Newmarket July meeting: day one

the Newmarket July Meeting, always one of the best of the summer, gets under way with some very strong fields, including 3 group races. Royal Ascot form will be severely tested, as a large number of runners in the main events ran last time at the royal meeting. It has been raining, but the ground is still expected to be on the fast side.
We start with the Bahrain Stakes for 3yo´s over one mile and 5 furlongs at 14.40 CET, usually a significant St. Leger trial. Honor Bound (Ralph Beckett/ Jim Crowley), the only filly in the field, won the Lingfield Oaks trial, but was well beaten in the Oaks itself. Hartnell (Mark Johnston/ Joe Fanning) won the Queens Vase, while consistent Windshear (Richard Hannon/ Richard Hughes) was runner-up in a big handicap at Ascot and stable companion Bunker (Frankie Dettori) was fifth in the King Edward VII with Odeon (James Given/ Graham Lee) 7th. The winner of that race was trained by John Gosden, who has won the Bahrain Trophy for the last 3 years and can take it again with the lightly-raced Forever Now (William Buick). He was a ridiculously easy winner at Doncaster last time, and although this is far tougher, Gosden has frequently won big races with 3yo´s with a similar profile.
There follows the July Stakes for 2yo´s over 6 furlongs at 15.10, arguably the best race of the season so far for this age group. All 15 runners are winners, and several of them ran well at Ascot. The Hannon stable does well here and has 2 runners -Dougal (Jim Crowley) and Ivawood (Hughes); the latter is one of 4 unbeaten colts and won on his debut at odds-on in the style of a really good horse. The same goes for Belardo (Roger Varian/ Andrea Atzeni), and it is possible that these two can take the step up in grade successfully and defeat the Ascot runners.
The best race of the day is the Princess of Wales´s Stakes over 1 1/2 miles for older horses at 15.40. Sir Michael Stoute has won this 9 times and now saddles two runners Arab Spring (Ryan Moore) and Hillstar (Frankie Dettori). The latter was runner-up in the Hardwicke Stakes, but the former is preferred; the Monsun 4yo was the most impressive handicap winner of the year when winning at Ascot and is expected to win on his first attempt in group company. Globetrotter Dandino (Marco Botti/ Martin Harley), 5th in the Melbourne Cup last year, is probably being aimed at that race again, but has plenty of good form over this trip, although he has not won for 2 years. He would not want any more rain, while Botti´s other entry, the ex-German Seismos is a non-runner and possibly runs Sunday in Paris.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Windshear - Hartnell - Forever Now
2. Race: The Great War - Ivawood - Jungle Cat
3. Race: Arab Spring - Hillstar - Pether`s Moon
4. Race: Mount Logan - Insaany - What About Carlo
5. Race: Osaila - Sulaalaat - Dubai Breeze
6. Race: Pretzel - Table Rock - Windfast
7. Race: Oh So Sassy - Doctor Parkes - Harrogate Fair