Morluc Among Nominees for Newmarket's Darley Cup
Date Posted: 5/14/2003 2:18:29 PM
Last Updated: 5/14/2003 5:15:49 PM

Edited from a release

Kentucky-based Morluc is among the 79 entries for the July 10 Darley July Cup (Eng-I) at Newmarket. The son of Housebuster is no stranger to travel--he finished second in the 2000 and 2001 runnings of the Hong Kong Sprint (HK-II and HK-III, respectively), and has competed in Dubai. Morluc has raced once in 2003 and finished second in the five-furlong Aegon Turf Sprint Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs. To date Morluc has 11 wins and 14 placings in 38 lifetime starts and earnings of just over $1 million.

The total number of entries is up for the Darley Cup compared to last year's 57. The 2003 Darley July Cup, supported by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud since 1996, has gone up in value to £250,000, a £30,000 increase over the 2002 figure.

Since the International Classifications first began in 1977, there have been 26 runnings of the Darley July Cup and no less than 20 of the winners during that time have been crowned champion European sprinter, with the other six all being of the very highest quality. Time and again, the Darley July Cup has proved to be Europe's sprint championship.

Champion trainer Aidan O'Brien has won two of the last four renewals of the Darley July Cup courtesy of Stravinsky in 1999 and Mozart two years later. This year O'Brien has 14 entries--one more than in 2002--including Hawk Wing, runner-up in two classics last season, the Sagitta Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket and the Vodafone Derby at Epsom, before winning the group I Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. Another who could step down in trip is Hold That Tiger, last year's group I Grand Criterium winner who was the unplaced favorite in this year's Sagitta Two Thousand Guineas, while Spartacus is the winner of two top-class juvenile races in 2002 including the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

The O'Brien contingent is also made up of First Dynasty, France, Great Pyramid, Miguel Cervantes, Sahara Desert, Salt Lake City, Septimus Severus, Solskjaer, Statue Of Liberty and Tomahawk. Godolphin, the other powerhouse of international racing, has entered seven including Firebreak, victorious in the Godolphin Mile (UAE-II) at Nad Al Sheba on his last start, Romantic Liason, the 2002 Queen Mary Stakes winner at Royal Ascot, and Three Points who has been fourth and sixth in the Darley July Cup in 2001 and 2002. Meshaheer, Country Reel, Feet So Fast and Western Diplomat complete the strong Godolphin squad.

Equally exciting is the inclusion of the Australian-trained Choisir. He could represent trainer Paul Perry, who saddled the Danehill Dancer colt to win the TEAC Lightning Stakes (Aust-I) at Flemington in February.

The six French-trained entries include the John Hammond-trained Crystal Castle, who is no stranger to success in Britain having won two races at Ascot in 2002 including the Brunswick Diadem Stakes (Eng-II) in September when he denied group I Golden Jubilee winner Malhub by a short-head, and Zipping, trained by Robert Collet, fourth in last year's Sagitta Two Thousand Guineas who has subsequently been campaigned in sprint contests.

Gallic hopes could also rest on the Criquette Head-Maarek-trained pair of Evoke and Victorieux, as well as Porlezza and Swedish Shave. Pleasure Place has been entered by Italian handler Riccardo Menichetti. She won a group III contest at Maisons-Laffitte in September.

DARLEY JULY CUP
Group I, Class A, Newmarket, Thursday, July 10, 2003, 6 furlongs. Total prize fund £250,000, for 3-year-olds and upwards, entries closed May 7 (79 entries), forfeit stage June 17, £15,000 supplementary stage July 5. Confirmation of entries by noon on July 5, declarations to run by 10 am on July 8.

