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10 Jul 2017

The Tin Man ready for July Cup showdown

Fanshawe and The Tin Man after victory at Royal Ascot. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Three of the quickest QIPCO British Champions Series stars in training remain on course to cross swords in what promises to be a memorable Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Tin Man, winner of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last month after his win in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint on Champions Day in October, will meet the unbeaten three-year-old, Caravaggio, who won the Commonwealth Cup last time, and Limato, brilliant winner of the July Cup last year.

With Tasleet, runner-up in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, and Harry Angel, who chased home Caravaggio at the Royal Meeting, also in the reckoning, racegoers could be a clash to savour.

“There are so many different factors at play going into the race and so many fancied horses, I think it’s going to be some spectacle,” Tom Queally, rider of The Tin Man, said.

“It’s a fascinating renewal and will potentially go down as one of the top July Cups. Having the different generations meeting for the first time turns it into a real conundrum with everyone trying to work out how good the three-year-olds are.”

“The Tin Man is a fun horse to ride, he likes to take aim at the opposition and has a devastating turn of foot. He’s very relaxed going to post and pretty straightforward, like my old pony really, and has become the ultimate professional. His attitude and overall demeanour are a testament to James and his staff.”

Both Fanshawe and Queally have won this race once before, Fanshawe with Frizzante in 2004 and Queally aboard Fleeting Spirit in 2009.

Fanshawe said: “The Tin Man is very well in himself. He did a piece of work on Saturday and, although he has never been a flashy work horse, he seems to have been nice and bright since then.

“I would imagine that the ground will be riding ‘good to firm’ come Saturday and, although most of his family like some cut in the ground, he’s run very well on firm.”

“It’s by accident that he’s never run at Newmarket before, it’s just the way that things have turned out, but he handles the Limekilns gallop here in Newmarket and [like the Adnams July Course] that has a dip in it.

“The Darley July Cup is a great race and it’s great to have the QIPCO British Champions Series, which it’s part of. It will be interesting to see the three-year-olds taking on the older horses for the first time – I really enjoyed watching that happen in the Eclipse last Saturday and hope that we will have the same result [with an older horse winning] in the July Cup.”

“The Moët and Chandon July Festival is a very important week, especially for Newmarket trainers as it’s on home ground, lots of our clients are here and quite a bit of business gets done during the week.”