Golden Horde faces older in July Cup at Newmarket

Golden Horde, fresh off an age-restricted Group 1 win over the American filly Kimari in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, tackles older horses in the Group 1 July Cup on Saturday at Newmarket.

Golden Horde gets a six-pound weight break from his older rivals and as of Friday was a solid 2-1 favorite for the six-furlong straight course July Cup. The Commonwealth, where Golden Horde showed good speed and got the jump on slow-breaking Kimari, also was a six-furlong straight course race. Adam Kirby rides Golden Horde for trainer Clive Cox, and Golden Horde performed very well indeed last September in his lone Newmarket start, finishing second to Earthlight, one of the fastest 2-year-olds in Europe, in the Group 1 Middle Park, another straight six-furlong race. Ascot was good to soft the day Golden Horde won and as of Friday the ground at Newmarket was listed as soft.

Hello Youmzain comes off a narrow win in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes on June 20 at Royal Ascot, one of the best races he ever has run, and the 4-year-old might struggle to repeat that performance. Third in the Diamond Jubilee was Sceptical, who got his first taste of high-level competition and has latitude to improve on Saturday. Threat also gets the six pounds afforded 3-year-olds, but been a couple lengths slower than Golden Horde.

First post for the card is 7:10 a.m. Eastern with the July Cup set for 10:35. Wagering and live video is available at DRFBets.com.

* Nazeef came out atop a four-horse blanket finish to win her first Group 1 and sixth straight race in the Falmouth Stakes on Friday at Newmarket. Nazeef was a neck better than Billesdon Brook, who had a neck on favored Terrebellum. One Master checked in a half-length farther back in fourth. John Gosden trains Nazeef as well as Terrebellum, with the winner ridden by Jim Crowley for Hamdan al-Maktoum. Nazeef, now with six wins from seven starts, is by Invincible Spirit out of Handassa, by Dubawi.