Slade Power hot pick for July Cup in UK racing swansong
Published:Recent Diamond Jubilee Stakes victor Slade Power is the 5/2 favourite with Ladbrokes to go on and land the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
And should the Eddie Lynam-trained charge take top honours in the Group 1 event it will represent a fitting end to his UK racing career.
The five-year-old’s handler has confirmed that his charge’s impending assignment at HQ will be his last in the British Isles with a tilt at the $1 million VRC Sprint Classic in Australia his proposed swansong.
Lynam told the Racing Post: “He’s favourite for the July Cup and hopefully he can deliver but regardless of that he will go to Melbourne.”
Meanwhile, stablemate and dual Kings’ Stand Stakes hero Sole Power is a 7/1 shot to build on last year’s fifth-placed July Cup finish.
Lethal Force was the victor on that occasion having previously won the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot.
And should Slade Power follow in his footsteps he would become the fourth horse in the last 10 years to capture an impressive Diamond Jubilee-July Cup double.
Les Arcs (2006), Starspangledbanner (2010) and the aforementioned Lethal Force (2013) have all achieved the feat in recent times and its now the turn of Lynam’s sprinter to try and follow suit.
Due Dilgence and Aljamaaheer re-oppose
Other market principals include the Aidan O’Brien-trained Due Diligence and Aljamaaheer, both available at 5/1.
The pair will re-oppose having finished second and third respectively behind Slade Power in Berkshire with both aiming to emulate the success of Marchant D’Or back in 2008.
The French raider was the last horse to contest and subsequently fail in the Diamond Jubilee (then the Golden Jubilee) before launching a successful July Cup assault.
And further down the list the likes of Duke of York winner Maarek (12/1) and last year’s Sprint Cup hero Gordon Lord Byron (14/1) also make appeal ahead of Newmarket’s 6f summer highlight.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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