Krypton Factor primed for next week’s Darley July Cup

Krypton Factor with his owner/trainer Fawzi Nass and jockey Kieren Fallon after they won last year’s Golden Shaheen in Dubai. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Krypton Factor, who claimed third place in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, is on schedule for the Group 1 Darley July Cup a week today (13th July), the highlight of the three-day Piper-Heidsieck July Festival on Newmarket’s July Course.

With Shamexpress from Australia, Shea Shea from South Africa, Havelock from the USA and Krypton Factor from Bahrain all on target for the Darley July Cup, Europe’s joint most valuable sprint could have one of the most international line-ups in its history.

Krypton Factor, owned and trained by Fawzi Nass, has not won since March last year when he wrapped up a very successful stint in Dubai by landing the Group 1 Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan in the hands of Kieren Fallon.

He was a close third in the same race this year, again with Fallon in the saddle.

Nass said: "Krypton Factor looks well and is a lot fitter now. He needed the race at Royal Ascot as he had not run since March and he is the type of horse who needs a race or two to get to his top notch of fitness.

"We had to miss the July Cup last year because of the rain. Ground conditions are very important to him and he does not like anything worse than Good. We tried him on Good-to-Soft at Royal Ascot last year and he did not enjoy himself.

"His training did not go smoothly early this year as he bruised his foot and that was bothering him for his last two races in Dubai, but he has overcome that now.

"We also decided to give Singapore a miss this year as we felt that going from Dubai to Singapore and on to Ascot was too much for him.

"I am hoping that his improvement in fitness and the different circumstances in which the July Cup may be run will mean that we can overturn Ascot form.

"Lethal Force was impressive there but he got an easy lead and the winning time was nothing special.

"The quicker they go the better for Krypton Factor – he will be ridden up with the pace as usual and hopefully Luke Morris [who rode him in the Diamond Jubilee] will ride if Kieren Fallon is committed to Society Rock.

"He has never run at the July Course before, but we were lucky enough to get the chance to work him on the track last year and he seemed to handle it well.

"Since Ascot he has been at my stud (Aislabie) in Stetchworth, near Newmarket.

"We have a six furlong gallop there for his steady work and we bring him into town to use the Cambridge Road Gallop for his fast work.

"I have also brought one other older horse and six two-year-olds from Bahrain and I hope to run one of the two-year-olds in a maiden at the July Festival on July 12.

"There has never been a Bahraini winner in Britain before and to win a race like the July Cup would be an honour for myself and would get plenty of recognition back home.”