Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2025 July Cup Preview
Established in 1876, the July Cup is a Group 1 flat race run at the Newmarket July course during the July Festival. The race is open to runners aged three years old or older and is run over a straight six furlongs. Three-year-old runners have to carry 9-0 whilst the older runners carry 9-6 with any fillies and mares getting a 3lb allowance.
The race, currently known as the Darley July Cup is considered by many as the best sprint race in Britain with the winner known as the champion sprinter of Europe.
July Cup Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Newmarket then head over to the Newmarket tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information, head down to the Other Principal races during the Newmarket July Festival section for links to these.
How competitive is the July Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2023 when the race had an over-round of 111%. The race in 2016 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 128%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the July Cup, the over-round has been 121%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £121 which is bet.
July Cup Trends:
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 20 if you had followed the winner of the July Cup next time out then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of -10.60. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to easily access the OLBG racing picks daily.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2012 renewal when Mayson from Richard Fahey under the guidance of Paul Hanagan, won in a time of 1:15.90, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Lethal Force, trained by Clive Cox and ridden by Adam Kirby set the quickest time of 1:09.11 in the 2013 renewal.
These are the top three quickest-run July Cup over the last 20 renewals:
- Lethal Force (1:09.11) in 2013
- Ten Sovereigns (1:09.31) in 2019
- Muhaarar (1:09.34) in 2015
What the expert says...
July Cup Past Winners
Here are the July Cup past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won along with the age & weight of the horse. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer at the time of winning the July Cup and the jockey is also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 1:10.90 | Mill Stream (IRE) 4yo 9-8 (11 of 11) 11/1 | William Buick Jane Chapple-Hyam (GB) |
| 2023 1:11.68 | Shaquille (GB) 3yo 9-2 (9 of 8) 5/2F | Rossa Ryan Julie Camacho (GB) |
| 2022 1:09.47 | Alcohol Free (IRE) 4yo 9-5 (14 of 13) 14/1 | Rob Hornby Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2021 1:10.11 | Starman (GB) 4yo 9-6 (4 of 19) 9/2 | Tom Marquand Ed Walker (GB) |
| 2020 1:09.59 | Oxted (GB) 4yo 9-6 (9 of 12) 12/1 | Cieren Fallon Roger Teal (GB) |
| 2019 1:09.31 | Ten Sovereigns (IRE) 3yo 9-0 (12 of 12) 9/2 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2018 1:11.32 | U S Navy Flag (USA) 3yo 9-0 (12 of 13) 8/1 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2017 1:11.25 | Harry Angel (IRE) 3yo 9-0 (6 of 10) 9/2 | Adam Kirby Clive Cox (GB) |
| 2016 1:09.97 | Limato (IRE) 4yo 9-6 (16 of 18) 9/2F | Harry Bentley Henry Candy (GB) |
| 2015 1:09.34 | Muhaarar (GB) 3yo 9-0 (7 of 14) 2/1F | Paul Hanagan Charles Hills (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the July Cup have been based:
- GB: 15 winners with an additional 32 placings from 201 runners
- IRE: 4 winners with an additional 5 placings from 38 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 0 placings from 6 runners
- AUS: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 12 runners
- USA: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 5 runners
- SAF: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
- GER: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- JPN: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
- SIN: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
- SPA: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
- HK: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
July Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the July Cup over the last 20 renewals is A P O'Brien who has won the race three times with those three winners coming from Starspangledbanner (2010), U S Navy Flag (2018) and Ten Sovereigns (2019). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the July Cup are Clive Cox (2 wins) and Hughie Morrison (2 wins). There is one trainer who has not had the best of times in the July Cup, Kevin Ryan has sent a total of 17 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top July Cup trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| A P O'Brien | 25-3-6 | -7.50 | -5.35 |
| Clive Cox | 8-2-3 | +3.00 | +0.10 |
| Hughie Morrison | 3-2-2 | +25.50 | +12.25 |
| Charles Hills | 9-1-1 | -6.00 | -6.80 |
| Richard Fahey | 8-1-2 | +13.00 | +10.50 |
| Edward Lynam | 7-1-2 | -4.25 | -2.85 |
| Henry Candy | 6-1-3 | -0.50 | +1.45 |
| Andrew Balding | 4-1-1 | +11.00 | +5.40 |
| Roger Teal | 2-1-2 | +11.00 | +6.70 |
| Jane Chapple-Hyam | 1-1-1 | +11.00 | +6.60 |
July Cup Jockey Statistics
There are multiple leading jockeys in the July Cup over the last 20 renewals with Ryan Moore, Adam Kirby and J F Egan having all won the race two times. Ryan Moore winners have been with U S Navy Flag (2018) and Ten Sovereigns (2019). Adam Kirby's winners have been with Lethal Force (2013) and Harry Angel (2017). J F Egan winners have been with Pastoral Pursuits (2005) and Les Arcs (2006). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the July Cup, Frankie Dettori has ridden 13 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top July Cup jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Moore | 15-2-4 | -0.50 | -2.75 |
| Adam Kirby | 5-2-3 | +6.00 | +3.10 |
| J F Egan | 3-2-2 | +31.00 | +16.00 |
| William Buick | 10-1-3 | +2.00 | +0.20 |
| Wayne Lordan | 6-1-3 | -3.25 | +3.65 |
| Tom Queally | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.20 |
| Harry Bentley | 4-1-2 | +1.50 | +0.15 |
| Rob Hornby | 3-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.40 |
| Rossa Ryan | 3-1-1 | +0.50 | -0.50 |
| Cieren Fallon | 2-1-2 | +11.00 | +6.70 |
2025 July Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (4, 13), 7, 6, 1, 10, 1, 10, 3, 4, 1, (1, 7), 1, 4, 7, 2, 3, 2, 7, (1, 8), 5
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (61%) - No bigger than 22/1
- 20 / 20 (69%) - Achieved an RPR of 114+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (73%) - Achieved a TS of 85+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Ran in 5 - 18 races (Non-Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Held an OR of 108+ (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Not in AUS/DEU/IRL/JPN/SCO/SGP/ZAF/ESP/UAE/USA (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 112+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Ran in 2 - 15 races (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Not on SFT/FM/STD-SLW/STD/FS (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Achieved a TS of 93+ (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Within the first 11 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 70+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Had 3 - 13 placings (Non-Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Not in a Cl2-4 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 126 - 134lbs (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Newmarket racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the July Cup. if you are unaware of what trends and statistics are, how they can be used etc then head over to the OLBG Betting School and read this Stats And Trends article which will make everything much clearer.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, It is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the July Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
July Cup Trend Analysis
The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 career win at the track, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-43.
