Azure Blue is on course for the Darley July Cup at Newmarket, as long as the ground is suitable for Michael Dods’ new sprinting star.

The four-year-old is on a steep upward curve, winning four of her last five races, the most recent of which was in the Group Two 1895 Duke of York Stakes.

She beat Highfield Princess there, albeit in receipt of 5lb, and with John Quinn’s mare performing with extreme credit in both the King’s Stand and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, the form looks strong.

“Azure Blue is in the July Cup and that is the plan as long as the ground doesn’t firm up,” said Dods.

“She is in good form and obviously it will be a tough race, but the plan is to go to Newmarket with her. She seems to love it at both tracks at Newmarket (three wins on the Rowley Mile and one on the July course to date).

“She didn’t go to Ascot and part of the reason for that was that the entries closed too soon so we came up with the plan of going for the July Cup.

“Had she had a run before the entries closed at Ascot then we would have probably entered her, but then it went pretty quick so whether she would have run is questionable.

“I think at the moment the speediest horse we had was Mecca’s Angel, but at this stage of her career I would put her up there with the best of them like Mabs Cross and Mecca’s Angel.”

Commonwealth Cup one-two Shaquille and Little Big Bear, older horses such as Kinross and Art Power and the likes of Lezoo and Meditate, remain in the mix.

A total of 19 stood their ground, although the American-trained Big Invasion was subsequently scratched, leaving 18.

Frankie Dettori’s hopes of winning the one particular race missing from his CV before he retires appear to be over after he was handed an eight-day whip ban for his ride on Inspiral at Royal Ascot.

The Darley July Cup, at his home course of Newmarket, is the one domestic Group One to have eluded the 52-year-old, who will retire at the end of 2023.

He was hoping to have a final crack at it aboard Ralph Beckett’s dual Group One winner Kinross, but was found by the British Horseracing Authority’s Whip Review Committee to have used his whip seven times in the Queen Anne Stakes on John and Thady Gosden’s filly when second to Triple Time.

That is one over the allotted number of six on the Flat, which triggers a four-day ban – and as the race is a Group One that penalty is doubled.

With Dettori already due to be serving a nine-day ban due to run from July 4-12 inclusive for causing interference on Saga in the Wolferton Stakes – which he is appealing – his whip ban would begin after that suspension has been served, ruling him out of the July Cup on July 15. His dates of suspension for his whip ban are July 13-15 and 17-21.

Bluestocking showed enough in her performance at Royal Ascot last week to put herself in the picture for a tilt at the Juddmonte Irish Oaks later this month.

An impressive winner on her sole juvenile start at Salisbury, Ralph Beckett’s filly was being considered for the Betfred Oaks at Epsom prior to her narrow defeat by Warm Heart on her reappearance in a Listed contest at Newbury last month.

With the daughter of Camelot still showing signs of inexperience, the decision was made to bypass Epsom in favour of a tilt at the Ribblesdale Stakes – but while she again ran well in defeat, this time she was beaten almost four lengths into third place by the reopposing Warm Heart.

Barry Mahon, racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte, is of the opinion there should be more to come from Bluestocking and she could now head for the Curragh on July 22 in a bid for Classic glory.

“I was absolutely delighted with how Bluestocking ran,” he said.

“We saw how green she was in Newbury and Frankie (Dettori) said she was still a bit green the other day – he said it took her a bit of time to get used to the hustle and bustle of having horses around her.

“She then settled into a lovely rhythm and fell asleep under him. He tried to wake her up again coming round the bend and it just took her half a furlong too long to get into top gear. With a few horses coming back on top of her, she just couldn’t get competitive, but you’d love the way she hit the line.”

Considering future plans, Mahon added: “I think if she’s fit and well we’ll definitely consider the Irish Oaks. The fractions suggest they went very slowly at Ascot and I think a strongly-run mile and a half will be more her cup of tea.

“The Curragh would suit her and if we got a little bit of rain between now and then all the better.”

While Bluestocking and St James’s Palace Stakes runner-up Chaldean had to make do with minor honours, Juddmonte did get on the Royal Ascot winner’s board with Coppice in the Sandringham Stakes.

John and Thady Gosden’s filly was supplementing a comfortable victory at Newcastle, having previously failed to fire in the Nell Gwyn at Newmarket, and the success came as no surprise to Mahon.

