Venetian Sun Awaits July Cup Green Light

A final decision on Venetian Sun (IRE)'s participation in the July Cup Stakes (G1) will be made July 11, with trainer Karl Burke concerned about the ground for his star filly. Burke will walk the July course at Newmarket on the morning of the race to assess whether conditions are suitable for Venetian Sun, who is unbeaten in six starts over sprint trips. The ground at Newmarket remained good to firm before the start of Day 2 of the July meeting, with 6 millimeters of water applied to the track after racing July 9. Temperatures are expected to stay around 30 C before dropping slightly to 26 C on Saturday. "We'll be keeping a close eye on what they do with the watering and how the ground rides today; I'd imagine it's going to quicken up again," Burke said the morning of July 10. "We'll walk the track in the morning before a final decision is made whether she can run or not. "She's better with a little bit of cut in the ground—she proved that at Haydock (when winning the Sandy Lane)—and it's her first time taking on the older horses, so we want to have everything safe for her." Venetian Sun's odds have drifted in recent days, and she has been joined at the head of the July Cup market by Japanese contender Satono Reve (JPN) at 7-2. Earlier in the week, Burke admitted to some concerns after Venetian Sun showed signs of being in season, with the trainer saying he would monitor that in the buildup to the race. He added Friday: "That was early on Tuesday morning and she hasn't shown any more signs this week. The guys at home are very happy with her, she's working nicely, and she looks in great condition." If given the go-ahead, last month's Commonwealth Cup Stakes (G1) winner will bid to become the first 3-year-old filly to win the July Cup since Habibti 43 years ago, and Burke believes she has nothing to fear. "I think she won a shade cozily really at Ascot, she never does a lot when she hits the front, and it was a good performance," he said. "It can be hard going against the older horses, but she's a very talented sprinter, and they're pretty exposed. I don't think any of them are going to suddenly jump out and find seven pounds in form, whereas we could still be improving." Speaking before racing Friday, Newmarket's clerk of the course Andrew Morris said: "We had a really good first day yesterday. We're delighted with how racing went, and the feedback from participants was positive. We had good to firm ground and put 6 millimeters of water over the course last night. We're expecting the same conditions today." Other contenders besides Satono Reve include Almeraq (GB), Mission Central (IRE), and Big Mojo (IRE).