Here are the most recent winning draws along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2024: Winner in 11 (7,5) [11 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 9 (3,7) [8 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 14 (13,12) [13 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 4 (6,16) [19 Runners]
- 2020: Winner in 9 (11,6) [12 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the July Cup is Ascot, there has been a total number of 14 winners of this race who ran at Ascot last time out.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 250 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 24 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the July Cup:
- Dark Angel (2 Wins)
- Dutch Art (2 Wins)
- Invincible Spirit (2 Wins)
- No Nay Never (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the July Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Pivotal (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Shamardal (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Dubawi (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Acclamation (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Shinko Forest (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Pastoral Pursuits in 2005, winning for Hughie Morrison at odds of 22/1 under the guidance of J F Egan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 6 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Other Principal races during the Newmarket July Festival
Remember to head to the Newmarket predictions page to see which runner the racing tipsters support in the July Cup. Below are the other principal races that we cover during the July Festival with links to each race blog as well as information for last year's winners.
Friday at the July Festival
The highlight on the Friday, known as Ladies Day is the Princess of Wales's Stakes, a group 2 contested over one mile and four furlongs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 Newmarket Bahrain Trophy Stakes | Ancient Wisdom (FR) 3yo - 6/4 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| 14:25 Newmarket July Stakes | Whistlejacket (IRE) 2yo - 11/10 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 15:00 Newmarket bet365 Sprint Handicap | Sergeant Wilko (IRE) 3yo - 6/1 | Kevin Ryan Oisin Murphy |
| 15:35 Newmarket Princess of Wales's Stakes | Giavellotto (IRE) 5yo - 100/30 | Marco Botti Oisin Murphy |
Saturday at the July Festival
Festival Friday as it is known features the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes which is part of the British Champion Series and is run over a mile.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 Newmarket bet365 Handicap | Involvement (GB) 3yo - 100/30 | Simon & Ed Crisford Oisin Murphy |
| 14:25 Newmarket Duchess of Cambridge Stakes | Arabian Dusk (GB) 2yo - 12/1 | Simon & Ed Crisford Harry Davies |
| 15:35 Newmarket Falmouth Stakes | Porta Fortuna (IRE) 3yo - 10/11 | Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Ryan Moore |
Sunday at the July Festival
As the name would indicate, 'July Cup Day', the main race on the final day of the July Festival is the July Cup, another race which is part of the British Champion Series, this race is contested over six furlongs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 14:50 Newmarket bet365 Mile Handicap | First Conquest (GB) 3yo - 12/1 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| 15:25 Newmarket Superlative Stakes | Ancient Truth (IRE) 2yo - 4/6 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| 16:00 Newmarket Bunbury Cup | Aalto (FR) 4yo - 15/2 | Ian Williams Rossa Ryan |
| 16:35 Newmarket July Cup | Mill Stream (IRE) 4yo - 11/1 | Jane Chapple-Hyam William Buick |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this July Cup Preview are at hand, Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for Flat Racing.
Darren Brett
Tipster Competition Manager
Andy Powell
Content Editor
Other Principal races at Newmarket racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Newmarket racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in April (Craven Meeting)
Races in May (Guineas Festival)
- Jockey Club Stakes
- King Charles II Stakes
- Newmarket Stakes
- Palace House Stakes
- Qipco 2000 Guineas
- Rowley Handicap Stakes
- Suffolk Stakes
- Dahlia Stakes
- Pretty Polly Stakes
- Qipco 1000 Guineas
Races in September (Cambridgeshire Meeting)
- Jockey Club Rose Bowl
- Tattersall Stakes
- Godolphin Stakes
- Joel Stakes
- Princess Royal Stakes
- Rockfel Stakes
- Rosemary Stakes
- Cambridgeshire Handicap
- Cambridgeshire Meeting 7f Handicap
- Cheveley Park Stakes
- Jersey Lily Fillies Nursery
- Middle Park Stakes
- Royal Lodge Stakes
