Best bets for the horseracing at Newmarket the Dubai Future Champions Festival Day One
I mentioned in my post at the start of the week that it is that time of year when the Flat is coming to an end and the Jumps game is just getting started and I often advise it's a time to tread carefully as the form can be all over the show. Barring an each-way punt on Treasure Time, the two-year-old I hold a handful of shares in, I haven't had a bet all week - he was a fast finishing second so that was nice.
We have the two-day Dubai Future Champions Festival on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket across Friday and Saturday and I am taking the brakes off for the meeting. The going is good-soft following the recent rain with a good chance of a shower or two on Friday.
Best bets for the horseracing at Newmarket
They get underway at 1.50 with the 5f Group Three Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes. I have decided to leave this alone as they are much of a muchness and I could make a case for several.
At 2.25 we have the 7f Group Three Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes. Skillet was beaten on debut at Sandown not really getting going till too late. She got off the mark at Salisbury next time, a race that is working out with a couple of subsequent winners coming from it and Juddmonte reached for the chequebook and she now runs in their colours. The win was on good-firm and the weather may have dented her chances. Dance Sequence won on debut at HQ back in July despite being green and will surely have come on since that. I didn’t tip her that day (went with the other Appleby debutant) wondering if this one might be better at three on pedigree so I am intrigued to see what she does today. Charlie Appleby said “Dance Sequence has done very well physically since breaking her maiden on the July Course and we are looking forward to seeing how she gets on at this level. A bit of rain wouldn’t do her chances any harm and this will hopefully provide some guidance heading into the winter and next season.” The rain has arrived and I think she is worth a punt against the short-priced jolly and have 9-2.
The Group Two 7f Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes is at 3.00. I wonder if Audience and Matilda Picotte might get each other at it early here and set this up for a closer? It could get messy and I have decided not to bet.
Race of the day is the Group One bet365 Fillies' Mile at 4.10. I have talked of and tipped a few of these already this season. I tipped Classical Song on debut at Goodwood when she was second and again when she won at Sandown last month, the form of that Maiden Fillies' Stakes is pretty warm. As I have stated before She's a daughter of Lope De Vega, the French 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner, out of Cottonmouth, a G.3 winner in her racing career who has produced some nice ones; all six of her siblings have been winners. The yard of Ralph Beckett is in decent form, they way she won at Sandown suggested a step-up to a mile should suit plus she showed at Goodwood she can go on soft. I think she is well worth an investment at 4-1. Shuwari is feared and is Ylang Ylang despite a couple of disappointing efforts recently.
A field of later developers line-up at 4.45 for the 7f Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies' Stakes (Div I), Charlie Appleby had two entered and luckily for me they have been split in the two divisions of this race. If you have visited the site before you will know I back debutants from Moulton Paddocks at HQ blind so I am on Devoted Queen. A daughter of Kingman she is out of multiple Group winner Fintry and a half-sister to, amongst others, two-year-old Group winner One Ruler. I have a bit of the 11-10.
It’s as you were at 5.20 for the 7f Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies' Stakes (Div II). The Charlie Appleby trained debutant Enchanted Life is no a non-runner so no bet for me.
The lucky last at 5.55 is the 1m2f Group Three Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes. I tipped Silver Lady last time when a little disappointing in the Listed Rosemary Stakes at HQ over a mile. She really caught the eye when winning on debut back in April on good-soft over a mile and perhaps hasn’t progressed as much as hoped. I noted Charlie Appleby saying on the Godolphin website “We feel stepping up to 10 furlongs is going to suit Silver Lady and we were pleased with her run in the Rosemary Stakes, which came on the back of a layoff." If she comes on for that run and the step-up in trip here does suit as expected then she can get her career back on track. I have the 7-2.
Be lucky