He said: “It was a great performance. We started the year with high hopes – as Frankie alluded to after she won we thought she was a Guineas filly in the spring, but for obvious reasons she was just slow to come to hand.

“John and Thady went the patient route and it paid off. It was nice to get the winner on the board and she’s definitely an exciting filly for the remainder of the year.

“I don’t really know where she’ll go. The Falmouth would be a big step and if Laurel gets over her little setback in time that’s where she’ll go, all going well.

“For Coppice it would be nice to get black type with her, so we could look at a Listed race or a Group Three with her to get some black type in the bank.”

The Juddmonte team did suffer a couple of notable disappointments at the Royal meeting, with Arrest and Covey both performing below expectations.

Arrest was bidding to bouncing back from a Derby no-show in the King Edward VII Stakes, but finished fifth of sixth, while Covey was a well-beaten favourite in the Jersey.

“We were worried about the ground for Arrest, we took a chance and it didn’t pay off. We’ll freshen him up and bring him back for an autumn campaign when there’s a bit of juice in the ground,” Mahon added.

“I was a little disappointed with Covey, he ran a little too free, Frankie just said he ran with the choke out the whole way.

“I think he’s definitely a better horse than we saw the other day and what came out of it is that on a straight track he just tends to over-race a little bit.

“He can still be a nice horse, but maybe he needs to go around a bend.”

Jessica Harrington is well aware of the task facing Sprewell in this weekend’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Harrington is revered in the equine world, and having won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham and Classics on the Flat, she has mastered both of the racing codes.

She would, though, love nothing more than to win an Irish Derby. Sprewell has seven lengths to find with the odds-on favourite Auguste Rodin from the Betfred Derby, but back on a more conventional track and with less runners, Harrington hopes the Epsom fourth may be able to close the gap on Sunday.

“I’m very happy with his preparation. He came out of Epsom very well and we’ve just slowly built him up,” she said.

“He’s a very laid-back character and it’s quite easy to keep the preparation going.

“Auguste Rodin is going to be very difficult to beat. He’s proved himself to be an exceptional horse, to come back from what was a disaster really in the English 2000 Guineas.

“It was a great training feat for Aidan (O’Brien) to get him back and to win so easily, as he did in Epsom.

“He’s got to go out and do it again, but I’m presuming he’ll be in good order. He’s got it on the board and he beat us a fair way.

“You’re always hoping. You don’t go into those races thinking, ‘I’ll be grand being second’. I want to go in there thinking, ‘I’ll be grand if I can win’.”

When asked if she thought the Curragh would suit him better, the Moone handler added: “I’m hoping it will. He hasn’t run there, but he’s gone both ways around so I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. He’s been left-handed three times now and also right-handed at Gowran.

“It looks like it’s going to be lovely ground, perfect good ground which will be ideal – no extremes in any direction.”

Harrington reported herself in good form, having come through treatment for breast cancer in recent months, and has her sights set firmly on the future.

“We’ve got through it all and I’m feeling great now, really good. I think I’m nearly back to normal because I’ve got my energy back now,” she said.

“I’m lucky I’ve got through it all and that’s the main thing. I’m only looking forward, not back. Keep looking forward to what you are going to do and don’t be looking back.

“It’s very easy to look back and get negative so you want to keep looking forward. What motivates me is that I like succeeding, I like winning, doing well and I like to get better at what I do.

“Having had the cancer I’m probably more focused now and wanting to do things. In a way it raised the question that you could get ill and then the answer was that I’m going to beat this. That makes you want more because that keeps you going.

“I hoped that if I talked about it other people would too, instead of pushing it under the carpet and going about their treatment with their heads down.

“My attitude was to go about the treatment, and that I’m going to beat this.

“There are an awful lot of things left on my list to achieve. The Irish Derby is definitely one of them, that’s on the bucket list as it were.

“There are loads of international races I’d like to win and I’d like to win more races in Ireland, you always want to win more. When you get so far you like to keep your standards up.”

Auguste Rodin will face a maximum of 10 rivals if he is to complete a Derby double in the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Irish version at the Curragh on Sunday.

Aidan O’Brien’s Deep Impact colt bounced back from a disappointing run in the 2000 Guineas to win at Epsom and confirm once again the undeniable skills of his trainer.

