The waiting is over as Starman shoots to July Cup victory

On paper in the days leading in to the fixture, the Darley July Cup looked to be a thrilling race. It did not disappoint with Starman running out a hugely impressive winner under Tom Marquand.

The race presented the first opportunity for younger and older sprinters to clash this season. The market beforehand implied there were several from both age groups in with a live chance.

Starman and Dragon Symbol fought it out for favouritism in the final minutes, with the latter coming out on top and being sent off the 7/2 favourite.

The field split into three groups from the off. Art Power headed a far-side group, Glen Shiel under Hollie Doyle leading the middle group and a plethora of rivals fought for the stand-side lead.

Starman, the eventual winner received lots of cover in the stand-side group early on. Tom Marquand began to squeeze his mount inside the three furlong marker to make his move. The response wasn’t instant, but once Marquand had got his ride moving, the turn of foot was deadly. Starman battled through the group as the runners stretched across the track, and ran away from the field in the final ½ furlong.

Previous Series winners Oxted and Glen Shiel were among the chasing pack close in behind, as well as Dragon Symbol and Oisin Murphy who eventually finished second having lost the Commonwealth Cup in the Steward’s Room last time out at Royal Ascot.

After the race, Tom Marquand said “They had me in a bit of trouble at the three furlong pole, you run downhill and with these top class sprinters it got a bit tight.”

“My god, he had a turn of foot though when he hit that rising ground. That last 100 metres is the one that counts. It’s fantastic for Ed Walker and the team to have found a top class horse.”

“It is so well deserved, and this horse is an absolute star.”

The win for Starman in the Darley July Cup means that all four sprint races in British Champions Series this season have been won by four different horses. It sets up a mouth-watering second half to the season.

The next race in the QIPCO British Champions Series Sprint Category is the Coolmore Nunthrope Stakes at York’s Ebor Festival on Friday 20^th August.