Friday 11th October 2019

Author: Jordan Yates

Image: Jordan Yates

This Friday sees the start of the Dewhurst Meeting at Newmarket with the Fillies’ Mile being the feature of the day. I’ll begin my preview with the opening race on the card though at 1:50 which is the Cornwallis Stakes a Group 3 contest over five furlongs and I think this particular affair can go to the Charlie Appleby trained LAZULI who’s the mount of William Buick. He was last seen when winning at Doncaster when odds on and looked to have the race put to bed before not finding much at all in front and consequently winning in a photo. It’s likely he will have learned a lot from that effort though and I expect him to come on a great deal and put in a bold showing here. The main danger looks to be fellow Godolphin contender Platinum Star who’s the current favourite, he won at Listed level the last day at Ripon and sets a pretty solid standard for Saeed bin Suroor.

Next up is the 2:25 which is the Oh So Sharp Stakes a Group 3 event that’s ridden over seven furlongs and my fancy here comes in the form of Roger Varian’s STYLISTIQUE who’s set to be ridden by Andrea Atzeni. She’s been in solid form this summer running big races in strong events throughout which culminated with an impressive second-place effort behind the smart Daahyeh here in Group 2 company last time out. That for me sets a very decent standard form-wise and if running to that sort of level again I think she could well prove a very big player here. Final Song currently heads the betting for Saeed bin Suroor who’s a very lightly raced sort and hasn’t been since finishing third behind Raffle Prize here at the July Meeting. She was also third behind that rival at Royal Ascot in the Queen Mary and on that form should be bang there. Another to note is William Haggas’ Wejdan who’s also extremely unexposed and could well be anything.

Moving onto the 3:00 which is the Group 2 Challenge Stakes which is a race that’s also over seven furlongs. This race has been won the last two years by Henry Candy’s Limato who’s set to line up again here in an attempt to retain his crown for the third successive year, and it would be great to see him do so as the seven-year-old is one of all-time favourites. From a punting perspective I’ve had to side with my head on this occasion though as I think Limato’s performances as of late have left a lot to be desired and this ground certainly won’t help. Therefore I’m siding with the Andrew Balding trained SHINE SO BRIGHT who sports the King Power Racing silks and will be ridden by Silvestre De Sousa. He was disappointed when a short-priced favourite at Doncaster last time, however on his penultimate outing lowered the colours of Laurens in a Group 2 at York. He’s got good form over seven furlongs and has gone well around here before so a return to form here would be no surprise. Mustashry looks the obvious main danger as he has form at Group 1 level and if repeating that level here will be tough to beat, I’d just worry slightly about the ground for him coming back off a slight lay off.

The feature is the next race on the card set to take place at 3:35 which is none other than the Fillies’ Mile itself, a Group 1 race over a mile and this year’s renewal see’s a three-way battle at the top of the market. The exciting Quadrilateral heads affairs at around the 7/4 mark for Roger Charlton and Jason Watson and she arrives here with a lofty reputation having won very impressively in both of her first two outings at Newbury. She firmly fits into the ‘could be anything’ category and could well blow the field away. I’ve taken her on though here with one at a slightly bigger price and that’s Jessica Harrington’s CAYENNE PEPPER who will be ridden by Shane Foley. This yard has excelled with their Fillies this year and I think this another very smart one they have on their hands as she arrives here having won all three of her starts culminating with a Group 3 success at the Curragh the last day. There was cut in the ground that day and if handling the track here there’s nothing saying she won’t put up another bold showing. Love completes this classy trio and she represents Aidan O’Brien and was last seen when winning the Group 1 Moyglare Stakes when getting the better of Daahyeh, and if turning up in that kind of form again here could prove very tough to beat under Ryan Moore.

The Old Rowley Cup is where the attention turns to next at 4:10 an extremely competitive Heritage Handicap and I’m taking a chance on two in the line up here and the first of these is John Gosden’s FIRST IN LINE who’s to be ridden by Frankie Dettori. He was very disappointing the last day when well fancied at Haydock however before that looked very promising espiecally when finishing second in the Melrose at York. If putting a line through the run the last day and back on slightly less testing ground he’s every chance of bouncing back for his heavyweight connections. The other horse I quite like here is SINJARI for William Haggas and Oisin Murphy who’s a general 11/1 chance, he also has solid form over this kind of distance and doesn’t appear to have any issue with cut in the ground. He could well be a player here.

Concluding my preview for this Friday card at Newmarket is the Darley Pride Stakes at 5:20 which is a Group 3 contest over a mile and two furlongs for Filles & Mares. I’ll keep this one pretty short as I think this will go to the in-form FANNY LOGAN once again for Gosden & Dettori. She’s completed a trio of wins in Listed company and looks well worth her place in a slightly higher grade here. She won’t have any issue with the ground and if turning up in the same form we’ve seen her in of late should take all the beating. The chief dangers look to come from Aidan O’Brien’s Simply Beautiful who’s still a maiden and the unexposed French raider Tamniah who represents Andre Fabre.