Tag Archive for: Newmarket

Stoute newcomer Passenger enjoys Newmarket stroll

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Sir Michael Stoute is keen to let the dust settle on Passenger’s impressive debut in the bet365 Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes at Newmarket before considering the next plan of attack.

A field of eight unraced three-year-olds went to post for what is traditionally a strong contest run over the Rowley Mile, with Passenger an 11-1 shot in the hands of Ryan Moore.

Andrew Balding’s well-supported 5-4 favourite New Business set out to make all the running, but was reeled in by both the William Haggas-trained Kathab and Niarchos-owned Ulysses colt Passenger, who stretched three lengths clear at the line.

The winner does not currently hold any big-race entries and Stoute will take his usual patient approach.

“He’s very straightforward, he’d done plenty of work and did it very professionally,” said the Freemason Lodge handler.

“He was a little bit noisy before the race, but he was fine once Ryan got on him.

“None of the horses in the race had run, so you don’t know what the opposition is, but we like him and today was finding out time.

“We felt the Wood Ditton over a mile was a nice starting point, but I think we’ll go a mile and a quarter next time.

“We’ve got to sit back and think and give him a couple of pieces of work once he’s freshened up. There are no plans at the moment.”

Prepense in the clear at Newmarket
Prepense in the clear at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Stoute and Moore also combined to secure top honours in the Rossdales Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, with 15-8 favourite Prepense opening her account at the third attempt.

Runner-up to subsequent Fillies’ Mile heroine Commissioning on her July course debut before suffering a short-priced reverse at Chester, the daughter of Kingman showed the benefit of a wind operation on her reappearance – quickening smartly and keeping just enough up her sleeve to repel the late charge of Spring Dawn by half length.

Stoute said: “She did that nicely and is getting more professional, she just hasn’t fully grown up mentally yet, but she’s got plenty of talent and it’s coming together.

“We don’t have any plans, but she’s a filly we’ll be looking for some black type for pretty soon.”

Once More for Luck (centre) won the opening race at Newmarket
Once More for Luck (centre) won the opening race at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Once More For Luck was a 28-1 winner of the bet365 Handicap for trainer Ismail Mohammed and jockey Benoit De La Sayette.

Making his first appearance since finishing sixth at 250-1 in the Middle Park Stakes in the autumn, the three-year-old made a successful handicap debut by one and a quarter lengths.

Mohammed’s assistant Jose Santos said: “Last season was a tough season for him, the Middle Park was his seventh race and it was too many races in too short a time.

“He’s a horse who is developing really well. He is in the Group Two at York (Duke of York Stakes) and if he is well he will go for it and if he is successful the next target will be the July Cup.”

Silver Lady proves a big hit at Newmarket

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Charlie Appleby raised the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot as a potential summer target for Silver Lady after the newcomer lived up to her billing on day two of the Craven meeting at Newmarket.

The three-year-old is bred to be smart as a daughter of Sea The Stars out of Group One-winning mare Lumiere, and the Newmarket dogs were barking her name in the hours leading up to her Rowley Mile debut, with strong support seeing her go off the even-money favourite for the bet365 European Breeders’ Fund Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

The result was never really in any doubt, with Silver Lady overcoming brief signs of greenness racing out of the dip to put the race to bed within a few strides – eventually passing the post with just under four lengths in hand over Never Ending in the hands of William Buick.

It is a measure of the regard in which the winner is held that Appleby briefly flirted with the idea of supplementing her for the Qipco 1000 Guineas, but she appears more likely to take a less adventurous next step on her way to the showpiece summer meeting in Berkshire.

“She’s done some nice home work, she’s got a great pedigree and at the end of the day she was touted,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“She hasn’t got any lofty entries and isn’t in the Guineas. We’ll go back and review whether she’s a filly we’d contemplate supplementing, or whether we take baby steps and bring her on towards something like the Coronation Stakes.

“We’ve got a filly in the Guineas in Dream Of Love who I feel is a realistic filly to be running there and this filly might just want time. Speaking to William, the Guineas might come a bit too soon.

“She’s had a lovely experience here today. I don’t think she’s an Oaks filly as she’s got too much pace for that. She’s from a family with huge talent and if we mind her hopefully she’ll repay us.”

