Excelebration misses July Cup

Excelebration is missing from the 21 six-day acceptors for the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday - although Aidan O'Brien still has three other entries.

In the absence of the Queen Anne Stakes runner-up, the master of Ballydoyle relies on the three-year-olds Power, Reply and After.

Richard Hannon's Strong Suit and Dandy Boy have been supplemented into the Newmarket race for which Bated Breath, second in the King's Stand at Royal Ascot, is a warm favourite.

Trained by David Marnane, Dandy Boy was last seen winning the Wokingham at Royal Ascot and has been added to the field at a cost of £30,000.

Marnane told At The Races: "He pleased us going into Ascot and has pleased us as much, if not more, since coming out of Ascot.

"We sat down and had a good chat, he won well at Ascot and we decided to take our chance.

"He's been a phenomenal horse for us and to win a third big handicap like that in the manner he did shows what a good horse he is on his day.

"He's a fragile horse and when they are right and well you have to take your chance.

"The ground was just good at Ascot, it was touch and go whether he would run because of softer ground but he's a little bit older now and he is fragile so maybe he enjoys a bit ease in the ground now.

"I think he moved better at Ascot on the slightly easier surface."

Wizz Kid is a notable absentee while Society Rock, Australian mare Ortensia and Sepoy are other leading players to stand their ground.

The latter now represents Mahmood Al Zarooni and Godolphin and was four-times a Group One winner in Sheikh Mohammed's colours Down Under when in the care of Peter Snowden.

However, the son of Elusive Quality finished well beaten in the Golden Shaheen on his first run for Al Zarooni.

"He's a good horse and he's back now," Al Zarooni told Racing UK's website. "When he arrived here (in Newmarket) he was a bit down. We gave him an easy time to recover. He has recovered and is in good form.

"He did a piece of work on Saturday and he's showing that sort of form (as he did in Australia).

"I don't know why he ran like he did at Meydan. The surface, or sometimes when they travel they get really down. It is long way to Dubai from Australia. That's why I think he ran like he did."

Sky Bet make Bated Breath their 3-1 market leader with Strong Suit introduced into the betting at 8s and Dandy Boy a 12-1 chance.