Inner City Blues wins the July Stakes

Charlie Appleby on running plans for Inner City Blues, Musical Times and more

Horse Racing

Fri September 18, 2026 · 1h ago

Charlie Appleby reports Inner City Blues to be back "on his A-game" ahead of attempting to maintain his unbeaten record in the Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

The son of Blue Point, who is a general 5/1 chance for the six-furlong test on Saturday week, has not been sighted since following up his debut success at York in the Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes at Newmarket back in July.

However, after impressing in his recent work, Appleby, who has won the Middle Park for the past two seasons with Shadow Of Light (2024) and Wise Approach last year, is confident that Inner City Blues can make an impact on his Group One debut.

Appleby said: “I’m pleased with Inner City Blues. I worked him up at the track there, and he worked well. I’m pleased, as he needed it as well as he has been dormant since the July Stakes, but that has definitely brought him forward.

“He will work tomorrow, but what we have seen this past week he is back on his A-game. I’m looking forward to it.

“There were a couple of other options that we could have had, but he is a breeze-up horse and I just felt he had been on the go for a while so we gave him a break.

“You are always carrying that penalty unless you are stepping up into a Group One. We thought, let's just wait and have one crack at the Middle Park.”

While Inner City Blues is on course to make his next start on the final day of the Cambridgeshire Meeting, it is far from set in stone that he is joined by First Law, who is the current ante-post favourite for the Group Two Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes.

Appleby added: “If the ground is quick I might contemplate giving the Royal Lodge a swerve with First Law. We know he handles the slow ground so we might keep an eye on the Futurity Trophy.

“I’m not sure that the quick ground, and the dip at Newmarket, would be to his liking. If it is quick he would be unlikely to turn up there.”

Musical Times makes a deep impression at Doncaster

Ground conditions will also determine as to whether Musical Times will bid to back up her impressive victory in the Group Two Betfred May Hill Stakes at Doncaster in the Group One bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket next month.

He added: “Musical Times has come out of Doncaster well. The priority would be the Fillies’ Mile, but if it is quick ground, and it is a little bit slower in France we could just go to the Marcel Boussac with her.

“I think she is versatile, but if you want to see the best of her, the slower the ground the better.”

An outing in the Group Two Betway Joel Stakes beckons for Talk Of New York, while Opera Ballo might be set for first start over seven furlongs in the Group One Prix de la Foret at Longchamp next month.

He added: “There is a small chance we might just take a look at the Foret with Opera Ballo. Talk Of New York will go to the Joel Stakes next week, unless I feel that it looks like the weather could be settled for Longchamp where we have the Prix Daniel Wildenstein.”

Two horses from Appleby’s yard that will not be sighted any more this year are Cerro Blanco, who posted a solid success in the Listed Trainor Stone & TIle Fortune Stakes at Sandown on Wednesday and Queen’s Vase runner-up Del Maro.

He added: “Two and a half weeks from running in the St Leger Del Maro put in some great work and then he has been coughing from there onwards.

“We will put him away and I might just introduce him out in Dubai. I might give him a run on Super Saturday and take it from there. Cerro Blanco is done for the year. We might look at running him in the Paradise Stakes as a starting point next year.

"He was good the other day, but we have been so mindful with him all season, why stick him in at the deep end in either the Daniel Wildenstein or the QEII. I felt we have done enough. I’m happy to put him away and finish on a good note."

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