Horse Racing Preview – Newmarket – 7th May 2017
Today’s horse racing preview comes from Newmarket with 3 selections from the meeting. What a total washout yesterday became, some disappointing no shows on the Rowley. Looking back at the 2000gns you could not take away how well Churchill picked up and to be fair dominated the race inside the final furlong.
13.50 Newmarket – Qatar Racing Handicap (0-105) (12f)
The front two at the market look value to get involved with here. Michael Appleby’s Big Country has taken two victories this year over 12f & 11f on the all-weather at Wolverhampton and more recently at Kempton when landing a 0-105 handicap.
The ex Charles O’Brien inmate had fitted in just nicely at Appleby’s yard, De Sousa retains the mount this afternoon for connections The Horse Watchers who could have a useful type this season over middle distance handicaps.
Charlie Appleby trains Frontiersman has course form when winning a 0-100 handicap at the back end of last season. The runner up has run well again when denied by Sternrubin in a 0-85 last week, but this is a stiffer task having to give 7lb to Big Country.
Both Stoute and Johnson had winners yesterday, their representatives here are Mainstream and Final. The former won a 0-85 at Salisbury around this time last year, but has run consistently up to the end of the season. Will the queen get a winner? Personally a place is possible at best.
Final has been on the go since the turn of the year, has recorded two wins on the all weather at Lingfield and Newcastle, ran well at Ripon when just beaten in a 0-95 recently, the index should not confirm him with winning over 12.4f on the all weather.
Big Country : 3pt win @ 11/4 (BOG)
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14.20 Newmarket – Charm Spirit Dahlia Stakes (Group 2) (9f)
Somehow comes here off the back of landing the Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes at Gowran Park seven days ago, O’Brien seems to strike whilst the iron is hot with his filly.
Last year’s Cheshire Oaks winner, who flopped in the Epsom Oaks, makes her way over from Ireland for only the third time in her career. She took the scalp of Skiffle last August beating her adversary by just over seven lengths. Dropping back to 9f is probably her maximum index on what she showed last year, but stays further.
One to take her on with is Roger Varian’s filly Nezwaah who ran well at Yarmouth in a Listed event when behind So Mi Dar who went on to finish third at Chantilly. Back in third was the smart Arabian Queen who beat the likes of Golden Horn.
Varian’s yard are in good fettle at the moment, she is nicely drawn in stall five so should get a good toe into the race under Atzeni. One at a price could be Marco Botti’s Aljazzi who won a Listed event last year at Haydock, Muffri’ha was well beaten that day. The form though is now working out well, the runner up Mix ‘n’ Mingle has come out and won this year with his runner up Tabarrak franking that form.
She made a pleasing return at Kempton when winning the Listed Snow Drop Fillies Stakes, Frankie takes the ride and she could be the dark horse in the race.
Nezwaah : 1pt each way @ 5/1 (BOG)
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15.35 Newmarket – Qipco 1000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1)
It’s the turn of the fillies and it would be interesting to see how forward they are this year, I really can not take on Balydoyles filly Rhododendron in this. Her win at the back end of the season showed her class when taking the Fillies Mile here at Newmarket.
The runner up Hydrangea won the Irish 1000 Guineas trial at Leopardstown with Intricately back in fourth. The third Urban Fox was beaten in this year’s Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes behind Dabyah. We will see Hydrangea, Winter and Intricately oppose each other once more.
Fair Eva represents Frankel, it’s fair to say that the Sires fillies have shown more over the past season, Group 3 Juddmonte Stakes winner ran creditable in the Rockfel and Lowther Stakes last season, this is a big step up, she will run her race but not good enough around this sphere.
John Gosden’s unbeaten filly Daban won the Nell Gwyn by three parts of a length, she was impressive which is more than I can say about who she beat. As the season progresses she will be seen picking up a race or two somewhere.
Rhododendron : 5pt Win @ 7/4 (BOG)
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