Darley July Cup report: Starman strikes for Ed Walker

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Sat July 10, 2021 · 3y ago

Starman cut down his rivals to run out an impressive winner of the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.

Forced to miss the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot because of the testing ground, Ed Walker's charge confirmed his arrival at the top of the sprinting ladder here.

There was a scare when he met with trouble in running at the halfway stage but Tom Marquand got him back on an even keel and when the gap appeared he thundered through it.

At that stage Art Power by the far rail still held the advantage but Starman took control inside the final furlong to win, going away, by two lengths.

Oisin Murphy, who rode the winner to land the Duke Of York on his reappearance, was second aboard Dragon Symbol with last year's winner Oxted running a cracker in third.

Tom Marquand celebrates Starman's July Cup win

Walker, saddling his first Group One winner, said: “It’s great. It’s taken its time, but better late than never as they say. I always believed so much in this horse. I put a lot of pressure on myself and it’s great that belief has been vindicated.

“His only blip was on bad ground at Ascot last season and we’ve been proved to have made the right call in missing the Royal meeting. I hoped he’d win a Group One and we dreamed that he’ll be a sprinter of a generation. A horse that was going through the grades as quickly as he was, you have to dream.”

While normally unwavering in his faith of his stable star, Walker admitted to having some pre-race doubts ahead of his latest assignment.

“He was so professional at York and today I was really negative before the race. He was messing around (in the pre-parade ring) and if you’d spoken to me then I’d have been pretty doom and gloom,” the trainer added.

“You always dream with a horse like this. They’re all champions when they walk into the yard, but this horse has never let us down.”

Tom Marquand celebrates as Starman wins the Darley July Cup

The Lambourn handler has another smart sprinter on his hands in recent Group Three winner Came From The Dark, but he does not anticipate the pair locking horns. A potential next port of call for Starman could be the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock on September 4.

Walker said: “Came From The Dark has to avoid this guy. In my mind, they’re not in the same league. He’s a very good horse Came From The Dark, but this guy has that brilliance. Came From The Dark has got guts and battles it out.

“I think Came From The Dark is more of a five-furlong horse whereas with this guy, it looks like six is the absolute minimum.We’ll look at the Sprint Cup and the Prix Maurice de Gheest.”

Murphy said: “I’m thrilled for Ed Walker. I was given the choice and I picked the wrong one, but I’m thrilled for their team and they’re having a fantastic season.

“I hope Dragon Symbol will get his day, we could well look to France next potentially for the Prix Maurice de Gheest.”