Timeform's lead Flat analyst David Johnson with his take on Comanche Brave's July Cup win - and a significant renewal of the Superlative Stakes.
First run in 1876, 2026 marks 150 years of the July Cup and Timeform has been around for long enough to have rated around half of them. It’s hard to believe given the plethora of Group 1 options today that when the European pattern was introduced in 1971, the July Cup was granted only Group 2 status and had to wait until 1978 before it was upgraded.
Eleven sprinters have been rated higher than 135 in Timeform’s history and five of them won the July Cup. The best of those was Abernant who was collared close home in the Guineas by subsequent Derby winner Nimbus but showed his true worth back at sprint distances. Rated 142, he won consecutive July Cups in 1949/50 and won the 1949 King’s Stand as well as consecutive runnings of the King George Stakes and Nunthorpe – the kind of domination that today’s sprinters can only dream of.
1955 July Cup winner Pappa Fourway was rated 139. He prepped for the July Cup by winning the Gosforth Park Cup at Newcastle just five days earlier, carrying 9-7 and winning by 3 lengths. That performance scared off the opposition at Newmarket and he was left to beat only two rivals, including the defending champion Vilmoray.
The others on the list to win the July Cup are Moorestyle, the 1980 winner, Right Boy who was the last horse to win successive July Cups in 1958/59 and the 1983 winner Habibti.
Breaking the 130 barrier in the July Cup in much rarer than it once was and we have to go back to the turn of the century for the last time that the winner achieved that feat in the July Cup itself. 1999 winner Stravinsky ran to 133 when dropping back to 6f for the first time since his debut when he wore a first-time visor to defeat Bold Edge by four lengths.
Continuing the musical theme, Mozart was transformed as his speed was put to use and having raced clear for a long way before collared by stablemate Black Minnaloushe in the Irish 2000 Guineas, he won the Jersey and then ran to 131 in the July Cup, beating Cassandro Go by 3½ lengths.
As an aside, the runner-up would play a pivotal role at Ballydoyle down the years as the fourth foal she produced (had been in foal to Green Desert when contesting the July Cup) was Halfway To Heaven, an Irish 1000 Guineas, Nassau and Sun Chariot winner for Aidan O’Brien and she has gone on to produce Rhododendron and Magical who have won no less than ten Group 1s between them for Ballydoyle.
Muhaarar in 2015 and Harry Angel in 2017, both won the July Cup and though going on to show top-class form later in the season, neither needed to run to 130 at Newmarket.
How did the 2026 winner compare?
Royal Ascot form dominated the market for the 2026 July Cup with the winners of the King Charles III, Commonwealth Cup, QEII Jubilee and Wokingham all taking part. Newmarket provides a very different test to Ascot, the standard time for 6f at Newmarket 71.48 compared to 74.37 at Ascot, so although Newmarket has a stiff finish, it’s much more of a speed test and is the equivalent of around 40/50 yds shorter based on some preliminary research Timeform has undertaken that will ultimately allow us offer a ‘feels like’ assessment of all trips under all conditions.
As it panned out it was one of the also rans from the Jubilee that came out on top. Comanche Brave had been no better than seventh at Royal Ascot, but his win at the Curragh in the Greenlands Stakes prior to that had suggested he didn’t have a lot to find at the level and the greater emphasis on speed looked to suit him ideally as he travelled into contention best and never looked like relinquishing the advantage he took up over a furlong out.
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits
As a four-year-old with a relatively progressive profile, he’s given full credit for now and a provisional rating of 122 makes him the best in Europe currently in training with Lazzat (124) on the sidelines.
Venetian Sun ran a sound race in defeat, but the bare form is more in keeping with her Royal Ascot form than what she showed at Haydock and it is increasingly looking the case that she is more effective on softer ground. She could still prove the best of these in the autumn. Satono Reve had every chance from the front but couldn’t justify strong market support, while the horse that collared him at Ascot failed to give his running, not getting much cover on the wing of the main group and a bit too free as a result.
While the July Cup was the feature event on the card, it’s the Superlative that could have most bearing on the future.
The race has been won by several future Group 1 winners down the years, most recently in 2023 by City of Troy and a rematch between Al Hudaiba and Abraham Lincoln in the National Stakes would be an interesting match up.
Both look to still have some maturing to do, neither keeping straight under pressure but they pulled a little way clear of the rest in a time that compares well with others at the trip on the card once accounting for WFA and they look among the best in the division so far with their ratings likely to be in the mid-to-high 100s.
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.