O’Brien casts doubt on Little Big Bear’s participation in July Cup

Commonwealth Cup runner-up has suffered a stone bruise.

Little Big Bear’s participation in Saturday’s Pertemps Network July Cup is rated as only “50-50″ by Aidan O’Brien.

Runner-up to Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, the pair had been set to cross swords once more on the July course this weekend.

However, the rematch may have to wait due to a stone bruise to last year’s leading juvenile.

“Little Big Bear is not definite to run as he had a foot bruise last week and he missed six days without doing any cantering,” said O’Brien.

“We might do something in the morning with him to see how he is and whether we decide to run him or not.

“If he does run, we won’t know until he has run how that has affected him. He is not guaranteed to run and we will decide in the next couple of days.

“I’d say it is 50-50 regarding his chances of running.”

Should Little Big Bear not run then Meditate, a winner at the Breeders’ Cup, could have her impending retirement delayed, despite only running in the Prix Jean Prat on Sunday.

“We have to decide whether we are going to retire Meditate or not. It is very possible that she could retire,” he said.

“France at the weekend was a bit of a mess. We thought Andrew’s (Balding) horse (Chaldean) would make the running, but he didn’t and the pace was just very messy so we didn’t get a clear picture with her.

“We didn’t want to carry on too long with her as she is a very high-class filly for the paddocks.

“She is obviously in the July Cup and if Little Big Bear wasn’t going to run we would give her a chance going back over six before she goes as she is a filly that has a lot of speed and was always very comfortable going forward over six furlongs.

“It is all a little bit up in the air, but it is dependent on Little Big Bear what happens to him during the middle of the week.”

As expected, Royal Ascot winner Khaadem has been supplemented.

Charlie Hills stated last week the Newmarket race was the “obvious target” for his surprise Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes scorer, and the GBP 36,000 supplementary fee was paid on Monday.

Julie Camacho’s Shaquille put up a remarkable display to win the Commonwealth Cup during the same meeting having missed the break, but this time he will have to beat his elders.

Another northern raider, the Michael Dods-trained Azure Blue, is also strongly fancied on the back of her win in the Duke of York Stakes over Highfield Princess.

Kinross is in there for Ralph Beckett, but he will have to do without his usual partner Frankie Dettori, who is currently on the sidelines suspended.

Cold Case, Art Power and Run To Freedom are also among the 14 possibles.

O’Brien’s exciting City Of Troy is one of 12 in the bet365 Superlative Stakes.

The Justify colt won easily on his debut, making even the usual reticent Ryan Moore reach for the superlatives.

Charlie Appleby’s Great Truth and the Richard Hannon-trained duo of Son and Haatem are among his possible rivals.

There are 42 left in the bet365 Bunbury Cup, with Saeed bin Suroor’s Shining Blue at the top of the weights.

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