July Festival winners have G1 targets in their sights

Newmarket’s July Festival took centre stage last week, with Godolphin sending out four winners over the three days.

Breeders’ Cup hero Yibir returned to winning ways in the G2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes, while two-year-old Mawj backed up her second at Royal Ascot with victory in the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes.

Yibir is set to head stateside again for the G1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga next month, with Mawj likely to be given a mid-season break in preparation for the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes back at Newmarket in the autumn.

G1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes victor Naval Crown confirmed his status as one of Europe’s leading six-furlong sprinters with a game second in the G1 Darley July Cup, in which stable-mate Creative Force was fourth.

A trip to Haydock Park for the G1 Sprint Cup now beckons for Naval Crown, while Creative Force’s main objective is the defence of his G1 British Champions Sprint title at Ascot in October.

The G1 St Leger is on New London’s radar after the Dubawi colt stormed home to take a valuable 10-furlong heritage handicap. He will test his credentials for the final British Classic of the season in the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York next month.

In North America, Nations Pride and With The Moonlight bounced back from Classic disappointment at Epsom Downs with second-place finishes in the G1 Belmont Derby Invitational and G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational.

Charlie Appleby will be represented in New York again this weekend, with Creative Flair aiming for a first G1 success in the Diana Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday. Appleby saddled a one-two in the nine-furlong turf contest last year with Althiqa and Summer Romance.