Persian Dreamer leads the way at Newmarket
Persian Dreamer leads the way at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Dominic Ffrench Davis is excited to see how far Persian Dreamer can climb the ladder following a similarly sparkling debut in the bet365 British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

The Lambourn-based trainer is in charge of an exciting squad for Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing operation and Persian Dreamer appears to be towards the top of the juvenile pecking order.

A €145,000 purchase as a yearling, the daughter of Calyx was an 11-4 shot for her racecourse debut in the bet365 British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes and looked every inch a Royal Ascot contender as she powered three and a quarter lengths clear of fellow newcomer Dorothy Lawrence under Kevin Stott.

Amo Racing were completing a double on the afternoon after Mammas Girl confirmed herself a major 1000 Guineas contender with victory in the preceding Nell Gwyn Stakes and Ffrench Davis is hopeful his filly can go on to scale similar heights.

He said: “She’s a nice, quality filly who has always shown a bit of class at home and Kevin came down and rode her work and loved her.

“That (Royal Ascot) would have to be the target, she’s an exciting one for the future and she has got that bit of class – she’s not just an out-and-out five-furlong early two-year-old.

“We’ll see how she comes out this and how she progresses from the race before any decisions are made, but she’s definitely right up there. Certainly of the two-year-old fillies, she’s the best.

“It’s exciting for Kia. He’s just won a Guineas trial and he’s also got a filly who might be here this time next year.”

Ffrench Davis also has the Royal meeting in mind for Surely Not (9-1), who had earlier provided him with his very first winner on the Rowley Mile in the the Connaught Access Flooring Handicap, with Hollie Doyle the winning rider.

Surely Not and Hollie Doyle winning the opening race at Newmarket
Surely Not and Hollie Doyle winning the opening race at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

“Perhaps they went off a bit quick and our plan was always to drop in,” said the trainer.

“He was unlucky not to win a good nursery at Goodwood last year, then he won at Newbury for Hollie and I ran him once too often on heavy ground at York at the end of the season.

“He got a little above himself, so we picked his pockets (gelded him) over the winter and it’s really settled him down and made a man of him.

“We’d have to think about Royal Ascot if we’re good enough to go there, but we may have to have another run in between, depending on what the handicapper does.”

Orazio finished with gusto to claim the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Handicap for Charlie Hills.

The grey son of Caravaggio was sidelined for 17 months following a promising juvenile campaign in 2021 and having blown away any cobwebs with a comeback run at Kempton in January, he was sent off at 9-1 for his return to the grass.

As is usually the case, Buick timed his challenge to perfection, deliver Orazio with withering late run to get up and beat 4-1 joint-favourite Probe by a length.

“He obviously missed the whole of last season, so it was always the plan to give him a run during the winter to try and get the freshness out of him and then bring him back for the turf,” said Hills.

“He was placed in the Rose Bowl as a two-year-old and was well fancied for the Gimcrack. Obviously he went wrong between then and now – he had a setback that needed a bit of time.

“I’d like to work back from the Wokingham at Royal Ascot.”

Canberra Legend opens up Classic possibilities

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James Ferguson looks to have a smart prospect on his hands after Canberra Legend advertised his talent with victory in the bet365 Feilden Stakes at Newmarket.

The son of Australia created a deep impression when winning at Newcastle on debut, but this was a marked step up in class for just his second racecourse appearance.

Settled in mid-division as Charlie Johnston’s Killybegs Warrior led the field along, he was one of four to pull away from the pack as the race began to develop inside the final quarter of a mile.

In fact it looked as if Kolsai would provide Roger Varian with back-to-back victories in the Listed contest as Canberra Legend got lost heading into the dip. But as he hit the rising ground, the 15-2 shot found top gear and was keeping on strongly to take down Kolsai deep inside the final furlong.

Owned by Bon Ho – who enjoyed plenty of success alongside the Kremlin Cottage handler with Deauville Legend last term – Canberra Legend holds Classic entries in both the Qipco 2000 Guineas and the Betfred Derby, with Paddy Power going 20-1 from 50s for the Epsom contest on June 4.

Although a next port of call is still to be decided, Ferguson hinted a return to the Rowley Mile on Coronation day may come too soon, with York’s Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes on May 18 an alternative option.

Ferguson said: “He was quite inexperienced coming into the race, so I was delighted with how professional he was when the gates opened. From that wide draw he had every opportunity to be a bit keen and free, but he settled into the race really well.

