The Bunbury Cup, run over 7 furlongs on
the July Course at 15:15 Saturday 11th at Newmarket, is a specialists’ event that often
attracts the same horses year-after-year. In fact, the last two
winners, Heaven’s Guest (16/1) and Field Of Dream (25/1) are among
those who return for another crack at the £120,000 in guaranteed
prize money. Neither should be dismissed out of hand, but for our
selections this week we’ve turned to a couple of runners who like
to race on, or close to the pace, which is often a desirable
characteristic on the July Course.
Rene Mathis (25/1) has recorded
both his career wins on turf on the July Course, including over
course and distance last May and although well beaten in the
Wokingham Stakes, over 6 furlongs, at Ascot three weeks ago he ran
equally dismally in the Buckingham Palace Stakes, over 7 furlongs, at
the same meeting last year. He’d previously only given best in the
last half a furlong or so when fifth, beaten 3½ lengths, in a
similar race at York and, back at Newmarket, he appears to have an
obvious chance off the same handicap mark.
Sirius Prospect (33/1) has been
campaigned at or around a mile so far this season, but all his career
victories on turf have come at 7 furlongs or shorter and he races off
a handicap mark just 3lb higher than when last winning a handicap on
turf, at York two years ago. He was ridden very aggressively in the
Royal Hunt Cup, over a mile, at Ascot three weeks ago, but weakened
with a furlong to run and eventually finished out with the washing.
His regular jockey Robert Winston remains absent through injury but,
if his new partner Hayley Turner adopts the same positive tactics, he
could go well over this shorter distance.
With the possible exception of the
aforementioned Heaven’s Guest, who looks a shade high in the
weights and could probably do with a drop of rain in any case, it’s
difficult to enthuse about anything else that falls into the
“outsider” category. So, for this week, our three against the
field are Rene Mathis (25/1 with Bet365, Sky Bet, Paddy Power
and Ladbrokes), Sirius Prospect (33/1 with Bet365, Sky Bet,
Ladbrokes and William Hill) and Heaven’s Guest (16/1 with
Bet365, Sky Bet and William Hill), with preference very much for the
first named. Good luck!
