The voice of racing men since 1998

Thursday, 16 July 2026

2026 Flat Issue 12 - Maltese makes the French Cross

Headlines

Rebels Bring Romance to Newmarket
Zeus Thunders home at Ascot
Maltesse make French Cros on Bastille Day

Report

We start at Newmarket last Thursday where in the 1m 4f group 2 Rebel’s Romance (Cliff) went to post, Took keen hold, prominent, ridden when led over 1f out, soon edged left, reduced lead inside final 110yds, kept on, winning by ½ l. He gets 43.46 points.

At Newmarket on Saturday in the 6f group 1 July Cup Venetian Sun ( Martin, Peej), went to post, Raced centre, towards rear, headway over 1f out, went second inside final furlong, kept on, 2nd of 9 in group, 2nd beaten 1l. She gets 14.55 points.

At Ascot in the 1m group 2 Zeus Olympios (Bob, Martin, Peej) went to post, Led early, headed after 3f, soon prominent on inner, pressed leaders over 1f out, ridden to lead inside final furlong, kept on, winning ½ L. He gets 24.5 points.

On Tuesday at Longchamp in the 1m 4f group 1 Prix De Paris Maltese Cross (Cliff), went to post, Towards rear on inner, short of room from over 2f out, headway and switched right over 1f out, soon ridden, squeezed through inside final 110yds, led towards finish, did well in the circumstances, winning by a head. He gets 57.6 points.

The John Torpey Memorial Trophy
                 July        Total
Cliff          101.06          643.61
Bob           24.5               583.93
Cod             52.6            565.19
Neil         00                491.12
Peej           39.05             471.64
Steve         00             386.68
Martin      39.05            287.02

Stats Per String
           Runs        Wins
Martin      26       7
Bob           35   15
Cliff           38   14
Neil          35     12
Peej          34    12
Cod           34     12
Steve          27      11

The Weeks Losers
Precise, Ya Karim, Venetian Sun, Double Rush, American Affair, Schrodinger’s Cat, True Love, Space Waltz

Weekend Runners

Friday 

Wolverhampton
2.43 Monsieur Kodi

Newmarket
20.08 Dandana

Saturday 

Newbury
1.55 Maho  Bay
3.02 Soldier’s Tree, Binhaheer

Curragh
2.15 Faiyum, Tiffany
3.25 Charles Darwin
4.35 My Ophelia, Diamond Necklace, Amelia Earhart, Precise

Sunday 

Curragh
4.25 Carmers, Jan Brughel, Tiffany, James J Braddock

News
William Haggas has said he does not yet know the ceiling of Tuesday evening's last-gasp Grand Prix de Paris winner Maltese Cross. Maltese Cross is the 5-2 favourite for the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on August 19 and whether he turns up in that contest is likely to be decided by his next Group 1 target.

"What we do next basically boils down to the St Leger or the Arc, but probably not both and we've got lots of time to think about it," Haggas said. "If he was to go for the Arc we could think about the Great Voltigeur, in which he would carry a penalty, but if he was going to Doncaster I probably wouldn't run him again.

Constitution Hill is set to have his third Flat outing in a Listed race at Windsor on August 29, with connections now fully aware victory could make an audacious tilt at the Lexus Melbourne Cup slightly more likely. Having run out of time to qualify the former superstar hurdler for the Sky Bet Ebor, Nicky Henderson is targeting the Weatherbys Digital Solutions August Stakes for a nine-year-old who kicked off his Flat career with wins at Southwell under Oisin Murphy in February and then Kempton the following month, when ridden by Ryan Moore.


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