Clive Cox stable visit and John Gosden interview in July Festival preview

Giofra gets the better of Elusive Kate in last year’s Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Two QIPCO British Champions Series races come under the spotlight this week, Friday’s Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes and Saturday’s Darley July Cup, and there’s an excellent preview from Oli Bell which you can watch below.

After a review of the best races at Royal Ascot and a look back at last Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse, we hear from John Gosden on Elusive Kate who has definitely come on since her seasonal debut at Royal Ascot.

She contests the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes, a race she was narrowly defeated in last year by another of the four-runner field, Giofra.

Gosden clearly fears Sky Lantern, however, who has looked so impressive on her last two starts. We then enjoy a stable visit to Clive Cox’s yard where he houses two of the country’s top sprinters, Lethal Force and Reckless Abandon, who are set to clash in the Darley July Cup.

We hear extensively from Cox on both horses and we see them in their stables. He is sure that Reckless Abandon can win a Group 1 race this year, but his confidence in Lethal Force delivering again on Saturday is very clear!

The programme ends with a visit to Tom Dascombe’s yard where Bell meets both Dascombe and the yard’s owner, Michael Owen, who can devote more time to his horses having retired from football.

We hear their plans for Brown Panther, who is set to contest the next Long Distance leg of the QIPCO British Champions Series, the Artemis Goodwood Cup.