Latest news with #DubaiJulyCup
RTÉ News
12-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
No Half Measures pulls off shock in July Cup at Newmarket
Richard Hughes' No Half Measures ran out a shock winner of the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Stakes at Newmarket. At 66-1 she was a real outsider in the Group One contest, and from stall 15 she kept out of trouble under Neil Callan on the far side of the track. As the six-furlong event reached the business end she was picking off rivals and after locking horns with Big Mojo, it was No Half Measures who came out on top by a neck with a further length and three-quarters back to Run To Freedom in third. Hughes steered Oasis Dream to victory in the 2003 July Cup and after taking up training in 2015, No Half Measures is his first Group One winner as a handler. No Half Measures captures the @ABE_Dubai July Cup for @RHughesracing 🏆 — Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) July 12, 2025 An emotional Hughes said: "I've just got a bear hug off William Buick and he's cut my lip! "It's brilliant. Disappointments when you're training are very hard and the highs don't meet the lows. We fancied the filly yesterday Mood Queen and she finished last, which was excruciating, and the highs aren't even high enough. "It's an up and down game, but I'm coping better with it now than I used to. It's been a tough enough ride to get to here, but I'm definitely appreciating more now than when I started. "I didn't appreciate all those good horses when I was riding, I just took it for granted and I was very lucky to be riding for Richard Hannon and having the Khalid Abdullah job – I was privileged to be riding good horses every year. "We get a good horse through the yard now and again and I'm trying to mind it like a baby and I'm watching it every day in case it goes wrong because you probably only have one or two bullets. In Hannon's, if one broke you'd get on another one next day or I'd get another ride. There was a flow of horses and I found it very easy. "I was a little bit naive when I started training – I thought if I bought 20 horses one of them was going to be good. Then I bought 20 the following year and still no good one. "This is harder, but more rewarding for sure." Of gaining his first Group One as a trainer, he added: "I've got the monkey off my back that's for sure and I can retire now saying I rode a July Cup winner and trained one, so that's really nice. "Of course I want more, it's my nature as I'm very competitive, but if you don't have the horses you can't train them." No Half Measures won a handicap at this meeting last year before graduating to Group Three and Listed success, but Hughes admitted he had not expected to hit the mark at the highest level. He said: "She won here last year in a handicap and when Ryan (Moore) got off her I asked him if we'd get a bit of black type and he said 'she's better than that', which is something Ryan never says! He's a realist, so I was quite surprised by that. "We plotted to get our black type and we got it and she's done nothing but improve. "There was very little pressure today really. At halfway I thought she was going OK and then I just held my head because I couldn't believe what was happening! "I just thought if she's going to get caught she's going to caught, because they normally do, but I would have been pleased even with second or third, so to win is just a bonus."
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Aidan O'Brien reacts after hot favourite Italy suffers shock defeat at Newmarket
Italy (4-6f) found Charlie Appleby-trained Saba Desert too strong in the bet365 Superlative Stakes. Other winners on the day were More Thunder and 66-1 chance No Half Measures in the feature Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Aidan O'Brien was remaining upbeat after a shock defeat for 4-6 favourite Italy in the Group Two bet365 Superlative Stakes. The hotpot was the shortest price of all runners contesting seven contests on the final day of Newmarket's July Festival. Italy arrived at the course after winning a maiden event at Leopardstown in good style and was racing away from home for the first time. And O'Brien felt the 200,000 guineas Wootton Bassett colt came up short on the experience front, as he was passed by Saba Desert who continued a great week for Charlie Appleby and Will Buick. "We were very happy - he was a bit babyish and green," the Ballydoyle trainer reported. "We thought that might be. So he will go back to the Futurity (Group Two at the Curragh in August) probably now. If he had won today he would have had to go into a Group One next so it's better as he's a baby and he came (here for experience). "He hasn't been worked up at all (at home) really. We will look forward to him the next day." Saba Desert (6-1) fly-leapt as he exited the stalls and finished strongly in what turned out to be a messy renewal. Long-time leader Venetian Lace drifted left when coming off the bridle and carried her across to the winner's stablemate Wild Desert, forcing Italy across too. The winner came down the stands side and placings remained unaltered after a stewards enquiry was called, when it was found no riders were at fault. "He's a horse that we've held in high regard from early on," said Appleby. "The most important part once you hit that rising ground and you are finishing and he showed that class in doing so." Punters had better luck with More Thunder (6-5f) who scraped home by a nose from Aalto in the bet365 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket. Pipped in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, he quickened up smartly for Tom Marquand but had to battle hard for the prize late on. Cheers rang out when the judge confirmed the smart handicapper had put his head down at the right time and trainer William Haggas said: 'I need to watch it again, but for me they didn't go fast at all and he struggled to get momentum. I think he's better going fast."
Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Newsboy's ITV selections for Newmarket, York and Ascot on Saturday
Newsboy is backing Flora Of Bermuda to flourish in the July Cup at Newmarket and he expects Run Boy Run score a third win on the July course in the Bunbury Cup, both on ITV FLORA OF BERMUDA is fancied to prove a thorn in the side of favourite Notable Speech in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup (4.35) at Newmarket today. The Andrew Balding trainee, a close third in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint at Ascot last October, went under by a neck to this afternoon's rival Inisherin when making her return in the Group 2 1895 Duke Of York Stakes in May. But she had that rival in behind when finishing third in the top-tier Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, finishing three and a half lengths behind Lazzat. Neither the winner nor runner-up Satono Reve are in opposition here, and Flora Of Bermuda's Ascot effort needs marking up as she came from further back than the front pair. Notable Speech heads the betting but steps back from a mile and Flora Of Bermuda, with Wathnan Racing jockey James Doyle on board for the first time, can show the favourite a clean pair of heels. RUN BOY RUN is the choice to improve on an impressive record at Newmarket's July Course by beating 12 rivals for the bet365 Bunbury Cup (2.50). Richard Spencer's four-year-old has two wins and two seconds to show from four visits to the summer venue and ran a cracker when fourth to this afternoon's favourite More Thunder over the final six furlongs of the Rowley Mile on 2,000 Guineas day in May. My selection was subsequently a good second to Aramram over the same trip at Newbury a fortnight later and should be forgiven a down-the-field effort behind Never So Brave in the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot on his most recent outing, as he was marooned in a group of three towards the far side. The following afternoon, things didn't go to plan for MISS NIGHTFALL in the Sandringham Fillies' Handicap, but the James Fanshawe trainee has plenty to recommend her in the Trustatrader 20th Anniversary Fillies' Handicap (2.12). A well-backed 16-5 favourite, Miss Nightfall did best of those attempting to make ground from the back and won't be troubled by going back from a mile to seven furlongs. Another Ascot also-ran, RAAFEDD, is taken to bounce back in the bet365 Mile Handicap (3.25). Tom Marquand's partner found daylight hard to come by in the Britannia Handicap but clear water here will enable him to show his true colours. The blistering form of Aidan O'Brien's juveniles points to favourite ITALY in the Group 2 bet365 Superlative Stakes (4.00), while the stars can align for ORION'S BELT in the Rossdales British EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes (1.50). At York, HAND OF GOD, impressive in two wins in 2024 but beaten on both starts this season, is given the chance to get back on track in the John Smith's Cup (3.10). AL QAREEM is on a roll for Karl Burke and should continue the good work by capturing the Group 3 John Smith's Silver Cup (3.45). He comes here on a losing streak of nine, but WASHINGTON HEIGHT drops down to Listed class for the John Smith's City Walls Stakes (2.35), and is poised to take advantage. A 4lb rise for a course-and-distance score at the Dante fixture may not be enough to prevent OLD COCK from following up in the John Smith's Racing Handicap (2.00). With an excellent strike-rate of two from three at the track, and top-class form at the trip, HAATEM makes obvious appeal in the Group 2 Cornish Orchards Summer Mile (2.12) at Ascot. A third in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Handicap at the royal meeting enhanced his burgeoning reputation, so REDORANGE should go well in the LK Bennett Butterfly Mark Heritage Handicap (4.50). Saturday's selections NEWMARKET 1.40 ORION'S BELT 2.12 MISS NIGHTFALL (NB) 2.50 RUN BOY RUN 3.25 RAAFEDD 4.00 ITALY 4.35 FLORA OF BERMUDA (NAP) 5.10 ASGAARD'S CAPTAIN YORK 2.00 OLD COCK 2.35 WASHINGTON HEIGHTS 3.10 HAND OF GOD 3.45 AL QAREEM 4.15 DACRES CROSS 4.45 ROCK N ROLL PINKIE 5.25 FISCAL POLICY ASCOT 1.45 CREST OF FIRE 2.22 HAATEM 2.57 CALVERT 3.03 ORANGE SKY 4.10 MOUNT ATLAS 4.50 REDORANGE 5.20 WAR HOWL CHESTER 4.20 MOON ANGEL 4.55 BANG ON THE BELL 5.30 WITNESS STAND 6.05 EASY PEELER 6.35 I CAN IMAGINE 7.10 WHATSGOINGONMARVIN SALISBURY 5.40 LITTLE MISS MAGIC 6.15 A BIT OF SPIRIT 6.45 SWISS LIGHTNING 7.20 SOUL DANCE 7.50 LEXINGTON KNIGHT 8.20 GRAND HARBOUR HAMILTON PARK 5.50 STORMY PEARL 6.25 UTMOST RESPECT 7.00 TAYGAR 7.30 TWO AULD PALS 8.00 RAINWATER 8.30 SHANAZ 9.00 REDONDO DOUBLE: FLORA OF BERMUDA and MISS NIGHTFALL