Three of the first four home from Epsom are still in the mix, with subsequent Royal Ascot winner King Of Steel, second at Epsom, the only one not heading to the Curragh. Auguste Rodin is set to go off the long odds-on favourite and will aim to give Ryan Moore a first win in the Classic.

O’Brien could also run Adelaide River, Covent Garden, Peking Opera and San Antonio.

The third and fourth home from Epsom, White Birch and Sprewell, are both also on course with young jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle booked to partner the John Murphy-trained White Birch.

He Racing TV: “I’m delighted to get the leg-up, massive thanks to connections and Mr Murphy and all the gang down there. It is a great ride to pick up and I’m just blessed to get the leg over him.

“It’s my first ride in the race, so hopefully we will have a bit of luck. He has got good form coming into it. I think the Curragh will suit him well.

“He’s a bit awkward away from the gates, but I think if it happens again we won’t be worrying because in the Curragh you have got plenty of time to get into it. There’s a long straight there, so hopefully he has got a live chance and can run a big race.”

Dermot Weld’s once-raced Knight To King, Joseph O’Brien’s Up And Under, Donnacha O’Brien’s Proud And Regal and Salt Bay, the only UK-based entry left in by last year’s winning trainer Ralph Beckett, complete the list.

Connections of Shaquille are keen to let the dust settle on his popular success at Royal Ascot, with a decision on his July Cup participation to be made closer to the time.

The three-year-old recovered from a tardy start to provide trainer Julie Camacho and her husband and assistant Steve Brown with a first taste of Group One success in Friday’s Commonwealth Cup.

There did not appear to be any fluke about the Charm Spirit colt’s defeat of hot favourite Little Big Bear in Berkshire and Brown admits the success has left the team in North Yorkshire on cloud nine.

“We’re back to reality, but obviously everyone is still on a high and there’s a great feel to the yard, which is wonderful. We’re looking forward to the next chapter, hopefully,” he said.

“We’ll plan to have a proper party at some stage. We had brunch on Monday morning for the staff and thanked them for their efforts and made them understand how important they are in all of this.

“It’s a bit of a whirlwind, but it’s a lovely feeling and one we hope we can replicate again soon.”

Brown reports Shaquille to have taken his exertions well, although he will not return to work until later in the week.

He added: “He’s come back really well, he’s in good form. He’s incredibly straightforward, physically and mentally he’s a very strong horse.

“That’s the one thing I’ve said throughout – we’ve never seen this horse look tired. He came back and he’s enjoyed a few days turned out in his paddock for a couple of hours a day and he’ll probably start some cantering exercise towards the end of the week.

“We like our horses to have a good recovery after they’ve run and Wednesday is physio day so he’ll be checked over to make sure everything is A1 before we start again.”

Brown admits he thought Shaquille had blown his chances of Royal Ascot success after rearing up just as the stalls opened and feels the coolness of jockey Oisin Murphy played a huge part in his recovery.

He said: “Your natural reaction is ‘this isn’t going to work out’ when you see a horse concede that amount of ground, but Oisin was just perfect on him, wasn’t he?

“He showed a wise head, really didn’t rush him and the performance came from the fact that the jockey was eminently sensible and every move he made was the correct one. I think without that we wouldn’t have won the race, so great credit to Oisin.”

Shaquille will be campaigned exclusively at Group One level for the rest of the season, with Newmarket’s July Cup, the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August, the Sprint Cup at Haydock in September and the Qipco British Champions Sprint back at Ascot in October all in the melting pot.

“The July Cup is the next thing on the map. It comes around quite quickly and it’s one of those situations where you’ll know where you are in 10 days time as you’ll learn how looks and how he feels in himself. You can make a more informed decision closer to the time,” Brown went on.

“He’s obviously in it and he’s a leading fancy for the race. There’s three more domestic Group Ones and it might not be the worst thing in the world if you just concentrated on them, but obviously you’ve got the French race in early August as well.

“With any horse you need to be flexible with your thoughts, but those are the four races I think we’ll be looking at and we’ll just try to get him in the best possible shape for wherever he goes.

“I don’t think we’ll be going further afield at this moment in time. He’s still a young horse who is still maturing physically and mentally. I think we need to be sensible and recognise that.”

