Racing News – Jul 12, 2026
The midsummer rhythm of the Flat season kept its momentum as Thesecretadversary backed up Royal Ascot gains by landing the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville, giving connections another Group 1 moment at a time when the sprint-and-mile division was already bubbling after the July Cup weekend talk.
Ridden with patience, Thesecretadversary travelled strongly through the race before quickening decisively inside the final furlong, confirming the impression he had created earlier in the summer and adding a French scalp to his Ascot haul. In the aftermath, his jockey spoke of a colt who was “learning all the time” and finding a sharper edge with racing, while the camp were understandably keen to underline how much the trip and tempo had played to his strengths.
Back on home soil, the Newmarket and Ascot narrative remained centred on the July Cup fallout, with ITV Racing’s coverage and the weekend’s tipping columns dominated by the same theme: top-level sprinting form shifting quickly as the season moved towards its next major summer targets. Trainers on both sides of the Channel acknowledged that the speed division looked unusually fluid for mid-July, with the best horses repeatedly being asked to prove it at the very highest level.
Away from the Group-race glare, the day’s undercard stories carried their own interest for punters and professionals alike. Iron Lily and Sunset On Leros both emerged from Newmarket’s programme as names to keep onside in the coming weeks, while Limerick watchers noted market confidence around Dialin For Dollars, Usuario Amigo and Ochtar Againn as summer racing continued to offer opportunities for progressive types to step out of the shadows.
The talking point was the sense of momentum: a Royal Ascot winner reaffirming his credentials overseas, and Britain’s premier midsummer sprint meeting still shaping conversation days later. With the calendar now leaning into the heart of festival season, the form lines being drawn in July often decide who gets their chance when the autumn championship picture begins to sharpen.
Market Insight: With Deauville confirming Ascot form, early money around Iron Lily, Sunset On Leros and the Limerick trio hinted that the next wave is already being identified.