Recent Royal Ascot sprint winners Almeraq and Mission Central will attempt to enhance their reputations and records with further elite success in the G1 July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket Racecourse, England on Saturday (11 July).

In a highly-competitive contest, Venetian Sun seeks to become the first three-year-old filly to win the Newmarket sprint for 43 years after also securing a Group 1 jackpot at Royal Ascot while Double Rush landed a handicap at the Royal meeting.

The additional presence of Japanese star Satono Reve and Division – who both came close to 2026 Royal Ascot glory, as well as some highly talented other speedsters, gives this year’s July Cup all the ingredients of a captivating sprinting encounter.

Almeraq had a high-speed fall when clipping heels with a rival at York last September but on just his second run back from that calamity he produced a dazzling late surge under Tom Marquand to beat Satono Reve by a nose in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m).

Trainer William Haggas said: “Almeraq was pretty shook up after York but we gave him lots of time and it is onwards and upwards now. He’s a big strong powerful horse and he could get even better as he is pretty lightly raced.”

Mission Central’s Group 1 Royal Ascot victory came against 25 rivals in the King Charles III Stakes (1000m) with electric acceleration on his favoured fast ground gaining him a head victory over French challenger Rayevka.

Reflecting on that win – his third successive 2026 victory – Saturday’s jockey Ryan Moore, said: “They went hard at Ascot and that suits him. He is progressive and very fast.”

The esteem with which he is held by trainer Aidan O’Brien, now looking for his sixth July Cup victory, has led to the Irish training titan to suggest that Mission Central could be heading towards a clash with Ka Ying Rising in G1 The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October.

Venetian Sun has been the sprint division’s star three-year-old this season with her Royal Ascot victory coming in the G1 Commonwealth Cup (1200m). But she only just held off the much lower-rated Spicy Marg that day, with Division third.

Now taking on older sprinters for the first time, this looks to be the biggest career test for the Karl Burke-trained, Clifford Lee-ridden winner of six races.

Fast-improving handicapper Double Rush, who is unbeaten this season after out-speeding 26 rivals in the Wokingham Stakes (1200m), faces a similar challenge. Oisin Murphy’s mount needs to defy a statistic that says that the last 10 July Cup winners had all triumphed at Group level before, while Double Rush is competing for the first time above handicap class. But his astute trainer Andrew Balding did win this with Alcohol Free in 2022.

Trainer Clive Cox is also no stranger to July Cup glory, having won it twice and he describes his contender Coppull as “a bit of a forgotten horse.”

To be ridden for the first time by Saffie Osborne, Coppull finished eighth behind Venetian Sun at Royal Ascot.

Cox said: “He finished first on his side of the track that day. I’m thrilled with him and he’s had a really nice freshen up since Ascot.”

A win from Coppull wouldn’t be the first outsider in recent times to land the July Cup – No Half Measures won it at 66/1 last year.

The G1 July Cup (1200m) is carded as S1-6 and will be run at 11.35pm (Hong Kong Time) on Saturday, 11 July.