12 Jun 2019
The Craven meeting continues as Newmarket on Wednesday. ITV cover four races on the first day and we take a look at the pick of the action, which includes a pair of Group 3 contests that include the Craven Stakes, in which Masar scored last year before going on to win the Derby.
The opener on a fascinating card is a 6f contest for horses aged 3yo and rated between 0-100.
BREATH OF AIR heads the market at present for the Charlie Hills yard. Winner of a Newbury maiden on his second start in September, he was not beaten too far in a Listed contest at Doncaster in October when last seen. He was still a little green that day, but has reportedly strengthened up over the winter and the yard has been among the winners of late. His mark of 93 looks fair.
CHAPELLI won her first two starts last season at Catterick and York, and handled the step up in class well enough, being touched off in a Listed event at Sandown before not being beaten too far in a fillies’ Group 3 at Ascot. She returned last week with a decent runner-up effort at Pontefract and makes a quick return off the same mark of 93.
MOYASSER could be the biggest danger to the favourite. Though he is a five-race maiden on turf, he did win his sole AW start (6f) at Chelmsford in July. He has been runner-up in four of his five turf outings and Richard Hannon’s representative goes back up in trip for this season return, which should suit.
TOP BREEZE has won two of three starts on the AW, including a 5f success at Wolverhampton last month. Richard Hughes’s Gale Force Ten colt clearly has ability. The question now is whether that can be transferred to turf.
YOUSINI won a couple of novice events on his first two starts at Hamilton and Carlisle, before not being beaten far in a conditions event at Ripon last August. He did not handle the easy ground at Doncaster on his final start, and makes his seasonal bow having undergone wind surgery and a gelding operation.
OBERYN MARTELL won a couple of minor events at Sandown and Salisbury in mid-summer and was a modest fourth at Wolverhampton last month on his first run back for 182 days since finishing lame and subsequently gelded over the winter. He has a bit to prove but has a run under his belt at least.
ALFIE SOLOMONS has one win to his name from nine starts last season – and that came on an AW surface. However, Richard Spencer’s Acclamation colt was a good runner-up in a valuable 6f York event in August and if he races with the pace and runs to that level of form, he may bely his current odds.
NAUUGHTY RASCAL, winner of a 6f conditions race at Salisbury in October, may have had the ground against him on his last start on his nursery debut. He is open to plenty of improvement this season.
DON ARMADO, JACK’S POINT and SHEILA’S SHOWCASE complete the field.
2.25pm – WOOD DITTON MAIDEN STAKES
There are plenty of well-bred types in the 12-strong line-up but all are unraced and only time will tell how good the form will be. Five market leaders have prevailed in the last decade.
It is always worth noting that when owner Sheikh Hamdan is in town, his trainers attempt to pull out all the stops to find him a winner and he has four in the line-up this time.
Jim Crowley, Hamdan’s retained jockey, has chosen to ride AL HADEER, who cost 400,000 guineas as a yearling. The War Front colt is in the care of William Haggas, who has hardly set the world alight with his runners thus far this term.
Stablemate DESERT ICON, who cost £110,000 as a yearling, is by Sea The Stars out of a French 1m1f 2yo winner and may need a bit further than this 1m
DAMLAJ, from the Owen Burrows stable that sent out the 25/1 winner of this race last year, is by Sharmardal and a half-brother to French 1m winner Lahqa. His breeding suggests he will need further than this in time.
GEOMATRICIAN, from the in-form Andrew Balding stable, is a Mastercraftsman colt and a half-brother to Group 2 winner I Can Fly who cost 95,000 euros as a yearling. He looks a good early-season type on breeding.
JUNOOH, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Ryan Moore, is a half-brother to Khairaat (a winner over 1m-1m2f) out of a dam whose half-sister was 1m4f Group 2 winner Maraahel. He should be ready to do himself justice.
KUNG FU, a Kingman colt who cost 50,000 euros as a yearling, is out of Cubanita, a 1m-1m4f winner (including at 2yo/Group 3). He has a decent pedigree but this trip might be on the sharp side.
MUTARAFFA, a gelded son of Acclamation, wears a hood for his debut and looks Hamdan’s fourth-string.
SAMBA SARAVAH, a Union Rags colt who cost $130,000 as a yearling, is out of an unraced dam whose half-sister is US1m1f and 1m2f (Kentucky Derby) Grade 1 winner Always Dreaming. He has a dirt pedigree and is in the care of Jeremy Noseda, who knows how to get a juvenile ready.
The Roger Varian-trained UAE JEWEL appears to be one for the shortlist. He holds a Dante entry and cost 400,000gns as a yearling, and is a half-brother to 6.5f-2m flat winner Bedrock out of a dam who won over 7f and 1m (Listed as a juvenile.
WILD ANIMAL, from the Saeed bin Suroor stable that won this in 2014 and 2015, is a Kingman colt who is closely related to 6f 2yo winner Figure Of Speech. Christophe Soumillon is booked to ride, which looks significant. Watch the market.