“I thought he was given a lovely ride and from the jockey’s actions it looked like Dan was pretty happy the whole way, so I’m absolutely thrilled.

“He always has a been a big type, but he did show his class at two. We all made a decision to leave him and let him develop over the winter and that run at Newcastle and today showed he does have the ability that he’d shown us at home.

“I think he will definitely get further in time. Whether the Guineas is unlikely or not, I can’t say that without talking to the owner.

“He’s in the Guineas and the Dante. I think we have to see how he comes out of the race, the Guineas isn’t that far away. He looks like he wants further, but I have to talk to the owner first.

“We’ve got a lot of options ahead of us and it’s very exciting to have a horse of this calibre.”

There was further joy for Ferguson when 3-1 favourite Like A Tiger overcame a slow start to win the concluding Price Promise At bet365 Handicap in imperious fashion.

The 10-furlong handicap has some useful names on its roll of honour and Ferguson believes there could be plenty more to come from the improving son of Farhh, who was four lengths clear of the opposition at the winning post.

Ferguson said: “He’s obviously improved a lot since last year, but his pedigree said he would.

“I’d say I’ve got a bit of stalls work to do! He’s normally very relaxed, so that did surprise me. Luckily they didn’t go very quick so he caught up nicely and didn’t take too much out of himself.

“I think the ground was a big factor for him today. You can see from his knee action that he’s got a soft ground action and good to soft really plays into his favour.

Like A Tiger (right), here finishing second on debut, made a winning return to the Rowley Mile in the Price Promise At bet365 Handicap
Like A Tiger (right), here finishing second on debut, made a winning return to the Rowley Mile in the Price Promise At bet365 Handicap (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I can see him getting a mile and a half no problem. He’s got the usual entries and we’ll have to see how he gets on and where the right place for him is.

“He’s a very likeable horse and a bit of a yard favourite.”

Like Canberra Legend, Like A Tiger holds a Dante entry, but it seems unlikely will both head for the Knavesmire next month.

Ferguson added: “I wouldn’t want them to take each other on, I don’t think there’s any need to do that.

“It’s exciting to have the two of them. We’ve got a number of quality horses in the yard and hopefully we can continue on this track.”

Mysterious Night takes Newmarket test in Craven

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The bet365 Craven Stakes has proved something of a Charlie Appleby benefit in recent years and Mysterious Night is the colt entrusted with enhancing the fine record of Moulton Paddocks in the race this time around.

The champion trainer has won three of the last four runnings of this flagship Qipco 2000 Guineas trial, landing the spoils in 2018 with subsequent Derby hero Masar and also sending out Classic winner Native Trail to score 12 months ago.

Mysterious Night was set to be joined in the line-up by stablemate Naval Power, but Appleby revealed on Wednesday morning he will be rerouted to the Dante having become cast in his box.

Nevertheless the sole Godolphin representative is well worth his place as paper favourite having tasted big-race success both in Deauville and Woodbine last year and Appleby is keen to see how the son of Dark Angel handles the undulations of the Rowley Mile.

He said: “He has already won at Grade One level in Canada. He’s a horse that has strengthened and done very well for the winter.

“The track (at Newmarket) will be interesting for him as he’s got a great big stride on him and my only concern would be how he handles it. That is why we are running him in the Craven to test his mettle there.”

The Foxes saw the form of his course and distance Royal Lodge victory boosted by the runner-up Dubai Mile in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud and could add his card to the strong hand Andrew Balding has to play in the Classics this term.

John and Thady Gosden’s Mostabshir created a deep impression with a four-length debut victory at Kempton and is pitched straight into a Guineas trial for his second start.

“He won his only start nicely and now we’re dropping him in the deep end a bit with only one run under his belt,” said Angus Gold, racing manager for Mostabshir’s owners Shadwell.

“They’ve all been happy with him at home so with the season starting we need to know where we are with him.

“He’s still entered in the Guineas and I’m imagining that will come too quick for him, but let’s see how we get on Thursday.

“He’s the least experienced in the field and it will tell us a lot more in terms of his class and the track and all those things. It’s a learning curve.”

Indestructible found himself bumping into the Balding-trained Chaldean throughout his two-year-old career with Michael O’Callaghan, but those placed efforts in the Acomb Stakes and Champagne Stakes give connections plenty to get excited about ahead of his first start for new handler Karl Burke.