Horse, Owner, Trainer
ACCLAMATION, Dulford Cavaliers, Gerald Cottrell,
AIRWAVE, Henry Candy & Partners, Henry Candy
ASHDOWN EXPRESS (IRE), W.J.P. Jackson, Chris Wall
AVONBRIDGE, John Deer, Roger Charlton
AWARDING, Anthony Pye-Jeary And Mel Smith, Fulke Johnson Houghton
BAHAMIAN PIRATE (USA), Lucayan Stud, David Nicholls
BELLE DU JOUR (AUS), Strawberry Hill Stud Syndicate, Dermot Weld
BONUS (IRE), Highclere Thoroughbred Racing VII, Richard Hannon
CAPRICHO (IRE), Canisbay Bloodstock Ltd., John Akehurst
CAPTAIN RIO, Clipper Group Holdings, David Nicholls
CHOISIR (AUS), T.W. Wallace & Partners, Paul Perry
CONTINENT, Lucayan Stud, David Nicholls
COUNTRY REEL (USA), Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor
CRYSTAL CASTLE (USA), J. Raw, John Hammond
DANASKAYA (IRE), Ballylinch Stud, Jim Bolger
DANEHURST, Cheveley Park Stud, Sir Mark Prescott
DANGER OVER, Paul J. Dixon and Mountgrange Stud, Jamie Osborne
DEMONSTRATE (USA), Khalid Abdullah, John Gosden
EGO, Bloomsbury Stud, Geoff Wragg
ELUSIVE CITY (USA), The Thoroughbred Corporation, Gerard Butler
EVOKE (USA), Wertheimer et Frere, Criquette Head-Maarek
FEET SO FAST, Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor
FIREBREAK, Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor
FIRST DYNASTY (USA), Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier, Aidan O'Brien
FRANCE, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor, Aidan O'Brien
GREAT PYRAMID (IRE), Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor, Aidan O'Brien
HAWK WING (USA), Sue Magnier, Aidan O'Brien
HOLD THAT TIGER (USA), Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier, Aidan O'Brien
INDIAN SPARK, Frank Brady, Jim Goldie
JUST JAMES, Lucayan Stud, Jeremy Noseda
KHULOOD (USA), Hamdan Al Maktoum, John Dunlop
LADY DOMINATRIX (IRE), J. Dutfield, Nerys Dutfield
MALHUB (USA), Hamdan Al Maktoum, John Gosden
MARINO MARINI (USA), Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor, Aidan O'Brien
MAZEPA (IRE), Paul & Jenny Green, Neville Callaghan
MEMBERSHIP (USA), Saeed Manana, Clive Brittain
MESHAHEER (USA), Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor
MIGUEL CERVANTES (USA), Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor, Aidan O'Brien
MISTER LINKS (IRE), Coriolan Links Partnership III, Richard Hannon
MORLUC (USA), Michael Cloonan, Randy L. Morse
MOUNT ABU (IRE). Gary Seidler & Andy J. Smith, John Gosden
NEEDWOOD BLADE, R.L. Bedding, Bryan McMahon
OASIS DREAM, Khalid Abdullah, John Gosden
ORIENTOR, S. Bruce, Jim Goldie
PEACE OFFERING (IRE), Mrs L. M. Askew, Terry Mills
PIC UP STICKS, A. Ball & W. Harrison-Allan, Mick Channon
PLEASURE PLACE (IRE), Scuderia Razza Dell'olmo, Riccardo Menichetti
POLAR WAY, Khalid Abdullah, Amanda Perrett
PORLEZZA (FR), E. Hilger, Yves de Nicolay
RED CARPET, Cheveley Park Stud, Michael Bell
REVENUE (IRE), The Royal Ascot Racing, Club Michael Bell
ROMANTIC LIASON, Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor
ROYAL MILLENNIUM (IRE), Jackie & George Smith, Mick Channon
SADDAD (USA), Hamdan Al Maktoum, Sir Michael Stoute
SAHARA DESERT, Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier, Aidan O'Brien
SALT LAKE CITY (USA), Sue Magnier, Aidan O'Brien
SEPTIMUS SEVERUS (USA), Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor, Aidan O'Brien
SOLSKJAER (IRE), Sue Magnier & Mrs. David Nagle, Aidan O'Brien
SOMNUS, Legard Sidebottom & Sykes, Tim Easterby
SPARTACUS (IRE), Sue Magnier, Aidan O'Brien
STATUE OF LIBERTY (USA), Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier, Aidan O'Brien
STEENBERG (IRE), Kenneth MacPherson, Mark Tompkins
STRIKING AMBITION, Peter Webb, Giles Bravery
SUGGESTIVE, Barbara Bassett, William Haggas
SWEDISH SHAVE (FR), Sten Thynell, Richard Gibson
TANTE ROSE (IRE), Wafic Said, Barry Hills
TARJMAN, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, Alec Stewart
THE BONUS KING 3 Mo Done, Mark Johnston
THREE POINTS, Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor
TOMAHAWK (USA), Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor, Aidan O'Brien
TRADE FAIR, Khalid Abdullah, Roger Charlton
TWILIGHT BLUES (IRE), Susan Roy, Brian Meehan
VANDERLIN, R. & E.H. Investments Ltd., Andrew Balding
VICTORIEUX (FR), Alec Head, Criquette Head-Maarek
VISION OF NIGHT, Hesmonds Stud, John Dunlop
WESTERN DIPLOMAT (USA), Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor
WIMPLE (USA), Saeed Manana, Clive Brittain
WIZARD OF NOZ, C. Fox & J. Wright, Jeremy Noseda
ZIPPING (IRE), Richard Strauss, Robert Collet

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