Eaves looking forward to resuming on forgotten horse Brando

Tom Eaves is just itching to get back on board York flop Brando in Saturday's Darley July Cup – and he believes the five-year-old is ready to start making up for lost time.

Brando ran no sort of race when last of 12 behind Tasleet in the Duke of York Stakes on his latest start in May, when he was subsequently found to have bled from the nose, and for much of the intervening period his stable has been barred from having runners owing to an outbreak of equine herpes.

Kevin Ryan's team are back in full swing now, but last year's Ayr Gold Cup winner remains something of a forgotten horse in the July Cup, being a general 16-1 shot despite having signed off last year with a Group 1 third to The Tin Man at Ascot and resuming with such an impressive win in Newmarket's Abernant Stakes that he started 5-2 favourite for the Duke of York.

Eaves, who has been Brando's regular partner for more than a year, said on Tuesday: "He didn't run any sort of race at York last time, but he's done that there before, and he also broke a blood vessel. He'd been improving up to then and he's been going well at home. We're happy with him.

"A lot of the really good horses I've ridden have been sprinters, the likes of Tangerine Trees and Captain Gerard. They have mostly been five-furlong horses, but nothing much changes at six furlongs – you just find the rhythm of the race.

"You can never be sure, but we think Brando's up to it. He's the horse I look forward to riding the most, and hopefully he will do himself justice on Saturday. And then we'll then see him in more of the big six-furlong races over the summer."

Brando is likely to be among the most popular each-way choices for punters in this Saturday's £500,000 Group 1 showcase, the market headed by Caravaggio at 11-10, a price under pressure on Tuesday.

Caravaggio: short-priced favourite for Saturday's July CupCredit: Mark Cranham

Paddy Power quoted evens and spokesman Paul Binfield said: “While punters are scratching around for alternatives to Caravaggio, we are sure that he, as many people’s banker, will be the best backed horse of the week come Saturday, and on what is one of the busiest days of the year he’ll definitely be bookmakers' biggest headache.”

Coral went 11-10 (from 5-4) and spokesman David Stevens, referencing the front-page story in Tuesday's Racing Post, said: "Limato's trainer Henry Candy thinks he may have spotted a chink in Caravaggio's armour, but punters don't seem to agree, and the fastest horse Aidan O'Brien has ever trained is a popular choice to stretch his unbeaten record to seven this weekend."

Ladbrokes were another to go 11-10 (from 5-4), and spokeswoman Nicola McGeady said: “There's huge confidence behind Caravaggio, with punters backing him at every price. We were forced to cut his odds again late last night and the 11-10 is proving just as popular.”

Darley July Cup card