Confirmed runners and riders for the 2022 July Cup - plus an early tip

Commonwealth Cup winner Perfect Power will head a top international field in the Darley July Cup as he takes on 13 rivals in the feature on the final day of Newmarket's July festival.

The Richard Fahey-trained three-year-old will make his first start in open company following his victory at Royal Ascot last month.

He will bid for his fourth Group 1 prize in Saturday's contest and takes on a star line-up, including Commonwealth Cup runner-up Flaming Rib, under his regular rider Christophe Soumillon.

"I'm very confident about him," the jockey said. "The way he did it at Royal Ascot last time was very impressive, as we were quite far back. It showed we have a top-class sprinter on our hands.

"His turn of foot is his special weapon. For a sprinter he is able to settle very easily, and when you ask him to quicken he's able to show that turn of foot which not so many horses have."

Perfect Power's latest top-level triumph came over six furlongs, having failed to shine over a mile in the 2,000 Guineas, and Soumillon is content to remain over shorter distances where the colt's lethal speed can be most effective.

"He does everything perfectly now," he added to British Champions Series sponsors Qipco. "I've ridden him five times and won four of them, including three Group 1s, so he's quite special to me.

"The only time we didn't win was in the Guineas and when you see a horse like him that is as good as he is over six furlongs and seven furlongs it's not really surprising that he's not as good at a mile."

Naval Crown: will reoppose his Royal Ascot rivals under James DoyleCredit: Alex Livesey (Getty Images)

Fellow Royal Ascot scorer Naval Crown will seek to follow up his success in the Platinum Jubilee and confirm the form with stablemate Creative Force.

William Buick has elected to again partner Creative Force, allowing James Doyle to retain the ride on Naval Crown.

Australian sprinter and Platinum Jubilee third Artorius, the mount of Jamie Spencer, and Japanese contender King Hermes, trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Ryusei Sakai, add international flavour to the big race.

Also on Saturday's card is the Group 2 bet365 Superlative Stakes (3.15), which has been landed in four of the last six runnings by Charlie Appleby, most recently with Native Trail.

Victory Dance aims to give Appleby yet another success but meets a stern challenger in Lion Of War, who romped home by ten lengths on his latest start.

The bet365 Bunbury Cup (3.50) boasts the biggest field of the day at Newmarket, with 20 runners declared for the £120,000 handicap.

The field is headed by Montassib, who suffered his first defeat in the Buckingham Palace Stakes but looks to return to winning ways against a strong field that includes the popular Accidental Agent, who carries topweight.

July Cup runners and riders

Artorius Jamie Spencer
Blackrod Connor Beasley
Creative Force William Buick
Emaraaty AnaTom Eaves
Naval Crown James Doyle
Alcohol Free Rob Hornby
Double Or Bubble Jack Mitchell
Happy Romance Sean Levey
Romantic ProposalChris Hayes
Cadamosto Seamie Heffernan
Flaming Rib Ben Curtis
King Hermes Ryusei Sakai
Perfect PowerChristophe Soumillon
Twilight Jet Leigh Roche

Darley July Cup Stakes (4.25 Newmarket, Saturday)

Paddy Power: 9-4 Perfect Power, 7-2 Artorius, 5-1 Creative Force, 6-1 Naval Crown, 9-1 Flaming Rib, 20-1 Alcohol Free, Cadamosto, Romantic Proposal, Twilight Jet, 25-1 bar

Pedigree punting: July Cup verdict and 1-2-3 prediction

1 Artorius
2 Perfect Power
3 Flaming Rib

It might pay to stick with Royal Ascot form and Artorius can be considered an unlucky third having met traffic in the Platinum Jubilee. From a family with plenty of high-class speed, he is the selection ahead of the likeable Commonwealth Cup winner Perfect Power and close-up second Flaming Rib.
Kitty Trice, Racing Post bloodstock reporter

This content was first published in Kitty Trice's Pedigree Punting column in Wednesday's Racing Post Weekender. Read more from Kitty and star Weekender contributors such as leading tipsters Tom Segal and Paul Kealy and exclusive columnist Ed Walker every week

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2022 July Cup offers

• Paddy Power are giving away free bets to new and existing customers, and all you need is an account. Sign up here.
• Sky Bet are offering new customers free bets when they sign up. You can get them, along with money-back specials and extra places, here.
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• Don't have a Coral account? They have an offer for new customers here.
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• If you're a new customer, Tote will give you a free bet. Sign up here to claim.

Read more on the July Cup:

'On her day, she's very, very good' – top Irish sprinter primed for July Cup bid

'He lost his speed at the end' – Japanese hope King Hermes warms up for July Cup

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