“His pedigree suggests he will get a mile and he got seven furlongs well last year as a two-year-old,” said Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for owners Amo Racing.

Indestructible (centre) finishing second to Chaldean in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster
Indestructible (centre) finishing second to Chaldean in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster (Tim Goode/PA)

“The form is there. He has to make the improvement from two to three, but he definitely has the scope to do that and the form is in the book so he will be a nice three-year-old going forward hopefully.”

Meanwhile, Clive Cox has elected to give Horris Hill third Ancestral Land a sighter of the Rowley Mile rather than return to Newbury for the Greenham Stakes on Saturday.

He said: “We have chosen to go this route and it will be nice to give him an opportunity to run at the track. He is a horse we hold in high enough regard and it is a very nice starting point which will help form our plans from here.

“His whole demeanour gives us the impression he will get a mile and we hope that will be possible. I trained his dam to win over five furlongs, but he is a horse that has done exceptionally well physically and he hit the line well over seven last year. He is a horse that gives us the impression a mile is definitely within his compass.”

Roger Teal’s Dancing Magic and Hughie Morrison’s Mr Mistoffelees complete the seven-strong field.

Dubai Mile edging towards Guineas after Newmarket workout

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Charlie Johnston is well aware Dubai Mile might find the Qipco 2000 Guineas a touch on the sharp side but after watching him come through a racecourse gallop on the Rowley Mile, he was enthused as to what the future may hold.

A Group One winner over 10 furlongs in France at two, Dubai Mile’s main aim this season is the Betfred Derby and Johnston is coming round to the idea that they have nothing to lose by running in the Guineas first.

Should the ground come up testing, then the Middleham handler may even have a chance of breaking his Classic duck earlier than he originally thought.

Dubai Mile was ridden by Daniel Muscutt over a mile and quickened beyond with Struth (Jason Hart) and Hope You Can Run (Andrea Atzeni).

“We’ve been having a debate internally all spring really regarding what is the best route for this horse,” said Johnston.

“We’re pretty confident his optimum trip this year will be a mile and a half plus and you can see in his work there that he’s not travelling hard on the bridle behind the other horse. He’s a very laid-back horse who is behind the bridle and his last furlong is his best furlong.

“But, having won a Group One as a two-year-old, your route to the Derby is narrowed down quite dramatically. You either have to have to step down in grade or you have to go to the Guineas.

“From an early point it’s been either Guineas-Derby or Dante-Derby. The way they’re in the calendar this year running in all three is pretty unrealistic.

“I’ve spent most of the spring leaning on the side that he should be going Dante-Derby, but Ahmad (Al Shaikh, owner) is always keen to take on a challenge and take the ambitious route – and when you’ve got a Group One-winning two-year-old, the reality is winning the Dante is not going to add anything to this horse’s stallion profile, whereas finishing third in the Guineas would be a big asset to him.”

Dubai Mile returns from his gallop
Dubai Mile returns from his gallop (Ash Iveson/PA)

He went on: “We’re all well aware that this horse is being trained and going to be campaigned as a top-class mile-and-a-half horse, it’s just what we do in the early season to get him there.

“I’d love a soft ground Guineas, then he really would be a player because we know he handles testing conditions, and one asset you can never take for granted here is he’s run over the course and distance. Danny says you don’t even notice the dip on him, he just floats down it and out the other side.

“The Guineas is not a race you go into as a prep race, but if he was running in many ways it would be a prep race for the Derby.”

The Charlie Hills-trained Cicero’s Gift, unbeaten in two outings to date, had a slightly less strenuous workout under Kieran Shoemark in company with Saratoga Gold (Michael Hills).

Cicero’s Gift (near side) finishes upsides his companion
Cicero’s Gift (near side) finishes upsides his companion (Tim Goode/PA)

“He worked well and had a nice little blow afterwards as well actually, so it was just what we wanted I think,” said Hills

“He’s obviously had two starts and two wins and we’re just trying to feel our way really and see exactly where we are and find out a bit more about him. Today he behaved great, had a nice bit of work and did what we asked him.

“We didn’t really want to run in a trial and put three quick races into him. It’s going to be a long season, so we’ll just try to keep him as fresh as we can.

“We’ll see how the week unfolds with the trials and make a decision next week. There is a conditions race at Goodwood around the same weekend as the Guineas, so that could be another route to take, but I’m pretty open-minded at the moment.

