan James 2000 Guineas on his latest start in May, could represent South African handler Mike de Kock, while the Gai Waterhouse-trained Bentley Biscuit, in arrears in yesterday's King's Stand Stakes, completes the Australian trio.

Other fascinating entries include David Nicholls' useful pair Tax Free and Moss Vale, 2006 Coventry Stakes scorer Hellvelyn, James Fanshawe's improving mare Firenze, the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained duo Al Qasi, very progressive last season, and Dutch Art, third in the Stan James 2000 Guineas, and Mutawaajid, a dual Group Two winner in Australia now based with Mick Channon.

Michael Prosser, Newmarket's Director of Racing, commented: "The Australian sprinters really proved themselves again at Royal Ascot yesterday and we are looking forward to Miss Andretti, Magnus and hopefully Bentley Biscuit taking part in Europe's richest and most prestigious sprint, the Darley July Cup.

"Though Choisir went close in 2003, an Australian-trained horse has yet to win our race and, as usual, there will be plenty of challengers from Europe determined to foil the long-distance raiders."

 For further information, please contact:

Alistair Haggis - PR Manager at Newmarket

Tel: 01638 675 553

Mobile: 07884 026 487

Email: alistair.haggis@jockeyclubracecourses.com

THE DARLEY JULY CUP

Class 1, Group 1, £375,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.10pm, Newmarket (July Course), Friday, July 13, 2007. For three year olds and upwards, six furlongs. Weights: 3yo colts & geldings 8st 13lb; fillies 8st 10lb; 4yo+ colts and geldings 9st 5lb; fillies 9st 2lb. Entries closed May 9, entries revealed May 16 (71 entries). Forfeit stage June 19 (54 entries remain).

£25,000 supplementary entry stage & six-day confirmation stage July 7.

Final declaration stage 10.00am, July 11. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Tuesday, May 19. May not include some overseas form. All-weather/dirt form in brackets.

Form Horse Age Owner Trainer

0/3(2)32-5 ADVANCED 4 T Doherty and McHeen Kevin Ryan

6(1)1211-6 AL QASI (IRE) 4 Ziad Galadari Peter Chapple-Hyam

543235-1 AMADEUS WOLF 4 Duddy, McDonald, Heeney, Irish National Stud

Kevin Ryan

0-41540 APPALACHIAN TRAIL (IRE) 6 G L S Partnership Ian Semple

20-326455 ASHDOWN EXPRESS (IRE) 8 John Jackson Chris Wall

30204-251 ASSERTIVE 4 A J Ilsley, Ken Ivory & Lady Whent Richard Hannon

13/(1)02-1 ASSET (IRE) 4 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing XXVI Richard

Hannon

21-612 ASTRONOMER ROYAL (USA) 3 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor

Aidan O'Brien IRE

2400-405 BALTHAZAAR'S GIFT (IRE) 4 Ryder Racing Ltd Luca Cumani

50120-40 BALTIC KING 7 Thurloe Thoroughbreds VIII Hughie Morrison

0510/-5026 BARON'S PIT 7 A M Pickering Ed Vaughan

222153-10 BENBAUN (IRE) 6 Ransley, Birks, Hillen. Mark Wallace

140-41110 BENTLEY BISCUIT (AUS) 6 Gai Waterhouse Gai Waterhouse AUS

21262-22 BORDERLESCOTT 5 Border Rail & Plant Limited Robin Bastiman

320211-4 BYGONE DAYS 6 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor

252116-050 CONQUEST (IRE) 3 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing XXXVIII William

Haggas

4113 CONTEST (IRE) 3 Derrick Smith David Wachman IRE

14103-122 DANDY MAN (IRE) 4 Exors of the Late A McLean Tracey Collins

IRE

1255-40 DRAYTON (IRE) 3 Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa & Club ISM Mike de

