'Super Saturday too busy? No chance' - read Charlie Austin's thoughts

What did you make of this year’s July Cup won by Harry Angel?

Charlie Austin, footballer
It was a fascinating race and Harry Angel was a very impressive winner. After Adam Kirby’s comments following his defeat at Royal Ascot it was plain he thought he should have won there – and he was right. He’s the top sprinter now and has an extremely bright future.

Francesca Cumani, ITV Racing presenter
They didn’t set a very fast time as they had in previous years and therefore it was a good ride from Adam Kirby to be on the front end and set the fractions. It’s one-all now between Harry Angel and Caravaggio and I’d like to see another match-up as Caravaggio reared in the stalls again, as he did at Ascot. He got away with it there as they went a quicker pace and then came back to him.

Steve Drowne, jockey
Harry Angel was impressive. He settled really well, didn’t react to being headed by the other horse, he picked up and put the race to bed. Caravaggio and the others will need to step up if they are going to beat him.

Gavin Geraghty, BetBright odds compiler
It looked an excellent renewal and the three-year-old Harry Angel produced an emphatic display. Ironically, the O’Brien pacemaker seemed to suit the winner by giving him a lead, which allowed him not to run too freely, as he had at Ascot. I think he proved he was the best horse in the race.

David Griffiths, trainer
I don’t think we saw the very best of Caravaggio this time, but Harry Angel was much the best horse on the day. He was very impressive and, with Limato second, the form stacks up. He’s very good.

Did any juvenile who ran last week strike you as a potential Classic winner?

Charlie Austin, footballer
Gustav Klimt. The O’Brien two-year-olds march on again and after nearly coming to a standstill two furlongs out in the Superlative Stakes he showed his quality when sticking his neck out to get up and win. To give so much ground away by going to the far rail and still win was very commendable.

Francesca Cumani, ITV Racing presenter
I was taken with Clemmie in the Duchess of Cambridge. Her pedigree and physique suggests she’ll make a lovely three-year-old. Her stablemate Gustav Klimt didn’t take the eye in the same way before winning the Superlative Stakes in which everything went wrong and he still won.

Steve Drowne, jockey
Clemmie was quite impressive but I did like the Godolphin filly Poetic Charm. She beat a more experienced horse of Aidan O’Brien’s. She had to hunt around a bit to get a run and travelled very well. I thought she was very professional. I liked the way she did everything first time out.

Gavin Geraghty, BetBright odds compiler
I was blown away by Gustav Klimt at Newmarket on Saturday. He didn’t beat much on paper and Aidan O’Brien isn’t known for running one of his better juveniles in that race, but the way he won was very taking. He was brought to a near standstill just as he was hitting full stride but was able to regroup and win going away.

David Griffiths, trainer
You had to be impressed with Gustav Klimt and the way he got out of trouble. He was value for a lot more and was by far the best horse in the race. He shouldn’t have any trouble getting a mile and looks an ideal 2,000 Guineas candidate.

Gustav Klimt (right) overcame numerous incidents of interference to land the Group 2 Superlative Stakes - is he a Classic contender for next year?Credit: Alan Crowhurst

How do you think Enable would measure up against colts and older horses?

Charlie Austin, footballer
Enable has won both the English and Irish Oaks with ease and she has to take on her seniors now, but that shouldn’t be a worry given what we saw on Saturday. Even if they went the King George route you wouldn’t bet against her.

Francesca Cumani, ITV Racing presenter
I thought she put up a brilliant performance at the Curragh and is a lovely big filly who seems to get better and better. She seems very straightforward and it’s no surprise that the King George was mentioned afterwards as she’s dominated the fillies and there is no reason why she can’t do the same to the colts.

Steve Drowne, jockey
Very well. John Gosden has won the King George with a filly. Whether that would be the next step and then the Arc, I don’t know. It was the last couple of furlongs where she was most impressive. She really finishes off and that will stand her in good stead against colts and older horses.

Gavin Geraghty, BetBright odds compiler
She would take all the beating. She’s improving with each
run and, with the fillies’ allowance, I think she’d beat the three-year-old colts and be very competitive against the top mile-and-a-half older horses. Let’s hope we get to see such a clash.

David Griffiths, trainer
I thought Enable was unbelievably good and wherever she takes on the boys – be it in the King George or the Arc – she will be well up to it. There doesn’t seem to be a standout middle-distance three-year-old colt, but we’ve definitely got a standout filly now.

