Four horses to follow at the Moët & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket

Bosh

Entered in the three-year-old six furlong handicap on Thursday and over the same trip at Ascot on Friday. Bosh has had two starts this season, both over seven furlongs, and has done more than enough to suggest that he has trained on. A view backed up by his trainer's recent July Festival stable tour where he commented 'we think he's better than that' (run at Goodwood last time). His Goodwood run may have been disappointing but Bosh did make a promising reappearance at Newbury, finishing a length adrift of the progressive Whoputfiftyinyou.

Bosh looks to have unfinished business as a sprinter, returning a beaten favourite from a 1 lb lower mark on his final juvenile start in a valuable six furlong York nursery won by Flaming Rib. That run came just 16 days after Bosh went down by half a length to Sacred Bridge (now rated 107) at Naas so it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that Bosh was still feeling the effects of that run / travelling.

As a strong-travelling, prominent racer Bosh should be suited by the demands of the July Course and were all to go well here, it wouldn't be the biggest surprise to see him return to Goodwood for the Stewards' Cup as did the 2015 (Magical Memory), 2016 (Dancing Star) and 2018 (Foxtrot Lady) winners of this race.

Evocative Spark

Entered in the closing mile handicap on Thursday and is one of two entries for trainer George Boughey for whom he has won two of his four starts.

Evocative Spark was beaten just half a length on his stable debut before slamming I'm A Gambler (a dual winner since) by over five lengths from the front at Beverley. Evocative Spark then disappointed in the same race as Bosh at Goodwood but that run can be put down to the ground rather than the 12 lb rise in the weights.

Evocative Spark proved his versatility, for tracks at least, by winning at Chester last time for which a 3 lb rise is reasonable. Boughey had mentioned the Britannia at Royal Ascot as a target following Evocative Spark's win at Beverley which is a guide to the regard in which this Frankel colt is held and Evocative Spark looks capable of progressing further granted his conditions, namely a mile on quick ground.

Yonafis

William Haggas has entered both Yonafis and Post Impressionist in the 10 furlong handicap on Friday and in Saturday's John Smith's Cup at York while Grenoble only holds an entry for Newmarket.

Post Impressionist will attract attention having been sent off favourite for the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot (finished fifteenth) having previously chased home Royal meeting winner Eldar Eldarov at Newcastle but the run of Yonafis at Royal Ascot was eyecatching in the context of this race.

Yonafis was outpaced in the Britannia Stakes over a mile but stayed on well enough to finish four and a half lengths behind Thesis (in eighth). That run was just the fourth start of his career, his first defeat and first run in a large field and it's to be hoped, that he will have derived a good deal of benefit from the experience.

The step up in trip seems certain to suit Yonafis as he is a son of Golden Horn out of 10 furlong winner; indeed, it's easy to argue that he won't be seen to best effect until tackling middle distances and he should still prove to be well enough handicapped if improving as expected for the greater test of stamina.

Uber Cool

At eight years of age, Uber Cool's best days are behind him but he proved competitive in staying handicaps last season, winning on his seasonal reappearance before finishing in the first three on half of his six subsequent starts.

The handicapper has cut Uber Cool a little slack and he will race off 88 if lining up on Friday, 4 lbs lower than the 92 from which he competed on those last six runs in 2021 and only 1 lb higher than for his last success.

The early booking of David Egan takes the eye (he has also been engaged for another of Jane Chapple-Hyam's runners later on the card) as he has a win and a second from four rides aboard Uber Cool while Chapple-Hyam's fine Royal Ascot highlighted how well she places her horses.

Uber Cool has run well first time up but his recent reappearance in the Northumberland Plate is easily enough excused given the competitive nature of the race and that he is rarely seen on the all-weather with his record now 0-3 on artificial surfaces. Uber Cool was a shade keen at Newcastle but that run should have taken the freshness out of him and put him right for this more suitable test.

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.