Shaquille Is Saturday’s Best Bet and That Is the Truth
The third and final day of Newmarket’s July meeting features the Group One Pertemps Network July Cup. Raced over six furlongs, the contest is one of the most valuable and prestigious sprint races in the world. It has been won by Ireland’s powerhouse Aidan O’Brien stables five times.
However, in a refreshing shuffle of the training ranks, the betting for this year’s contest is dominated by horses representing two of the UK’s smaller yards: Yorkshire’s Julie Camacho and Michael Dodds. Their Shaquille and Azure Blue are trading on 2/1 and 10/3 in the early July Cup betting at sports betting sites.
Shaquille crosses the line ahead of Little Big Bear in the Commonwealth Cup. There is no good reason to expect the form to be reversed on Saturday. ©GettyImages
Shaq Fancied to Net a Slam Dunk
Shaquille overcame a slow start to shock hot favourite Little Big Bear and produce a superb victory in the Group-1 Commonwealth Cup on day four of Royal Ascot 2023. That rival re-opposes on Saturday, but there is little reason to believe he will reverse the form.
Four-year-old Azure Blue has improved from a handy handicapper to a Group-2 winner in her last four unbeaten starts. The grey swerved Royal Ascot and has been off the track for two months.
Nevertheless, with a career record of five wins from six starts and a dramatic rise in the ratings, Shaquille gets our vote. As a three-year-old, the colt receives weight from all of his rivals. If breaking on equal terms, the Rossa Ryan trained horse could outstrip his Royal Ascot performance.
The Truth Is in the Appleby Stats
While O’Brien’s representative in the July Cup is readily passed by, his City Of Troy cannot be ignored in the Group-2 Superlative Stakes. An impressive winner on his debut at the Curragh two weeks ago, the youngster could be a star of the future. The best horse racing betting sites agree and quote Ryan Moore’s mount on a cautious 6/4.
Our suggestion, Great Truth, is a slightly more generous 11/4. Like City Of Troy, he also scored on his only outing. His success was more eye-catching, but, in mitigation, it probably came in a weaker race.
Great Truth represents Charlie Appleby, who has already steered nine individual two-year-olds to the winner’s enclosure this season. His strike rate in this category is a mighty 41 percent. But, it is the trainer’s record in this contest that makes his horse our choice.
Appleby, who has held a trainers’ licence for ten years, has won this contest four times in the past seven seasons. His best two-year-olds have been aimed at this race – including Native Trail and Quorto.
In comparison, O’Brien has claimed the Superlative Stakes on three occasions. The first was in 1999. Obviously, City Of Troy will not know the stats, but at the season’s end, we suspect O’Brien will have a handful of juveniles that are rated higher than him.
Mafnood on the Right Track
At Salisbury, Mafnood can get off the mark on his second start. Starting favourite in a Newbury novice event a month ago, a route up the far side of the track was his undoing, and he is a better horse than the bare form of that race suggests. Apprentice Alec Voikhansky takes a helpful five pounds off his back on Saturday, it could prove decisive.
Saturday’s Best Horse Racing Bets
- Shaquille 4.35 pm Newmarket
- Great Truth 3.25 pm Newmarket
- Mafnood 5.40 pm Salisbury
