Ten Sovereigns Wins Darley July Cup 2019
Ten Sovereigns bounced back in a major way on Saturday when winning the Darley July Cup Stakes at Newmarket, with the three-year-old finally getting things right on the track after a disappointing season up to that moment.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained charge had previously missed the target in his previous two outings. In the 2000 Guineas on 4 May 2019, Ryan Moore was on board the 9/4 favourite for the race, although there were four horses that were too good for Ten Sovereigns on that occasion.
It was actually stablemate Magna Grecia who won on that occasion, while his appearance at Royal Ascot was also underwhelming, with the even money favourite chinned by three other horses.
On that occasion, it was Advertise that won the Commonwealth Cup, with Frankie Dettori steering the Martyn Meade-trained horse home to victory, while Forever In Dreams and Hello Youzmain were also ahead of the jolly.
Therefore, there were many horse racing punters who were wary of backing Ten Sovereigns for the Darley July Cup and explains why he was trading at 9/2 after two misses so far this season.
However, the connections finally got things right at Newmarket and were able to claim victory in this Group 1 race, with the Aidan O’Brien horse claiming a victory by nearly three lengths.
On this occasion, he was able to turn the tables on Royal Ascot winner Advertise, with Ten Sovereigns having raced in the centre of the track and been an early leader of the race.
With two furlongs remaining in the Newmarket encounter, it appeared as though Ryan Moore was riding the horse along, although he soon emerged from the pack to take up the running again with a furlong remaining and demonstrated a sharp turn of foot.
Many gamblers were wary of backing Ten Sovereigns in the week leading up to the race and he had been available at 10/1 with several online bookmakers the day before the July Cup.
However, there had been a massive Friday night gamble which had seen the horse’s odds plummet from 10/1 down to 7/2, although there was then a slight drift to a Starting Price of 9/2.
Jockey Ryan Moore cut a delighted figure at the end of the race and told ITV Racing: "Aidan had him in tip-top shape, he liked the faster ground and was just a bit rusty at Ascot.
"He jumped, travelled nicely and when I gave him a squeeze, he picked up well.
"The other side were ahead of me, he was a bit babyish and I could have done with some help, but he quickened very well. He's very nice."
These thoughts were echoed by trainer O’Brien who believes that we are finally seeing the best of the horse after several runs to get him into shape.
O'Brien said: "He ran in the three six-furlong races in a month last year and we saw what he did. We slowed him down all winter to try to help him get a mile.
"He ran in the Guineas and nearly got a mile. When we ran him further than his distance, he felt it.
"It took him a bit of time to come out of Newmarket. He was just ready to go to Ascot, but we hadn't really woken him up to go sprinting.
"He went to Ascot and ran a very good race and was finishing well. He looked like a horse that mentally hadn't really clicked in yet.
"Ryan said he was lovely and relaxed and it was only when he caught hold of him at half-way that he really responded and I'm delighted.
"His work was unbelievable and his times were unbelievable. His last piece of work, he broke 11 seconds every furlong for four furlongs. For a horse to be doing that is very quick.
"Fairyland ran a great race and Mrs Stockwell always said she was a six-furlong horse, but we took the chance and went back to the Irish Guineas and we went five (furlongs in the King's Stand) at Ascot as we didn't want herself and Ten Sovereigns to meet.
"Seamus (Heffernan) was over the moon with her and she will come forward from that."
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