“He’s a nice horse and there’s only one Guineas, isn’t there? If we decide against it you’ve got Goodwood and the Dante at York and the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot, something like that. I think I could see him stepping him up in trip later in the year.”

Dettori back with a bang as he embarks on final British campaign

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Frankie Dettori insists he will not start crying just yet, as he began his final season riding in the UK in the best possible fashion when partnering Covey to an easy victory at Newmarket on Tuesday.

Dettori announced in December that 2023 would be his last year in the saddle and the 52-year-old has just returned from a fruitful spell in America.

While there is no denying Dettori’s Italian roots, Newmarket has been his home since 1985 when he arrived in the UK as a teenager and it was fitting that his swansong season began on his doorstep.

The afternoon began in less than auspicious circumstances for him when the fancied Unforgotten trailed home in last in the Close Brothers Handicap.

Then he teamed up with an old pal in Reach For The Moon, who this time last year was intended to be Dettori’s Derby mount before he failed to recover from an injury in time for a Classic bid.

The 2021 Solario Stakes winner now appears to be going in the wrong direction as having made the running early in first-time blinkers, the King’s runner tamely dropped away to also be last.

It was not going well for Dettori – two rides, both last. But then Covey stepped up to the plate in the Alex Scott Maiden Stakes.

Sent off the 5-6 favourite having chased home the potentially smart Zoology at Southwell on debut two weeks ago, Dettori decided to take matters into his own hands.

Dettori has won many a big race from the front and those tactics suited this Juddmonte-owned son of Frankel down to the ground, with the race all but over with two furlongs to run. He ended up an easy four-length winner.

He may be in his 50s and he may have been deprived of sleep, but Dettori is still the biggest draw in racing and the three-times champion jockey received a generous reception on his return to unsaddle.

“I arrived this morning, I slept two hours on the plane and two hours in my bed this morning!” he said.

“I had to start somewhere and I thought this was a good favourite. Reach For The Moon was a bit disappointing, but that’s the game and it’s good to get a win on the board.

“I was counting it this morning, I’ve got exactly six months left. It is six months until October 21 on Champions Day, but I’ve still got plenty to do and I’m not going to start crying yet, I’m going to enjoy it.

“He seemed a nice horse, he did it all on his own and he’s learning still but he felt nice.”

Covey ran out an easy winner
Covey ran out an easy winner (Tim Goode/PA)

Covey is trained by John and Thady Gosden and after their rather public fallout last season, brief as it was, Gosden senior and his jockey appear back on the best of terms.

John Gosden said: “He only landed at 6am so it’s good to put him on a winner.”

Of Covey, he added: “He ran a great race first time, he’s come here, grabbed the rail and did everything nicely, he’ll probably step up to a mile.

“There are no plans, he was a bit sicky last year so he missed last year, but he made rapid progress this year which is the main thing.

“It was only two weeks since his debut and the horse who beat him is entered in the Greenham.”

Ottoman Fleet powers home in Sefton heat

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Ottoman Fleet came from last to first to make an impressive start to his season in the bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket.

The son of Sea The Stars won twice at Listed level on the Rowley Mile last season and returned as the 6-4 favourite to strike Group Three gold after finishing third three times at the Dubai Carnival.

With one-time Derby hope Reach For The Moon lit up by first-time blinkers in the colours of the King and the Queen Consort, the pace was solid from flag-fall and William Buick was happy to take his time aboard the Charlie Appleby-trained market leader.

He made smooth inroads to move onto the heels of the pacesetters inside the last couple of furlongs, though, and quickened up smartly on meeting the rising ground to to win comfortably by two lengths.

Poker Face, unbeaten in three previous starts, beat Raadobarg to the runner-up spot. Reach For The Moon weakened quickly following his early exertions and finished last of seven under Frankie Dettori.

Appleby said: “I’ve just had a chat with William and the race was set up for him. This place suits him and for some reason he always brings his A game here. He’s been kept busy during the winter, ran three solid races and just kept bumping into one.

“But we came here confident that he was fit and well, track conditions suited him with a bit of ease in the ground and from halfway I was pretty confident. I know Poker Face is a nice horse and he travelled into it well and I’m sure with experience he’ll progress nicely but once they hit the rising ground, I knew he’d come home strong.

