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Aidan O'Brien: Debenhams July Festival Stable Tour
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 8 Jul 2025
By Graham Clark
Aidan O’Brien has enjoyed considerable success at Newmarket’s Debenhams July Festival down the years and, once again, he has assembled a solid team to represent his yard at the three-day meeting.
While the numbers heading to Flat racing’s headquarters will be a fraction of the size that flew the flag for the Ballydoyle master at Royal Ascot, it is a squad that is still packed full of quality and star potential.
And given horses from O’Brien’s yard are always to be feared whatever meeting they appear at, the prospect of his team toasting more Group race glory on the July Course this year looks a distinct possibility .
The highlight of the meeting comes on Saturday in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup, which O’Brien could be represented in by Whistlejacket, winner of last year’s Group Two Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes over course and distance, and Ides Of March.
And should either horse hit the target, it would see O’Brien break further new ground by securing what would be a record-breaking sixth win in the prestigious six-furlong Group One prize.
It was back in 2023 that the wider racing world stood up and took notice of City Of Troy, who blew his rivals away in the bet365 Superlative Stakes ahead of going on to win three Group Ones the following season, including securing Classic glory in the Betfred Derby.
City Of Troy was a wide margin winner of the Superlative Stakes at the Debenhams July Festival two years ago.
This year, O’Brien is likely to be represented in the seven-furlong Group Two prize by impressive Leopardstown maiden winner Italy, who is already odds-on with some firms to give O’Brien a fifth success in the race.
O’Brien said: “The July Festival is an important meeting and it is a great track. It is a great festival and a great few days of racing.
“We hope to have horses that are able to compete there each season, and, like we always say, we hope they all run well.”
Below, Aidan O'Brien shares his thoughts on his potential team for this year's Festival.
THURSDAY
Scandinavia (Bahrain Trophy)
“We did have both Scandinavia and Galveston entered, but we decided to run Scandinavia in the race. He ran well when we upped him in distance (to a mile and three quarters) at Royal Ascot in the Queen’s Vase.
“He got trapped a little bit wide, but he still ran well and we thought this race might just suit him.
“He won well at Navan the time before his run at Royal Ascot and he looks like the sort of horse that gets this trip (one mile five furlongs) well.
“We are putting the cheekpieces on him here as he was a little bit lazy through the race at Ascot.
“We will see what happens here, but it looks like he could be a St Leger type of horse.”
Brussels (Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes)
“He won nicely at the Curragh on his debut. This is a step up for him, but we think the experience will do him good here.
“We liked him ahead of his debut and we thought he was a nice maiden going there.
“He was working with Kansas, who also ran in that race, and he was working a bit better than him going into it.
“We didn’t think he was forward enough to take to Ascot last month and this race fits in well as it comes that little bit later on.
“He is probably going to be a horse that improves a lot as the year goes on. He will also probably go beyond six furlongs later on in the year.”
FRIDAY
Composing (Duchess of Cambridge Stakes)
“It is only possible that she will come over for the Duchess of Cambridge as she looked the last day like a filly that was happy over seven furlongs so it is only possible she comes back to six furlongs.
“The form of her maiden, which was over six furlongs, looks good, but she looked like a filly that was content going up to seven furlongs last time.
“She won well over seven furlongs the last day at the Curragh as she really did stay on well near the end of the race.
“We will see when she does her blow in the morning whether she warrants coming back to six furlongs for this race.”
Aidan O'Brien spoke to Fran Berry after Composing got off the mark at the Curragh.
January (Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes)
“We have Bedtime Story and Exactly in the race, but the plan of what we are thinking of doing is running January in the race.
“We have been very happy with her since her run in the Coronation Stakes at Ascot. She was a solid filly for us last year and ran some great races.
“She was only just ready to start in the Irish 1000 Guineas and we just needed to get a run into her to get her ready for Ascot.
“We knew going to Ascot that she would improve from there and she duly did as she ran well there.
“We think she has come forward again and hopefully she will run well.”
SATURDAY
Italy (bet365 Superlative Stakes)
“We have both Dorset and Italy in the Superlative Stakes, but, as it stands, it will probably be just Italy that runs in the race.
“He won his maiden very well at Leopardstown, but he is a colt that we always liked at home, and we have been happy with him since then.
“He was green when he ran at Leopardstown, but we liked him before the race, and he will improve again from that. I was more than happy with the performance.
“The form has been given a boost as the runner-up (Thesecretadversary) put in a good solid run to finish second last time out in the Chesham at Ascot.”
Watch Italy's winning debut at Leopardstown.
Ides Of March (Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup)
“Ides Of March might go for the July Cup as well. He was a bit disappointing at Ascot, but we think, and hope, that he should leave that run behind him.
“If he does go over then he could outrun his odds.”
Whistlejacket (Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup)
“We were happy with him going into Ascot, but we all saw what happened with him there so we didn’t get a clear reading.
“He just didn’t have any luck in running in the Commonwealth Cup, but we have been happy with him since.
“The plan was to always go sprinting with him this season and after Ascot the intention was to bring him to Newmarket for the July Cup.
“He was a good winner over course and distance last year in the July Stakes so we know that he handles the track well.
“It was quick at Ascot, and he looked okay there, so the ground shouldn’t be a problem for him.
“We have won this race with some great horses in the past and hopefully he will give a good account of himself.”
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