CAESONIA gets 5lb from the boys but on pedigree, Charlie Hills’ Garswood filly may be up against it on her debut.
INSPIRATIONAL is the other filly in the field. Trained by Ed Dunlop, she cost 82,000gns a a yearling and is a half-sister to winners Snap Shots (5f-6f including as a juvenile), Spy Ring (5f2yo/US 6.5f) and Zebedaions (6f-1m GB/HK). She may improve for the run.
3.00pm – ABERNANT STAKES (Group 3)
BRANDO goes well fresh. He has won this 6f event for the past two seasons, was a winner here on his seasonal reappearance in 2016 and also scored in his seasonal bow (at Hamilton) in 2015.
The Kevin Ryan-trained 7yo is a consistent Group-class sprinter and the ground should be ideal for him as he bids for a hat-trick of Abernant wins.
DREAMFIELD won his first three starts for John Gosden last year and was a short price for the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, only to be beaten a neck by Bacchus. There was nothing wrong with his close-up sixth to US Navy Flag in a messy July Cup, but he has not been seen since a tame last of seven effort behind Limato in a Listed race on the July Course in August. He is on something of a recovery mission and should run a very big race.
YAFTA has been a model of consistency, finishing either first (three times) of second (four times) in seven of his nine turf races for Richard Hannon. The 4yo did not see out 7f when last seen in August, but is best judged on his Group 3 success in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury last July. Back down in trip, he should go well again.
EQUILATERAL was twice fourth in a couple of 5f Group 3s last season, but he need to settle better than he did when pulling hard in the 6f Listed Cammidge Trophy on his reappearance last month.
GIFTED MASTER won the Stewards’ Cup last season – his 11th career success for trainer Hugo Palmer. The 6yo had a run in a Group 3 at Meydan early last month but had no chance with Blue Point, and should continue to be a money-spinner throughout the summer.
TIME’S ARROW won a 6f Listed race at Maisons-Laffitte last April and makes a British debut for David O’Meara. His form does not stand up well against some of his rivals, however.
KEYSTROKE won five times for Jeremy Noseda and on his stable debut for Stuart Williams at Kempton in January, but despite the excellent Adam Kirby aboard, he needs to find better than his tame effort in defeat in a Listed Wolverhampton contest last time.
SIR THOMAS GRESHAM won both his previous two turf races as a 3yo and switches back to that surface after limited success in three decent AW races. It would be a shock to see him figure, though.
3.35pm – CRAVEN STAKES (Group 3)
Won last year by subsequent Derby winner Masar, this 1m contest has failed to produce a 2,000 Guineas winner in 15 years. Haafhd was the last to win both races (2004). There have been five winning favourites in the last 10 years, but none since Toormore scored in 2014.
ZAKOUSKI hails from the Charlie Appleby stable that won this last year. The Sharmardal colt, who is a half-brother to Australian 6f Group 3 winner Albrecht out of an unraced sister to multiple Australian Group 1 winners Lonhro and Niello, made a fine impression when scoring on his debut at Kempton. He got on top of a previous winner, Headman, who was running under a penalty, and the pair came well clear of the third. This is his turf debut but he is likely to be well supported.
ROYAL MARINE has the better form, however. He landed the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last season and the runner-up, Broome, franked the form by winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas trial by eight lengths last week. The son of Raven’s Pass, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, needed the run when fourth in the AUE 2,000 Guineas trial in January but he looks a nice prospect.
SKARDU takes a big step up in class after taking a maiden here at odds of 33/1 last autumn. The Sharmardal colt could not have scored any more easily, although the Haggas stable has had a quiet start to the season.
SET PIECE showed his liking for AW surfaces and comes here unbeaten after wins at Kemptin and Newcastle over the winter. He takes a step up in class, but Hugo Palmer has Frankie Dettori booked, which catches the eye.
GLOBAL SPECTRUM won a valuable 1m event in Qatar, having previously taken two 7f Kempton novice races, the second under a penalty. Gay Kelleway’s Dutch Art colt takes a class hike but he has passed every test thus far.
CONFIDING is more interesting. Marytn Meade’s Iffraaj colt won well on debut at Newbury before finishing three-lengths third to Dark Vision in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood. He had nothing to give wen a remote third to Too Darn Hot at Sandown in the Group 3 Solario Stakes when last seen in September, but is already rated 103 and has strengthened up over the winter.
WATAN was fifth behind Too Darn Hot in the Solario after a couple of wins and a fine second in the Acomb (7f), but also need to find more to figure. Ryan Moore takes the ride on the Richard Hannon inmate, which is a plus.
JACKSTAR overcame an 11-month lay-off to score for the second time at Wolverhampton three weeks ago. He may be out of his depth here, though.
MOMKIN was beaten at odds of 1/7 at Ffos Las when last seen, having previously taken an 18-runner Newbury novice. Roger Charlton rolls the dice here.