RTÉ News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Notable Speech has a need for speed in July Cup
It might be stretching it to say Notable Speech attempts to do an Ajdal in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup, but his presence has certainly added lots of spice to the Newmarket showpiece. Dewhurst winner Ajdal was miraculously brought back from defeats in the 2000 Guineas and Derby by Michael Stoute to win the sprint championship in 1987, while the following year crack miler Soviet Star shone for Andre Fabre and France. Royal Academy was another brilliant miler to win the July Cup, and now it is last year's Guineas hero Notable Speech who gets his chance for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, having so far this year been fourth in both the Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne. Buick – on a high this week after recording his 2,000th career success in Britain – said: "I'll tell you after the race whether it was the correct decision or not! "He's only ever raced over a mile and he is a very speedy miler, which the good milers usually are. I've always felt he could drop back in trip, certainly to seven furlongs, and I know Charlie has earmarked the City of York as one of his possible targets. "Obviously we won't know fully about six furlongs until we try it, but it's worth a try. He's a horse with loads of speed and if he can adapt to that early pace and be within himself, I think he'll be there with a very good shot." Reflecting on his Ascot performance, Buick said: "He was unlucky and it was such a nightmare of a race. They went so slow and we were in a pocket and it was just one of those races you couldn't take too much out of. Sadly, we just had to put a line through it and move on. "Once the dust settled, Charlie and the team thought long and hard about this race for him and we'll give it a go. "It's a different thing to what he has done. If you go back to the Guineas he won, that was a strongly-run Guineas run at a fast pace throughout and he's a horse with a high cruising speed, so I hope that he will give himself every chance to travel within himself early in the race, wherever he's happy." Appleby also runs Symbol Of Honour, who had been among the ante-post favourites until his stablemate was supplemented. The trainer said: "On their home work they're chalk and cheese, but Symbol Of Honour has always been like that and when he gets on the racecourse he's just tough – he gets out on the pace and grinds it out. "Notable Speech, without stating the obvious, is the class horse going into the race. "When Will got off him at Kempton last year he said the English Guineas might be a bit stiff for him, but obviously he went and won the English Guineas and from there on he's only ever run over a mile. "But from what I saw in the Lockinge and although it was hard to assess Ascot because they went steady, he is a supreme traveller and I felt he's got plenty to gain by running here on Saturday and nothing to lose." The ever-growing Wathnan Racing run three, but it was not a hard choice for retained rider James Doyle to pick Andrew Balding's Flora Of Bermuda following her sterling effort when third at Royal Ascot. "I haven't actually had a chance to sit on her recently but I did her ride her before, albeit as a two-year-old," said Doyle. "I'm sure she'll be a little bit different to the last time I sat on her, but I had a good chat with Andrew about whether it was a good idea to come down and he felt she's very straightforward. He said there are no issues there, he didn't think. "Her two wins did come with ease in the ground and I'm sure one day that that might help her, but her best form – her last run and some other bits of form – came on very quick ground. "When she ran behind Kind Of Blue there was plenty of ease in the ground but she's shown to be very versatile. "I don't think it's too much of a worry and she's not a big, heavy filly, she's quite light on her feet." Wathnan are also represented by Karl Burke's Night Raider and the Tom Clover-trained Rogue Lightning. Aidan O'Brien last won the race in 2019 with Ten Sovereigns and 12 months prior to that with another three-year-old, US Navy Flag. He runs Whistlejacket from the Classic generation this year.
