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PAGES OF FANTASTIC START WITH HORSE RACING
STARFORM’S Harry Bentley was a happy bunny last night.
Qatar’s champion jockey will be back on board Limato in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday week.
It is no more than Bentley, 24, deserves as he won two Group Ones on Henry Candy’s stable star last year – the July Cup and the Qatar Prix de la Foret.
Having lost the ride aboard Limato to Ryan Moore ahead of Royal Ascot last month, logic dictated that he should take over from Moore, who will be required for Caravaggio at Newmarket.
And following a discussion with owner Paul Jacobs yesterday morning our man is now back on board for the forseeable future.
“I got the call up this morning and I’m back on Limato for the July Cup, which is great news,” Bentley told Racing UK.
“Obviously I was quietly hopeful that something would happen. I had no inkling at all and he asked if I would be happy to take the ride again. I was.”
Jacobs decided after a disastrous trip to Dubai in March to replace Bentley with Moore for the Diamond Jubilee in which Limato finished a close third to The Tin Man and Tasleet.
Jacobs blamed cloud-seeding in the UAE for the heavy rain and unsuitably soft ground on World Cup night, and trainer ® Henry Candy revealed afterwards Limato had pulled muscles on the back of his run in tenth place in the Al Quoz Sprint.
Limato is a best-priced 6-1 to become the first back-to-back winner of the July Cup since Right Boy in 1959. The others at the forefront of the betting are Caravaggio on 5-4, The Tin Man on 6-1 and Harry Angel which is 8-1.
“Fingers crossed he will get the quick conditions he likes,” said Bentley.
“The Newmarket July course has been very lucky for me, I’ve had a good few winners there, and I enjoy riding the track. It is not the easiest of courses so his form there is a big plus.
“The three-yearolds are a strong bunch. Caravaggio, Harry Angel and Blue Point are three very good young sprinters.
“Caravaggio is a tough opponent, has done nothing wrong and is a bit of a monster. Limato ran well in defeat at Royal Ascot, though, and goes to Newmarket in fantastic form.”
Jim Crowley has been given the elbow by Sir Peter Vela, owner of Eminent.
The champ has ridden the son of Frankel in all his races, including when a close fourth on him in the Derby.
Eminent’s trainer Martyn Meade revealed that the colt’s New Zealand owner wanted Silvestre de Sousa in the saddle for this Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.