With John Egan on board, Lim’s Cruiser worked with a companion over the six furlongs of the Group One race, having finished eighth in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
Trainer Stephen Gray was on hand to oversee this morning’s work and believes the son of Casino Prince, a 50/1 chance with Sky Bet, is in better shape heading into the feature race of the Moët & Chandon July Festival than he was prior to the royal meeting.
"I wasn’t quite 100 per cent happy with him when he went to Ascot," said Gray. "The first week he was here, he didn’t settle but the second week he thrived, so he probably needed another week to get another gallop into him. His run at Ascot was extremely good in the circumstances and we feel he’s improved since then.
"He was very good [this morning]. I didn’t know what to expect, I just wanted him to work well and having John Egan on was very important, because he gave us good feedback. He handled the hills well and got to the line strong, his time was good and he’s pulled up very well. He’s definitely improved since he’s been here."
On his hopes for next week’s race, the New Zealand-born Gray added: "At the end of the day, we have to improve five or six lengths to win the race but I think he can improve two or three to be right in it. As long as I put the horse out there at peak fitness and do the best we can, that’s all you can do. He’s a very good horse, he’s enjoying it here and he’s going to run very, very well."
Worth total prize money of £500,000, the Darley July Cup is the fourth of seven races in the Sprint category of the 2019 QIPCO British Champions Series.