“As for the future, he’ll probably have a break now as he’s been on the go through the winter. He returned from Dubai when we had that warm week here, so it was easier for him to acclimatise.”

Classic ticket in Coppice’s sights at Newmarket

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Frankie Dettori gets the leg-up on Coppice when she puts her Qipco 1000 Guineas aspirations to the test in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, she is a full -sister to Clarehaven’s Coventry winner Calyx and created a taking impression when scoring on debut at Kempton last October.

A general 7-1 chance for the fillies’ Classic on May 7, connections are now keen to see if she can make the leap from maiden company to Group level in this seven-furlong assignment.

“She’s a lovely filly and won her maiden very well at the back-end of last year on the all-weather,” said Barry Mahon of owners Juddmonte.

“She’s wintered well and the team at Clarehaven are happy with her. She’s a full-sister to Calyx and it’s a good family – there’s plenty of speed in the family.

“She has the double-edged sword of stepping out of maiden company and her first time on grass, which is never ideal. But she is a nice filly and hopefully she can run a good race that might lead us to a Classic somewhere if she runs well.

“We’re on a learning mission with her to see where her ability lies and with it being her first start on grass, it will be interesting.”

Coppice is joined by stablemate and Kempton scorer Inner Space – who is the mount of Robert Havlin – while Charlie Appleby’s Fairy Cross completed a fine two-year-old campaign by beating a useful cast to claim the Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood.

Fairy Cross (centre) ridden by jockey William Buick on their way to winning the William Hill Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood
Fairy Cross (centre) ridden by jockey William Buick on their way to winning the William Hill Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood (Steven Paston/PA)

The daughter of Dubawi had to settle for second behind Mawj in Dubai most recently, but the Moulton Paddocks handler is confident of a bold show on the Rowley Mile.

“I’m pleased with her,” he told www.godolphin.com. “She’s come forward for that last run and she has done well at home. She should be a key player in the Nell Gwyn.”

Girl Racer won on her only start to date and looks an exciting prospect for William Haggas and owners Barnane Stud, while Clive Cox’s Karsavina holds a similar profile having won a soft ground maiden over track and trip at the back-end of last term.

“She really impressed with her maiden success over course and distance last autumn,” said Cox.

“She’s a filly that has strengthened over the winter and we’re pleased that she has done well and given us every indication she has taken a step forwards, so we’re looking forward to coming back to Newmarket.

“She coped well with conditions last autumn and course and distance form is quite valuable. We like her and it’s a wonderful starting point for the season.”

George Boughey won this last year with Cachet en route to picking up the first Classic of his career with the filly in the 1000 Guineas and will be hoping lightning strikes twice for himself and owners Highclere with Believing.

The Mehmas filly was last seen finishing third in the Bosra Sham over six furlongs last October and is one of two in this Group Three contest for the Saffron House handler alongside stable newcomer Queen Olly – who was a place ahead of Believing in second last time and represents Amo Racing.

“She won well on debut at York last year and then ran well at Ascot. She never really ran a bad race last year, barring Goodwood, and finished off her season well in the Bosra Sham over six furlongs,” explained Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for Amo.

“George is happy with her and the soft seven furlongs should suit – she likes cut in the ground so it looks ideal for her.”

Queen Olly returns to the winner's enclosure at York (
Queen Olly returns to the winner’s enclosure at York (Nick Robson/PA)

Amo Racing are also represented by Richard Hannon’s Mammas Girl, who is as big as 50-1 for the the 1000 Guineas, but produced an eye-catching display when romping home in a Newmarket maiden on debut.

“It makes sense to come here. She won over course and distance very impressively at the back end of last year,” continued Pennington.

“She was visually good. She was keen early, got into a bit of trouble in running – the others got first run and Sean (Levey) had to pull her wide – but the turn of foot she showed was pretty special and as Richard always says, for one of his to win first time they have to be quite good.

“The form of that race hasn’t really been tested yet but Richard is happy with her and she is showing all the right signs. She may come on for the run though I would say.”

Style set to skip Greenham date due to Newbury ground

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Noble Style is set to miss Saturday’s Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes, with trainer Charlie Appleby favouring a racecourse gallop at Newmarket over a run in soft ground at Newbury.

The Kingman colt won each of his three juvenile starts, completing his hat-trick in the Gimcrack Stakes at York before a bout of colic ruled him out of the Middle Park in the autumn.