Which other horses caught your eye in Britain or Ireland last week?

Charlie Austin, footballer
I can’t get away from Harry Angel but I also liked Clemmie, who won the Duchess of Cambridge. She looks as if she will go to the top. Our juvenile Another Batt won at Ayr on Monday and runs this Friday in the Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury. He’s got form with some O’Brien horses, finishing in front of Murillo and US Navy Flag at the Curragh.

Francesca Cumani, ITV Racing presenter
Frontiersman, who was runner-up in the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes. He has plenty of ability but is a bit wayward under pressure, which could be down to the fact he has a cloudy eye. It may be he found Newmarket’s wide-open spaces a bit demanding and he may do better with time and having a rail to run against.

Steve Drowne, jockey
Mount Moriah, who won at Ascot on Friday. He was a three-year-old against older horses and had gone up 12lb for winning a couple of weeks before. It was a muddling race but he put it to bed very quickly, showing a good turn of foot. He looked very progressive to me.

Gavin Geraghty, BetBright odds compiler
Clemmie was very impressive and is improving with every run, just like her brother Churchill. She could win a Group 1 next time. Tigris River ran over hurdles at Bellewstown on Saturday and I’m very keen on him for the Galway Hurdle. He was a good fifth in the race last year and looks to have been campaigned with one target in mind ever since.

David Griffiths, trainer
I’m blowing my own trumpet a bit, but I’d have to say Take Cover, who is ten now but looked as good as ever at York. The plan now is to run in the King George V, the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five, but not the Abbaye this time. He needs to go in last but they put him in fourth-last when he went last year and he lost his chance at the start.

So-called ‘Super Saturday’: fine as it is or too many eggs in one basket?

Charlie Austin, footballer
Super Saturday too busy? No chance. You can never have enough good racing in one day.

Francesca Cumani, ITV Racing presenter
During my time in Australia, people there couldn’t believe we had big races on during the week in Britain as all their big events are staged on Saturdays. I enjoyed the Newmarket July festival but many of the old-timers say they preferred it when the July Cup was on a Thursday, although I can see it makes sense commercially. What we don’t want is feast and famine.

Steve Drowne, jockey
Too many eggs. It’s a shame there were good races like the Irish Oaks and John Smith’s Cup almost playing second fiddle to the July Cup. It was too watered down for everyone who works in the industry, and punters. It’s a waste of good races.

Gavin Geraghty, BetBright odds compiler
I think it works well, with top-class action spread across five meetings, just so long as there’s enough time between the Group races so that any delay to the start of one race doesn’t have an impact on an upcoming Group race elsewhere. This is the only potential problem I can see as the more top-class action we can fit into one day, the better for all.

David Griffiths, trainer
It’s good news for bookmakers and punters but a logistical nightmare for trainers. We had only three runners and we were lucky David Allan was at York for Take Cover and we got Steve Drowne for Storm King at Chester – I don’t know how the big stables manage. Also, while it was great to have a winner on ITV, there was no time for an interview as they were straight off to the July Cup.

Super Saturday: 'a logistical nightmare for trainers'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Yes or no: will Aidan O’Brien set a new top-flight winners record this year?

Charlie Austin, footballer
You have to say yes. I don’t think there are enough words and credits left to describe his record over the years and he’s certainly on a roll this season. He’s one in a lifetime.

Francesca Cumani, ITV Racing presenter
Yes. Aidan runs his horses a lot and he looks to have a strong bunch of two-year-olds this year, particularly fillies. Given there is still three and a half months of the season left you’d have to think he has a good chance.

Steve Drowne, jockey
No. He is ahead of schedule but Minding is a bit of a loss and he now has to get Caravaggio and Churchill back on track. I wouldn’t bet on him to do it.

Gavin Geraghty, BetBright odds compiler
No. I don’t believe so, despite his early domination of the Group 1s. There have been injuries to some of his top stars, such as Minding, and his juvenile crop doesn’t seem as strong as in previous years. I think this will tell in the latter half of the season, which will prevent him breaking the record this year. However, it is probably only a matter of time before he does it.

Retirement of superstar Minding could impact Aidan O'Brien's chances of breaking the record for number of top-flight winnersCredit: Patrick McCann

David Griffiths, trainer
Yes. By my calculations he’s ahead of last year’s schedule, and although he’s lost a couple of big names lately in Minding and Wings Of Eagles he’ll still have something for just about every race. There are so many opportunities abroad later on that I think he can do it.