Jamie Clark was Sports Editor of Coral bookmakers between 2014 and 2017 during their merger with Labrokes and a key period for the British betting industry. Working as a bookie’s runner on the point to point circuit in the Midlands and at Market Rasen Racecourse where his late godfather had a trackside pitch growing up, he has had ties to horse racing all of his life. A regular visitor to Cheltenham during the National Hunt season and York over the summer, he has been involved in Horsebetting.com since its inception. Jamie now brings you his take on major news stories from the racing world and those all-important betting tips.
With a huge field of 19 runners declared, these July Cup betting tips have lots of horses to consider. Our experts have a shortlist for the feature 6f Group 1 sprint at Newmarket this Saturday (16:25). See which horses make it for the July Festival’s showpiece race.
July Cup betting tips – Rohaan can ride off with Newmarket feature
The rapid progress made by ROHAAN this season cannot be ignored, so he looks value in a wide-open renewal. Trained by David Evans, this three-year-old Mayson gelding has gone from handicapper to Group winner in a miraculous campaign. Rohaan won four of his eight starts on the All-Weather over the winter but has thrived on his racing.
When switched back to turf here in April, he faced an impossible ask giving 6lb away to the re-opposing Creative Force. That pair now meet off level weights. Given what Rohaan has achieved since, he arrives at the July course at the very top of his game. Following a Group 3 success in the Pavilion Stakes at Ascot, he followed-up in the Sandy Lane on the upgrade and in the mud at Haydock.
Rohaan held another re-opposing rival in Dragon Symbol, subsequently first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup, by a nose. As he then couldn’t run in that Royal Ascot Group 1, he instead carried a welter burden in one of the meeting’s ultra-competitive sprint handicaps. Rohaan oozed class in the Wokingham Stakes, quickening and hitting the front with half-a-furlong left to score by a cosy neck.
He was clearly value for more than the winning margin, leaving Evans bemoaning the Commonwealth Cup conditions precluding him from taking part. There are no such limitations here, so our July Cup betting tips say it would be foolish to ignore what Rohaan has achieved. You can back him at best odds of 15/2 with 888Sport, and he’s a solid each-way bet at that price.
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Few can really be ruled out, and dangers lurk at every turn. Last year’s winner OXTED bounced back to form in style at Royal Ascot when landing the King’s Stand over the flying 5f last time out. Roger Teal’s stable star will want to try and follow-up on that success with a defence of the crown, yet there are one or two concerns about him.
Oxted was a beaten odds-on favourite in the Group 3 Abernant Stakes on the Rowley Mile course here on reappearance. Any horse can need the run but his defeat came to handicapper Summerghand. Oxted should reverse that form here, yet it does give punters pause before piling into odds of 9/2 with Betfred for back-to-back renewals of this.
York conqueror STARMAN looked a sprinter going places with his triumph in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes when last in action. Trained by Ed Walker, still seeking a first success at the highest level, this lightly-raced Dutch Art colt does need to prove he can do it outside of Yorkshire but was a warm fancy for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Rain hitting that meeting meant a change of going and Starman coming out. He comes into this fresh, then, and rates a big danger. Starman is a 9/2 chance with Betfair for Group 1 glory, while another threat comes from the aforementioned Dragon Symbol. After losing the Commonwealth Cup in the stewards room, Archie Watson’s charge is 5/1 with BetVictor for compensation here.
Miss Amulet massively overpriced
I’ll be honest, I’ve backed two at bigger odds each-way. The first of those was CHIL CHIL at 25/1 following her Group 3 win on the All-Weather at Newcastle. This five-year-old mare representing King Power Racing hails from the Andrew Balding stable. That yard is having a fine season, and I was taken with the way Chil Chil got the job done.
Any July Cup betting tips you read will tell you this demands more, but the daughter of Exceed And Excel has figures of 121 at this venue. Chil Chil needs a career best here, yet delivered just that last time out. Further progress can’t be ruled out and the only negative is the owners’ retained rider Silvestre De Sousa rides Art Power. Chil Chil is a top-price 20/1 with Bet365 and 16/1 with other firms who pay extra places.
The biggest each-way value comes in the form of Irish raider MISS AMULET, if taken on the pick of her juvenile form. Trained by Ken Condon, this three-year-old filly gets weight all-round but does need a sound surface. Miss Amulet won the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York last summer, then bumped into Alcohol Free in the Cheveley Park here in the autumn when pitched in at the highest level.
Her third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf reads really well in relation to this. Miss Amulet split subsequent 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth and Campanelle, awarded the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Massive odds of 50/1 with William Hill, who pay five places on the July Cup, look huge, especially if the showers miss Newmarket. Miss Amulet gets an each-way vote.
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