Appleby considers Noble Style as a likely contender for the Qipco 2000 Guineas and had hoped to give him a trial run at Newbury this weekend.

However, with testing conditions forecast in Berkshire, the three-year-old looks set for a more low-key workout on the Rowley Mile, just as Coroebus did before providing Appleby with his first 2000 Guineas success last season.

“Noble Style is in great form. I made the entry for Newbury, but I might be giving that a swerve because of the conditions,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“It’s two weeks to the day from that race to the Guineas and the question mark over him is the trip. We saw the speed he showed when he won the Gimcrack and that form has held up. Pace is not a worry, it’s whether he will see out a mile and that is why I would have liked to have gone to the Greenham and stepped up to seven.

“But if the forecasts are right and it is going to be soft, I’ll give it a swerve and give him a racecourse gallop here and go straight into the Guineas.”

Majestic start for Appleby and Buick at Newmarket

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Charlie Appleby and William Buick got this year’s Craven meeting at Newmarket off to the perfect start as Majestic Pride justified favouritism in the bet365 British EBF Conditions Stakes.

The reigning champion trainer and jockey invariably prove a formidable combination on the Rowley Mile and Majestic Pride was a 2-1 market leader for his first start since winning at Chelmsford in November.

The Shamardal colt was being niggled at with over two of the seven furlongs still to run, but responded to Buick’s urgings to grab the lead and was always doing enough from racing out of the dip to hold the challenge of Holguin at bay, with a neck separating the pair at the line.

Majestic Pride holds an entry for the Qipco 2000 Guineas on May 6, but Appleby does not currently consider him a contender for the season’s first Classic.

He said: “This horse has been on the runners list for a few weeks, so I didn’t think he was going to lack for fitness today.

“He’s a horse, that with the ground being on the slow side as it is out there, all his family go on it, even though he’s by Shamardal.

“Going forward, I’ll speak to William but I don’t think he’s a Guineas horse.

“We’ll probably look at the race back here – the King Charles II (May 5) over seven furlongs.”

Rebel Territory (right) leads the way at Newmarket
Rebel Territory (right) leads the way at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Amanda Perrett’s Rebel Territory (7-2) also obliged for favourite backers in the National Stud Handicap, getting the better of Vafortino by half a length in the hands of Jim Crowley.

“He’s a super horse but he’s a little bit ground dependent,” said Perrett.

“He was tending to over-race over a mile last year, so dropping to seven furlongs really suited.

“I think we’ll look at the Victoria Cup if the ground is soft enough, then maybe go back to Goodwood.”

The finish to the Close Brothers Handicap was dominated by Yorkshire trainers with David O’Meara’s 11-1 shot Bopedro narrowly outpointing John Quinn’s 7-2 market leader Empirestateofmind, while the Roger Fell-trained Toshizou pipped Charlie Johnston’s Dutch Decoy to third.

“It was very heavy ground at Doncaster (when sixth in the Lincoln) and ours are needing a run this season and it’s put him right. He ran well enough I thought,” said O’Meara.

“He travelled nicely, met a little bit of traffic before he finished off well enough. His owner, Lee Bond, told me to leave the blinkers off today as it might freshen him up and that has clearly worked.

“There are lots of nice races at York, Ascot and Goodwood for him – there’s a great programme for these milers. That was good today.”

James Tate has his eye on bigger things having seen Blue Storm (8-1) enhance the fine start made by first-season sire Blue Point in the Pat Smullen Memorial British EBF Novice Stakes.

“It’s my first two-year-old winner of the year and when they hit the mark at Newmarket you just feel a bit better,” said the winning trainer.

“We always picked him to be an early type, he’s bred to be early and he’s not the biggest. He hasn’t had any setbacks at all so we thought we would get him started early but mine normally improve for the run first time so I was impressed with him.

“Obviously you don’t really know what he’s done and what he’s beaten but I couldn’t ask for much more really.

“He’s very professional so I will be targeting the early black type races. I’m thinking the National Stakes and races like that, so we will just look at those targets and work back from there.”

James Evans’ Dream Composer was a neat winner of the Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap at 9-2 under Dougie Costello.

The gelding was ridden in the middle of the group by the rail and was travelling best of all when the field merged and hit the two-furlong marker.

A furlong from home he was asked to quicken and responded well, pulling away to cross the line half a length ahead of 16-1 shot Spring Bloom.