Who were the winners and losers from three action-packed days at the July festival?

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The July festival produced standout performances, hard-luck stories and plenty of talking points. Here are the winners and losers from three days at Newmarket.

Losers

Aidan O'Brien

It is ridiculous to think Aidan O'Brien could be considered a loser in any sense, but he sent some short-priced favourites to the July course and only one succeeded.

That was Haffner, who looked a decent prospect in landing a hot 7f maiden on Saturday, and many punters will have expected more of O'Brien's big-hitters in the meeting's top races.

Haffner: Aidan O'Brien's only winner at Newmarket this weekCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Abraham Lincoln had been advertised as one of the best juveniles in Ballydoyle so it was disappointing to see him beaten by Al Hudaiba in the Superlative Stakes, while Precise was rather lacklustre when second to Blue Bolt in the Falmouth Stakes.

As well as Haffner, Ryan Moore got on the scoresheet with Sierra Sands, but those were his only two winners.

Both Abraham Lincoln and Precise were sent off at odds-on, while the King Charles III Stakes winner Mission Central could never land a blow in the July Cup and was ultimately beaten five and a half lengths into seventh.

Satono Reve

The Japanese sprinting star will have to wait a little longer for an overseas success after finishing third, beaten a length and a quarter by Comanche Brave in the July Cup.

Trained by Noriyuki Hori, the seven-year-old was making his second start in Britain this season after being agonisingly denied by a nose in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes last month, matching his second-place finish in the race 12 months earlier.

He was beaten by the William Haggas-trained Almeraq at Ascot but reversed that form on the July course, although he was no match for Comanche Brave, who improved on his seventh in the Jubilee.

Satono Reve: third in the July CupCredit: Masakazu Takahashi

Satono Reve was by no means disappointing after making the running before being headed inside the final furlong and staying on well. However, given the high standards set by his connections and the market support that saw him sent off the 2-1 favourite after being available at 5-1 earlier in the week, there will be frustration that another opportunity to land an overseas Group 1 slipped by.

Unlike last year, when he travelled to Britain for a single run, Satono Reve could remain in Europe. Judging by his entries, owner Hajime Satomi has options including the Nunthorpe, City of York Stakes, Sprint Cup and Flying Five Stakes as the seven-year-old continues his search for an overseas Group 1 success.

Jumps trainers

The jumps contingent was denied a rare winner at the July festival as Godolphin's Valedictory got the better of Olly Murphy and Nicky Henderson in Friday's Betway Trophy.

Murphy's 80-1 outsider Roaring Legend outran his odds with a huge performance, only to be denied by a neck. The trainer has had just 30 Flat winners in his career and had not tasted success on the level for two years, going agonisingly close with only his second runner at Newmarket's July course.

A head behind Roaring Legend was the Henderson-trained Goblet Of Fire, who also produced a fine effort but has bumped into a smart winner. Goblet Of Fire holds an entry for next month's Ebor.

Winners

Simon and Ed Crisford

Simon and Ed Crisford had just three runners over the course of the July meeting and two of them won. 

First, Jazl made amends for a poor run at Royal Ascot, when he could never get involved from a poor draw, and then the Queen Mary runner-up Senorita Bonita landed the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.

Senorita Bonita: won the Duchess of Cambridge StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Senorita Bonita beat Albany winner Libertango at Newmarket and the victory suggested the shorter juvenile race for fillies was of higher quality. It will be fascinating to see how she performs against the likes of Orthodox in the Group 1 Prix Morny next.

Also on Friday, the Crisfords saddled Flann Sunna to win the conditions stakes at Ascot. The powerful colt is now favourite for the Gimcrack at York's Ebor meeting and looks a juvenile to follow.

Donnacha O'Brien

As if not wanting to let his father and brother steal the spotlight, Donnacha O'Brien reminded us what a superb trainer he is in the July Cup.

The youngest son of champion Aidan, Donnacha was training just his seventh winner in Britain when Comanche Brave scored under Billy Loughnane. Five of that tally have remarkably come at Group 1 level.

Comanche Brave, flanked by trainer Donnacha O'Brien, returns to the winner's enclosure after the July CupCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The four-year-old colt put up a career-best performance at Newmarket, having strutted his stuff in the Middle East and Hong Kong earlier this season.

This was Donnacha's second top-level success at the July meeting, having landed the Falmouth Stakes with Porta Fortuna in 2024, and it will pay to take note when he next sends a horse across to Britain.

It was only last week that he was winning the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks with Kensington Lane as well.

Godolphin

Sheikh Mohammed's operation is notoriously prolific on the July course and that was no exception at the track's headline meeting this year.

Godolphin had five winners from just 14 runners, with juveniles Inner City Blues and Al Hudaiba notching significant prizes and awesome globetrotter Rebel's Romance making a triumphant return to the track in the Princess of Wales's Stakes.

Al Hudaiba (right): collared Abraham Lincoln in the Superlative StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Al Hudaiba's narrow success over Ballydoyle's star colt Abraham Lincoln in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes on Saturday will have been a particularly enjoyable result for the Godolphin camp.

Their retained rider William Buick deserves an independent mention as he also scored on Heraldry, Aalto and Secret History. His eight winners made him top jockey, so it was certainly an excellent few days at the (local) office for him.

Read more:

'That was a pretty easy watch' - Billy Loughnane and Comanche Brave swagger to July Cup success for Donnacha O'Brien 

'When you have that sort of success, the Lads put their arms around you' - how a cider-drinking American became part of Coolmore's empire 

'He's a remarkable horse' - Aalto wins the Bunbury Cup for a second time 

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