With Shaquille now a Group One-winning colt, there is bound to be interest from prospective buyers, but Brown revealed no firm offers have been made at this stage.

Brown said: “There’s been two or three expressions of interest in him, but no more than that at this moment in time that I’m aware of.

“I think that’s natural now we’ve moved into that sort of field. At the moment we’re just concentrating on his next race.”

Ebor-winning jockey Louis Steward has announced that he will retire from race-riding after an 11-year career in the saddle.

Steward, 27, started as an apprentice and achieved plenty of success, including winning the Cambridgeshire and the Balmoral Handicap with Bronze Angel in 2014 for Marcus Tregoning.

Steward amassed close to 200 winners in his career, with a season-best of 37 in 2014, the year he partnered Mutual Regard to a 20-1 success in the valuable Ebor Handicap at York for Johnny Murtagh.

Michael Bell, for whom he rode 42 winners, was a staunch ally, although fellow Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute provided Steward with his first Listed-race success when Sextant took the Stand Cup Stakes at Chester in the royal colours in 2019.

He also earned another Pattern-race success earlier this month when White Moonlight took the Listed Queen Of Scots Fillies’ Stakes at Musselburgh for Saeed bin Suroor.

“After some long and careful thoughts I’ve decided my time in the saddle has come to an end,” Steward announced on Twitter.

“Thank you to everyone from my family, friends, owners, trainers and the stable staff that have given me some wonderful memories that I’ll never forget. Looking forward to the next chapter!”

Asadna, who disappointed when well supported for last week’s Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, has been switched to the care of Alice Haynes.

Previously trained by George Boughey, Asadna made quite a splash when winning by 12 lengths in a Ripon novice heat in May but could not follow that up when only ninth in the Coventry, beaten six lengths by River Tiber.

Owner Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah has subsequently decided to send the Mehmas colt to Haynes, who enjoyed notable juvenile success with Lady Hollywood last term and has sent out 26 winners so far in 2023.

She said: “I’m very fortunate, it’s lovely to be sent a horse who looks to have so much potential.

“It’s great to get the call up. Obviously it’s not too nice for George and trainers do like to stick together, but he was going to another yard and it’s great for the team that he is joining us.

“It’s a bit too early to say what we might do, we’ll just let him settle in at the yard and see from there.”

Haynes also confirmed the transfer of Danger Alert from Boughey’s yard, with the three-year-old having been withdrawn from the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes on veterinary advice at Ascot on Friday.

The three-times winner may not be in Haynes’ care too long though as he is entered at Tattersalls sales next month.

She added: “We also have Danger Alert who is entered in the July sale but will run before.”

Connections of Inspiral could opt to bypass both the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in favour of a return to Deauville for the Prix Jacques le Marois.

Last season, the John and Thady Gosden-trained filly remained unbeaten in five runs when taking a second Group One victory in the Coronation Stakes, before being defeated for the first time in the Falmouth by Prosperous Voyage.

The daughter of Frankel bounced back to land the Group One Prix Jacques le Marois before she was beaten for just a second time in the Queen Elizabeth II at Ascot in October.

Last week she returned from a 248-day absence and went down a neck by Triple Time in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.

Chris Richardson, managing director of owners Cheveley Park Stud, was more than satisfied with her Ascot run.

“We were thrilled,” said Richardson. “Although we were disappointed not to win. We were hopeful as we knew Inspiral was in great shape and was the one they had to beat, and unfortunately there was one that did.

“But she’s a talented filly and I felt (it was) a great run for her first time out.

“We put her in the Falmouth, but I’m not sure we’ll go. We went there last year and regretted it.

“So, I suspect we’ll probably go Prix Jacques le Marois again – I don’t know, we’ll see how she is, see what she’s telling us.

“I wouldn’t entirely rule out the Sussex, but John Gosden feels a flat track probably suits her better.”

The iconic red, white and blue Cheveley Park colours filled the runner-up spot again when Khaadem swooped late to deny Sacred the spoils in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

“Sacred being beaten a neck was frustrating,” said Richardson. “She ran a blinder and she ran her best race there last year and was beaten a length (in the same race).

“It was just frustrating that we came to win the race and Jamie Spencer produced one of his specialties from behind which denied us the triumph, but there we are.

