Dubai Future Champions Festival Friday at Newmarket
It’s a good card on Friday at HQ including the Group One bet365 Fillies' Mile & Group Two Dubai Challenge.
Best bets for the horse racing at Newmarket
At 3.00 we have the 7f Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes and Dirty Dozen member Sacred has been backed here at 11-8 this morning. In truth she was becoming disappointing this season with three defeats but looked back to form dopped to Listed company three-weeks ago at Newbury where she ran out an easy winner looking much more like the sort of filly I expected this season. Pogo finished ahead of her in the City Of York Stakes in August and is the danger on paper but I am sure the Cheveley Park Stud owned filly can gain revenge here and take this pot on what may be her last run.
The big race of the day the Group One bet365 Fillies' Mile is at 3.35 but Commissioning will be odds-on and looks to have the race at her mercy. She is rated at least 6lb higher than any of the opposition following two impressive wins here at HQ, one on the Rowley Mile one on the July course, and she is already as short as 6/1 for the 1000 Guineas in 2023. She won the G2 7f Rockfel Stakes in the style of a very good filly despite a little greenness edging left in the finish.
Charlie Appleby has thrown four darts at the 1m4f bet365 Old Rowley Cup Handicap at 4.10 and I have tipped three of them on different occasions on the past. I think this will be between La Yakel and Educator and First Ruler and I am prepared to back the Charlie Appleby colt again. As I have said before he is by Dubawi out of Zhukova a Group winning middle distance mare, including the G.1 Man O War Stakes, during her career with Dermot Weld. There are a host of big names on the pedigree page such as Dubai Millennium, Nightime and Galileo to name but three so they probably expected him to be Pattern class, which he may turn out to be yet. He didn’t debut until May of this year and after just five runs should have more to offer yet. Beaten a length by La Yakel at Ascot last time on his first time at this trip he is 4lb better off at the weights with that one today. Buick rides which is an obvious positive and I have 5-1.
They face 7f for the Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies' Stakes at 4.45 and with an Appleby debutant lining-up no-one will be surprised to learn I am on. Dream Of Love has drifted a little this morning, I am on at 13-8. By French Guineas & Derby winner Shamardal out of G.2 1m2f winner Secret Gesture she is a half-sister to three winners and though likely to be all about middle-distances next year can get her career off to a winning start here. The family is full winners, grandam Shastye as well as producing Secret Gesture also gave us Japan, Mogul and Sir Issac Newton to name just three.
The 1m2f Group Three Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes is quite a tricky affair but I am giving Creative Flair another chance on a rare run here in the UK. I have tipped her before, been in the notebook since debut, including when last seen in July when sent to Saratoga for a tilt at the Grade One 1m1f Diana Stakes for Fillies & Mares across the pond. She was bitterly disappointing there having won the G.2 Balanchine Stakes at Meydan in February before that. At 17-2 she is worth an investment as if back to her best here she will win. Her trainer Charlie Appleby said on the Godolphin website of his globetrotting filly “This has been the long-term target for Creative Flair since she came back from Saratoga and we have been happy with her preparation. They went very quick in the Diana Stakes and she couldn’t live with the pace, but we feel she will definitely be a player back down in class.” Shaara getting the three-year-old allowance is the danger.
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