Best Solution heads Godolphin contenders on July Festival day one

Four-year-old Best Solution commences his European campaign in the G2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes, highlight of day one of Newmarket’s July Festival on Thursday, 12 July.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained Kodiac colt returns from a break in the 12-furlong contest following several good efforts over the same distance at Meydan, UAE, most recently when coming home fifth to another Godolphin runner, Hawkbill, in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on 31 March.

Best Solution stormed to a five-length success in a 12-furlong handicap at the Dubai World Cup Carnival in February and scored over the same trip on his latest UK appearance in the G3 St Simon Stakes at Newbury in October.

He has also finished second twice at G1 level, in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches Zuchtrennen over a mile and a half at Munich, Germany, in July, 2017 and the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud, France, in October, 2016.

Best Solution, with regular rider Pat Cosgrave up, takes on seven others in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes including G2 Hardwicke Stakes fourth Barsanti, Goodwood Listed winner Mirage Dancer and Raa Atoll, who was fourth behind Godolphin’s Old Persian in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Saeed bin Suroor commented: “We gave Best Solution a nice break after Dubai and this race looks a good starting point for his European season.

“A mile and a half suits him, although his best form has come with ease in the ground.

“He has been working well and we have been happy with his preparation. We are looking for a good run.”

Loxley (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) goes for a second straight win at Newmarket as he steps up to 13 furlongs for the opening G3 Bahrain Trophy.

The three-year-old New Approach colt comfortably beat subsequent G1 Coral-Eclipse sixth Raymond Tusk by three lengths on his seasonal return in a 10-furlong novice race on 22 June.

Loxley made two appearances as a juvenile, dead-heating on debut in a nine-furlong contest at Goodwood before going on to finish a creditable seventh in the mile G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.

Charlie Appleby reported: “I was pleased with Loxley’s first run of the season and he came out of the race well.

“He won on good to firm ground that day, so similar conditions won’t be a problem, and we hope that the step up in trip this week will see further improvement.”

Charlie Appleby sends out two three-year-old colts in the 12-runner Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes over a mile including Symbolization (William Buick), who captured a handicap on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course on 5 May before running good races in Group company.

The son of Cape Cross finished fifth in the mile G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, Ireland, on 26 May and stayed on to take fourth in the G3 Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot on 20 June.

He is joined by last year’s G2 Vintage Stakes runner-up Zaman (James Doyle), who disappointed in the G2 German 2,000 Guineas at Cologne, Germany, on 21 May, but started the year with two good performances Meydan, including a smooth victory in the mile Listed Meydan Classic in March.

Charlie Appleby added: “Symbolization has competed at a higher level on his last two starts and the drop back in class should make him very competitive.

“Zaman was disappointing out in Germany, but he likes to race prominently and lost his position that day.

“If he can rekindle the form he showed out in Dubai or last year, he could be a player in a race like this.”