One of the standout summer dates at Flat Racing HQ is set for this week, with the Newmarket July Festival getting underway on Thursday, 9 July. Key Grade One races are staged across the three-day meeting, with the feature running on Saturday, as sprinters line up in the Group One July Cup.
Newmarket July Festival Schedule 2026
The action from Newmarket gets underway on Thursday, 9 July, with the three-day meeting running until Saturday. A mix of group-level races and competitive handicaps will be run throughout the week at HQ, with Ladies Day kicking off the festivities on the opening day.
Thursday July 9 – Ladies Day
Three Group races are run on the opening day of the July Festival, beginning with the Group Three Bahrain Trophy Stakes. Juvenile action could offer Classic clues for 2027, with the Group Two Kingdom of Bahrain July Stakes boasting a typically high-quality field. The feature on Day One is the Group Two Princess of Wales’s Stakes, which sees the return to British action of Charlie Appleby-trained Rebel’s Romance.
Friday July 10 – Festival Friday
A seven-race card is set for Festival Friday at Newmarket, beginning with a competitive betting heat in the form of the Oddschecker Handicap over a mile and two.
Fillies take centre stage in the two Group races on the Friday, beginning with the juveniles in action over six furlongs in the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes. One of the most important races for fillies and mares of the season headlines the card, with the Group One Falmouth Stakes likely to see Aidan O’Brien’s Precise come up against her elders for the first time.
Saturday July 11 – July Cup Day
The third and final day of the July Festival is headlined by the Group One Al Basti Dubai July Cup, run by sprinters aged three and over across six furlongs. A purse of £800,000 will be up for grabs, attracting a high-quality field. Venetian Sun could be a red-hot contender after winning on back-to-back starts since flopping in the Group One 1,000 Guineas.
Venetian Sun is the confirmed favourite for the race, and a win would make her the first three-year-old filly to land the July Cup since Habibti in 1983.
Talented older horses Almeraq and Japanese raider Satono Reve add further intrigue. The only other Group race on the final day is the seven-furlong Group Two Superlative Stakes, run by horses aged two.
Newmarket July Festival: Standout Bets
G2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes – Convergent
The feature on Day One is the Group Two Princess of Wales’s Stakes, which will see the return to British turf for globe-trotting Rebel’s Romance. However, the Charlie Appleby-trained eight-year-old will need to overcome a long layoff against a couple of race-fit contenders.
Karl Burke’s Convergent was an excellent winner at Newbury on his return to action, landing the Group Three John Porter in striking fashion from Al Aasy. Was slightly disappointing last time, finishing only fifth in the Group One Coronation Cup.
However, the mix of soft ground conditions and the fact that Epsom likely did not play to his strengths means that excuses could be made. A return to a quicker surface is a major plus for the in-form hard, with the progressive four-year-old winning on both previous starts on good ground.
G1 Falmouth Stakes – Blue Bolt
Precise will be the horse to beat in the Group One Falmouth Stakes on Friday after landing the Group One Irish 1,000 Guineas and Group One Coronation Stakes on her last two starts.
However, the fact that Aidan O’Brien has not trained the winner of this race since 2017 is a slight negative. Therefore, Blue Bolt could be an interesting contender for the Andrew Balding yard.
The four-year-old by Blue Point is the preference of Colin Keane, and the filly has been a revelation for connections this year after winning on back-to-back starts. She excelled at Royal Ascot in the middle of last month, winning with plenty in hand from Jancis to land the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes.
She has now won three from five attempts in stakes company and is a five-time winner on the flat. She’s expected to take this step up in grade in her stride and is yet to finish outside of the first two in seven attempts over a mile and on the turf.
G1 July Cup Stakes – Double Rush
Venetian Sun will be a red-hot favourite in the Group One July Cup Stakes after recording back-to-back wins since dropping down in trip after her disappointing effort in the 1,000 Guineas.
However, we have constantly seen handicappers step up through the grades to make an impression in the sprint division. That means the Andrew Balding-trained Double Rush could be the eye-catching play. Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy takes over in the saddle, with the selection having won three straight races since joining the Balding yard at the start of the season.
He took his form to the next level when landing the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, and he is already a two-time winner over course and distance this season. Overall, he has won on all four starts at Newmarket, on ground ranging from good-to-soft to good-to-firm. He’s versatile and looks set to make an impression now stepped up in grade.
Factors to Consider at Newmarket July Festival
Trends are always worth considering when assessing the contenders in the races at the Newmarket July Festival. Notable angles worth following can be found below:
- Ground Conditions: The racing this week will be run on very quick ground, meaning that horses with proven form on good or good-to-firm ground should be respected. No rain is forecast, meaning that this trend should be considered for all three days of the meeting.
- Trainers to Consider: Charlie Appleby’s runners should always be respected on the July Course, with the Godolphin maestro operating at a 33% win rate at the track. Other top-performing trainers include Saeed bin Suroor and Andrew Balding.
- Jockeys In Form: Notable jockeys to consider include Billy Loughnane and Oisin Murphy, with the former leading the Jockeys Championship this season. Cieren Fallon and Rossa Ryan also boast impressive 20% and 17% strike rates in 2026.
Keep Up To Date With TonyBet
TonyBet is the only place to wager on the Newmarket July Festival, with all races covered from HQ. Extra places will be offered on some of the big-fielded handicaps, while competitive odds are assured for all group races throughout the week.
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