“She’s really thrived from four to five and we’re really pleased with what she’s done.”

The William Haggas-trained daughter of Exceed And Excel may have to use her passport for the first time, as a trip to France may be in the offing.

“The Prix Maurice de Gheest in Deauville will be a serious consideration at this point. I think that’s her ideal trip, six and a half (furlongs),” Richardson added.

“She has got all the entries, because obviously she is desperate to go when the ground is the best for her, which is obviously quick ground as we saw last week.

“The Falmouth for both those fillies was really just in case something went wrong and we couldn’t run last week, and we had that up our sleeve.”

Little went right in running for Twilight Calls, who did well to finish fourth to Bradsell in the King’s Stand.

The Henry Candy-trained five-year-old gelding was squeezed for room at the start of the five-furlong dash and failed to get a clear run when Ryan Moore attempted to make his move approaching a furlong out.

Richardson said: “Twilight Calls just got checked at the wrong moment. Ryan was very apologetic. It was not his fault, it was just the way the race unravelled. He said he would have gone very close.

“All being well, he came out of the race fine, and we’ll probably go to Goodwood and then target York.

“I think the Nunthorpe will be his main target, depending on how it’s going.”

He added: “Having run in three Group Ones to be as close as they were was exciting, but a little frustrating from my perspective.”

Chesham third Golden Mind is being primed for a step up in class, with the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting on Richard Fahey’s radar.

The North Yorkshire handler is looking to get on the scoresheet at the meeting after hitting the bar with regularity at Royal Ascot.

Golden Mind’s goal could be the seven-furlong Group Two contest won last year by Isaac Shelby, who went on to finish a short-neck runner-up in the French 2000 Guineas at ParisLongchamp.

The Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum-owned juvenile, a son of Classic winner Galileo Gold, won a Leicester maiden on his second outing before beaten three-quarters of a length by Snellen in the Chesham.

“Golden Mind is learning,” said Fahey. “He travelled a little bit better than he did last time, so he is learning with racing experience.

“He is the grandest horse – he’s horizontal now, the most laid-back character. I’m sure he will improve again. The Superlative or something like that would be in the thinking.

“It is too early in his career to say whether he’s a Classic horse next year, but he has plenty of potential still. I haven’t given up on him.”

With Malc runner-up in the Norfolk, Pretty Crystal a close-up fifth in the Albany and Midnight Affair just out of the money in the Queen Mary, it proved a frustrating Royal Ascot for the Malton handler.

“They ran respectable really,” Fahey said. “I was happy enough. No trainer is ever going to be happy not to get a win there. It didn’t happen, but onwards and upwards.”

Despite being an impressive winner on his Carlisle debut, Malc was sent off at the dismissive odds of 66-1 for his second start in the Norfolk, and found only Valiant Force too good.

Fahey said: “That was a good run. I was pleased with that. He will either go for the July Stakes and will probably get and entry in the Group One in France (Prix Morny at Deauville). He looks like a step up to six (furlongs) is where he wants to go.

“If one horse was disappointing, it was the one in the Coventry (Emperor’s Son). He maybe just bounced a bit from a harder race than he probably wanted when he won at Carlisle on his debut.”

Pretty Crystal, who tidily won a Ripon novice on her first start, was similarly an unconsidered 33-1 chance in the Group Three Albany, where she finished fifth to Porta Fortuna, beaten three and a half lengths.

“We were pleased with her in the Albany,” added the trainer. “She probably just wasn’t savvy enough for the race.

“I think I would have preferred to have been drawn a little bit lower, as it all happened away from her. She did hit the front this side and just pricked her ears a little bit.

“She’ll improve again. She’s a smart filly and I really like her. She’ll progress again. With that type of filly, I’d like to see how she is before making any concrete plans, but she is a sweet filly.”

Midnight Affair was the one that got away after missing the break in the five-furlong Queen Mary, eventually finishing over seven lengths behind Crimson Advocate.

Fahey added: “Midnight Affair half missed a beat and was in the stalls a long time. She just didn’t jump and run. I’m afraid at Ascot, if everything doesn’t slot in place, you don’t win.

“You can give weight, but you can’t give head-starts. She was playing catch-up and never caught them, so it was a bit frustrating. I am frustrated, as we have a bunch of nice horses.”