Australian sprinter Brazen Beau heads the betting for the Group 1 £500,000 Darley July Cup (6 furlong) at Newmarket in England on Saturday.
Brazen Beau has been installed the favourite for the July Cup at Newmarket. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
The Chris Waller trainer Brazen Beau with Craig Williams in the saddle was pipped at the post by the American sprinter Undrafted when second in the Group 1 £525,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs) at Royal Ascot on June 20.
With the Wesley Ward trained Undrafted not competing in the July Cup, bookmakers have placed Brazen Beau at the top of the market order with Ladbrokes.com.au marking him at $3.60 ahead of the Charles Hills trained Muhaarar at $4.20.
Racing giant Godolphin have taken over the ownership of Brazen Beau who will stand his first season at stud at Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stud in the Hunter Valley in the Australian spring and will race in the their royal blue colours with stable rider James Doyle taking over from Williams.
Doyle has already become familiar with the three year old in trackwork and will be aboard this week in on gallop mornings under the eye of Waller.
“We didn’t do anything spectacular but he quickened up nicely from the two (furlongs) and hit the line nicely,” Doyle told the Racing Post of Brazen Beau’s work last week.
“He’s a ride to look forward to, big time.
“He’s very relaxed for a sprinter, not a buzzy type and I wouldn’t swap him for anything else in the race.”
Brazen Beau earned a trip to the UK following his two Group 1 winning performances in the Spring and Autumn with champion Hong Kong jockey Joao Moreira on top.
The I Am Invincible colt proved to be the superior sprinting three year old during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival with a win in the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 1.
Then during the Melbourne Autumn Carnival this year Brazen Beau was able to beat the open class horses with a stunning two and three quarter lengths win in the Group 1 $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 14.
