England
Ka Ying Rising's form heads G1 July Cup
Saturday's G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup looked a wide-open renewal and a deep one on paper and duly produced a tight finish with Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett) prevailing at 11-1.
Having watched dad and big brother share the spoils in several of the summer's big events so far in 2026, it was the turn of Donnacha O'Brien to enjoy the limelight in the feature of Newmarket's July Festival. Seventh in Royal Ascot's Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes after his win in the Greenlands, Muhaideb Almuhaideb's 4-year-old enjoyed the perfect tow from the 2-1 favourite Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa) before being committed by Billy Loughnane with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining.
Staying on strongly as Venetian Sun (Starman) closed, he had a length to spare over the star 3-year-old filly at the line, with Satono Reve a neck behind in third.
“He was very impressive at The Curragh and we were a little bit underwhelmed at Ascot, but he never looked like anything but the winner today,” the trainer said after greeting the winner, who added extra gravitas for the O'Briens having been bred by his family's Whisperview Trading.
“Billy gave him a beautiful ride and he's a good bit better than I ever was! He never looked in trouble and it was an easy watch.”
As is the norm in most of the big global sprints at present, the focus soon turns back to the Far Eastern majesty of Ka Ying Rising, who had the winner and third well-beaten in the Chairman's Sprint Prize in April. That was the fourth time that David Hayes's untouchable had dismissed Satono Reve, but in his absence the punters felt that Hajime Satomi's dual Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner was the one to be on here.
Ka Ying Rising | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
This was only the winner's fifth career start at this trip, with a third in the Jersey at Royal Ascot and a fifth in Field Of Gold's Irish 2,000 Guineas the picks of his three-year-old form. The trainer is keen to return overseas in the near future.
“We're always glad to travel them around the world and when you have a world-class sprinter you have to showcase them,” he added. “He ships well and is in all the big sprints. He's in at Haydock (Sprint Cup) and I'm sure we'll want to go travelling again with him at some stage.”
Donnacha O'Brien | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Pedigree: Comanche Brave is out of the Jersey winner Ishvana (Holy Roman Emperor), who was also runner-up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas in the colours of Annemarie O'Brien. She is a full-sister to the dam of No Nay Never's Star Appeal Stakes winner Mountain Bear, who was placed in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and Turf Mile at the highest level. From the excellent Ballymacoll family of Hellenic (Darshaan) et al, she also has Wootton Bassett's unraced 3-year-old filly Existence.
Seven Superlative’s for Appleby
He has his quirks, but Godolphin's Al Hudaiba (Dark Angel) also has a big engine as he proved when inching out Abraham Lincoln (Wootton Bassett) in Saturday's G2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.
Providing Charlie Appleby with a remarkable seventh renewal since 2016, the grey who has the rarity of an unseat in his form figures was delivered expertly and late by William Buick to swoop on Ballydoyle's green 8-13 favourite in the nick of time. At the line, a short head separated the two errant colts, with 1.25 lengths back to the Chesham fifth Pikachu (Frankel) in third.
Al Hudaiba, who in between two wins here over six furlongs on the Rowley Mile and over this track and trip had jinked and unshipped Tom Marquand with another novice at his mercy at Yarmouth, rates as one of the least straightforward of Appleby's Superlative seven.
“He has a lot of talent, but it's a job to stay on him let alone get him to gallop out,” joked his trainer about the 2-year-old colt. “Even at home he's like that and it's credit to the lads, as he puts some shapes in!”
“I was confident once he put his head down and started to rally, as he has got a lot of ability. I hope he'll grow out of it, but whether we put something on his head or not we'll have to see–if he starts stepping up into the bigger leagues, he's going to have to start concentrating harder.
“He has got all the ability in the world, but he has got that tendency to go left and right a little bit. To be fair, Will did say that he was feeling the ground out there so I would imagine the (G1) National Stakes will be the most likely target.”
Charlie Appleby | Image courtesyof The Image Is Everything
Pedigree: Al Hudaiba, who becomes the 75th Group winner for his sire, is the first foal out of A'Shaari (Dubawi). She is a full-sister to Wuheida, one of Appleby's first big horses who captured the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Prix Marcel Boussac. A daughter of the Fillies' Mile and Yellow Ribbon winner Hibaayeb (Singspiel) from the family of the Fillies' Triple Crown heroine Oh So Sharp (Kris), she also has a yearling filly and a colt foal by Frankel.