Kock SAF

1111-234 DUTCH ART 3 Susan Roy And Cheveley Park Stud Peter

Chapple-Hyam

24/3115-2 ELECTRIC BEAT 4 Rennstall Directa Andreas Lowe GER

11331-41 EXCELLENT ART 3 Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, M

Green Aidan O'Brien IRE

50435-306 FAYR JAG (IRE) 8 Jonathan Gill Tim Easterby

12301-13 FIRENZE 6 Jan and Peter Hopper James Fanshawe

1/1231(6)- GEORGE WASHINGTON (IRE) 4 Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE

31-4143 GRANTLEY ADAMS 4 Mrs T G Trant Mick Channon

14-0 HAATEF (USA) 3 Hamdan Al Maktoum Kevin Prendergast IRE

110-0 HAMOODY (USA) 3 Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar Peter

Chapple-Hyam

11124- HELLVELYN 3 HE Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed Bryan Smart

200110-0 LES ARCS (USA) 7 Willie McKay Tim Pitt

01-23413 MAGNUS (AUS) 5 R J Crabtree Peter Moody AUS

1610-(0)0 MARCHAND D'OR (FR) 4 Mme J L Giral Freddy Head FR

(1)-(2)(1)(4)404 MASTERSHIP (IRE) 3 Sheikh Marwan Al Maktoum Clive

Brittain

213-1111 MISS ANDRETTI (AUS) 6 Sean Buckley Lee Freedman AUS

051035-02230 MOSS VALE (IRE) 6 Lady O'Reilly David Nicholls

01-1121 MUNADDAM (USA) 5 Hamdan Al Maktoum Ed Dunlop

11-1114 MUTAWAAJID (AUS) 4 Mick Channon Mick Channon

0051-004 NEW GIRLFRIEND (IRE) 4 Richard Strauss Robert Collet FR

30(1)-(2)1012 PRIME DEFENDER 3 S Falle, M Franklin, J Sumsion Barry Hills

0006-0604 QUITO (IRE) 10 Michael Hill David Chapman

212-3 RAHIYAH (USA) 3 H E Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed Jeremy Noseda

025510-20 RED CLUBS (IRE) 4 Ronnie Arculli Barry Hills

43411-14 RISING SHADOW (IRE) 6 G Morrill David Barron

314-111 SAKHEE'S SECRET 3 Bridget Swire Hughie Morrison

411-20 SANDER CAMILLO (USA) 3 Sir Robert Ogden Jeremy Noseda

1/21122- SATRI (IRE) 5 E Ciampi Jean-Marie Beguigne FR

102105-0 SILVER TOUCH (IRE) 4 Jaber Abdullah Mick Channon

21/114/-33 SOLDIER'S TALE (USA) 6 Budget Stable Jeremy Noseda

00/(1)(1)60-3 SOMETHING (IRE) 5 John Humphreys Terry Mills

13-(4)(0)1110 TAX FREE (IRE) 5 Ian Hewitson David Nicholls

5521-3035 THEANN 3 Evie Stockwell Aidan O'Brien IRE

111-10 US RANGER (USA) 3 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, J

Allen Jean Claude Rouget FR

01113-4 WASSEEMA (USA) 4 Hamdan Al Maktoum Sir Michael Stoute

12212-5 WI DUD 3 J Duddy, L Duddy, P McBride, E Duffy Kevin Ryan

54 entries remain after June 19 forfeit stage

7 Irish-trained

4 French-trained

3 Australian-trained

1 German-trained

1 South African-trained

Horses removed after first forfeit stage (17): ABSOLUTELYFABULOUS (IRE), ARCH SWING (USA), BEAVER PATROL (IRE), DHAULAR DHAR (IRE), FACCHETTI (USA), GIFT HORSE, HINTON ADMIRAL, HONOURED GUEST (IRE), MAJOR CADEAUX, MISU BOND (IRE), OPERA CAPE, PIVOTAL POINT, RABATASH (USA), RIOTOUS APPLAUSE, VITAL

EQUINE (IRE), WID (USA) & SADEEK