The official going on Newmarket’s Adnams July Course is currently good to firm, with watering taking place ahead of the three-day Moët & Chandon July Festival, which begins on Thursday.
Michael Prosser, Clerk of the Course at Newmarket Racecourses, said: “The prolonged dry spell means we have only had one inch of rain in the last two months, and only 0.5mm in the whole of June.
“The dry and warm weather is set to continue, with temperatures forecast to dip slightly to the low-to-mid 20s in the first part of the week, before starting to rise again on Thursday. However, the course is in excellent condition and we are very happy with the position we are in. We are irrigating the course extensively and the plan is to continue watering in the build up to the Moët & Chandon July Festival which begins on Thursday.
“In addition, we are likely to irrigate the course after racing on both Thursday and Friday ahead of the Darley July Cup on Saturday.”
The festival takes place over three days from Thursday to Saturday, the highlight being the G1 Darley July Cup over six furlongs on Saturday, the fourth of seven races in the Sprint category of the 2018 QIPCO British Champions Series. There are a total of 31 remaining entries for the Darley July Cup.
Following the confirmation stage on Friday, there are ten remaining entries for the G2 Princess Of Wales’s Arqana Racing Club Stakes over a mile and a half of the Adnams July Course on Thursday. There are also 16 remaining entries for the one-mile G1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes on Friday. This is the fourth of seven races in the Fillies & Mares category of the QIPCO British Champions Series.