July Festival: “He’ll be very hard to beat"

Trainer George Boughey kindly joined Tom Bull, Joey Laver and Jack Nicol on the tenth and latest edition of the Flat Out podcast to talk Via Sistina, the return of Classic winner Cachet, the July Festival and more besides. Enjoy in full below and don’t forget to subscribe!

George Boughey has a select team of five runners currently engaged for the Boodles July Festival at Newmarket and that number itself is under threat given the local trainer will walk the track before deciding whether Via Sistina can take her chance in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes.

Boughey joined the latest Flat Out podcast for a wide-ranging chat and discussed more of his chances at Newmarket this week in greater detail – including one handicapper who the trainer thinks will be tough to beat provided the rain steers clear of headquarters.

SOPRANO

Race: bet365 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes Odds: 9-4

I coouldn't be happier with her going into the race. Charlie Eddery rides her every day and from the start and he's higher on her than he's ever been, so I think she is progressing and physically she looks great.

I think she's actually going to end up being a miler in time, but the programme doesn't really lend itself to a traditional 7f fillies-only contest at the moment.

Having thought she was well drawn at Ascot, she ended up being a few lengths behind on the side that didn’t have as much pace and I think William Buick's move half way through the race - when there was one in front of him and he had to pull her out to find a bit more company - is probably understated. I could have asked her to go forward and be a bit more prominent and she might have finished a bit closer, but it’s a long game with her - she's out of a sister to a Breeders' Cup Mile winner and there are lots of targets for her. She could follow the route Cachet went, sort of out to America at the end of the year.

I think she wants fast ground. The easier mile in America at the end of the year could suit her, and although she's quite lean and athletic she’s a more mature model who loves her racing and she wil be kept busy this year. She’s a lot more relaxed now than she was at Newmarket on debut and the more we do with her the more she settles down, so I think travelling won't be an issue for her.

CONQUISTADOR

Race: cavani.co.uk The Sartorial Sprint Handicap Odds: 3-1

He was third at Royal Ascot and, if we miss the rain at Newmarket, he'll be very hard to beat I think.

The stiff track on the July Course should suit him and he was just caught slightly flat-footed at Ascot. He's a bit of a work in progress - he went off favourite on the day and we did hope he'd go pretty close, but hes progressing nicely. He's a pretty fast son of US Navy Flag and I think there’s a little bit left in the tank.

SPANGLED MAC

Race: bet365 Bunbury Cup Odds: 25-1

He's probably versatile and wants a stiff six furlongs or seven furlongs. I think he wants fast ground.

He was a fraction unlucky in Dubai on his last start there and we actually thought he'd run as big a race as he did at Ascot when fourth in the Buckingham Palace.

He’ll pop up one day, I just don’t know when it’s going to be. I think his race is the International, the Gigaset at Ascot on King George day. I just like that track for him, he ran probably his almost career-best at Ascot over six furlongs and he was just searching for a bit more ground. The seven furlongs at Ascot is kind of ideal for him.