Powys County Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Notable Speech aiming to join July Cup giants
It might be stretching it to say Notable Speech attempts to do an Ajdal in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup, but his presence has certainly added lots of spice to the Newmarket showpiece. Dewhurst winner Ajdal was miraculously brought back from defeats in the 2000 Guineas and Derby by Sir Michael Stoute to win the sprint championship in 1987, while the following year crack miler Soviet Star shone for Andre Fabre and France. Royal Academy was another brilliant miler to win the July Cup, and now it is last year's Guineas hero Notable Speech who gets his chance for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, having so far this year been fourth in both the Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne. Buick – on a high this week after recording his 2,000th career success in Britain – said: 'I'll tell you after the race whether it was the correct decision or not! 'He's only ever raced over a mile and he is a very speedy miler, which the good milers usually are. I've always felt he could drop back in trip, certainly to seven furlongs, and I know Charlie has earmarked the City of York as one of his possible targets. 'Obviously we won't know fully about six furlongs until we try it, but it's worth a try. He's a horse with loads of speed and if he can adapt to that early pace and be within himself, I think he'll be there with a very good shot.' Reflecting on his Ascot performance, Buick said: 'He was unlucky and it was such a nightmare of a race. They went so slow and we were in a pocket and it was just one of those races you couldn't take too much out of. Sadly, we just had to put a line through it and move on. 'Once the dust settled, Charlie and the team thought long and hard about this race for him and we'll give it a go. 'It's a different thing to what he has done. If you go back to the Guineas he won, that was a strongly-run Guineas run at a fast pace throughout and he's a horse with a high cruising speed, so I hope that he will give himself every chance to travel within himself early in the race, wherever he's happy.' Fine effort from Symbol Of Honour who backs up last week's Newbury win in the Sandy Lane for @WilliamBuickX and @godolphin @haydockraces — Nick Robson (@ValueRacingPlus) May 24, 2025 Appleby also runs Symbol Of Honour, who had been among the ante-post favourites until his stablemate was supplemented. The trainer said: 'On their home work they're chalk and cheese, but Symbol Of Honour has always been like that and when he gets on the racecourse he's just tough – he gets out on the pace and grinds it out. 'Notable Speech, without stating the obvious, is the class horse going into the race. 'When Will got off him at Kempton last year he said the English Guineas might be a bit stiff for him, but obviously he went and won the English Guineas and from there on he's only ever run over a mile. 'But from what I saw in the Lockinge and although it was hard to assess Ascot because they went steady, he is a supreme traveller and I felt he's got plenty to gain by running here on Saturday and nothing to lose.' The ever-growing Wathnan Racing run three, but it was not a hard choice for retained rider James Doyle to pick Andrew Balding's Flora Of Bermuda following her sterling effort when third at Royal Ascot. 'I haven't actually had a chance to sit on her recently but I did her ride her before, albeit as a two-year-old,' said Doyle. 'I'm sure she'll be a little bit different to the last time I sat on her, but I had a good chat with Andrew about whether it was a good idea to come down and he felt she's very straightforward. He said there are no issues there, he didn't think. 'Her two wins did come with ease in the ground and I'm sure one day that that might help her, but her best form – her last run and some other bits of form – came on very quick ground. 'When she ran behind Kind Of Blue there was plenty of ease in the ground but she's shown to be very versatile. 'I don't think it's too much of a worry and she's not a big, heavy filly, she's quite light on her feet.' Wathnan are also represented by Karl Burke's Night Raider and the Tom Clover-trained Rogue Lightning. Aidan O'Brien last won the race in 2019 with Ten Sovereigns and 12 months prior to that with another three-year-old, US Navy Flag. He runs Whistlejacket from the Classic generation this year. Paul Smith of owners Coolmore said: 'He's working very well at home, but I see the money is coming for him and I don't know where that money is coming from. 'He's in good form, he's a quality horse and was a good two-year-old, so we're looking forward to seeing him run on Saturday.'
