Evening all,

A couple of excellent days at Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Festival. The Group 1’s produced good winners and the Cesarewitch went the way of a blot on the handicap. More on those performances inside today’s main piece. Plus, you’ll also find a Monday's selection.

Dubai Future Champions Festival Review

Fillies Mile

I didn’t think it was the deepest renewal of the Fillies Mile. Still, we saw a good winner in Commissioning. The winner still showed signs of greenness and she took a bit of time to get organised coming into the dip. However, once she hit the rising ground, she got into full stride and was strong all the way to the line. I was impressed with the winner she and the runner-up Novakai pulled nicely clear of the third. Being a daughter of Kingman she’s capable of improvement as a 3-year-old and goes into winter quarters with a good chance in the 1,000 Guineas. She might be done for speed by the like of Tahiyra and Statuette but she has experience of the track which the other two fillies don’t.

Dewhurst Stakes

There were only seven runners in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes and no Sakheer. However, the form of the race looks solid, and we had a good winner in Chaldean.  

Chaldean was slowly away butjockey Frankie Dettori soon had him prominent and he gave the colt a good attacking ride. When he kicked for home at the top of the hill and went a couple of lengths clear of his rivals, I thought he would run out a more convincing winner. However, he seemed to get a bit lonely out in front which allowed Royal Scotsman to get within head of him at the line. This was much better from the runner-up who showed his Gimcrack running to be all wrong.

Back in third was Nostrum who seemed to lack the experience of the first two home.  It was still a solid enough effort from the son of Kingman and if anything, he’s open to more physical improvement than pair who finished in front of him.

Little Brown Bear (5/1) remains the favourite for next years 2,000 Guineas. Chaldean is a best priced 8/1 which looks more than fair for a Dewhurst winner. Royal Scotsman is a best priced 25/1 and must be considered a big contender. Nostrum was pushed out to 12/1 but is still very much in the mix.  All being well I suspect the first three home will all line up in the first colts classic.

I was sweet on the chances of the winner in Thursday’s preview, and I wish had got on at the 15/2 that was available at the time.  That said I got on at 4/1 on Friday and hopefully some of you did too.

Flying’s Back

My Derby ante post selection Flying Honours so disappointing in slowly Royal Lodge Stakes bounced back to winning ways in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes. He relished every yard of the 1m 2f which is serious stamina test for a juvenile.

The son of Sea The Stars is all about stamina and had to dig in to hold off Blanchard by a length. Did he enhance his Derby claims? Well, he didn’t damage them but he looked more a St Leger type in winning on Saturday.

Cesarewitch Handicap: A Charles Byrnes “plot job”

Run For Oscar turned the Cesarewitch into a procession. As some had predicted he was the proverbial blot on the handicap. Coming to three out he was travelling so well I thought he had just joined the race. Jockey David Egan was able to take pull at that point so well was he going. Once Egan pushed the button the race was over for his rivals.  Runner-up Vino Victrix didn’t get the best of runs 2f out and did well to finish second. He would have finished a clear second but even with a clear passage wouldn’t have beaten the winner.

Newmarket Eyecatchers:

Friday’s Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes produced a good winner in the Richard Fahey trained Midnight Mile. The daughter of No Nay Never, a winner on her racecourse debut at Doncaster in July, belied her inexperience and a near 3 month absence with a taking success. A step up to mile should bring out more improvement in the filly next season.

Runner-up Lose Yourself also caught the eye. Like the winner she was having just her second career start. Given she handled soft ground so effectively on her debut the drying ground probably wasn’t in her favour as much as the winners. Another who should improve further and will stay a mile as a 3-year-old. She could be the one to take away from the weekend and with a bit of ease in the ground she’s more than capable of winning at Group level.

Monday Racing

A very poor run from Saturday’s selection Ziggy. He seemed to be going as well as anything 3f out but found zero when asked for his effort. When I really fancy one, they often run dreadfully as Ziggy did at York. That’s horse racing for you. You’ll have more losers than winners in this game.

The headline race on Monday is Yarmouth’s Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Beckford Stakes (4:00). The race sees fifteen fillies go in search of black type.  Looking at the pace map for the race its should be run at a good gallop. That will suit my selection Goolwa.  A winner of a Listed race over the distance at Bath last October. The 4-year-old returned from a five month absence with an encouraging 2 length 5^th of 10 to Sam Cooke at Newbury last month. Doing her best work at the finish over 1m 4f she will be seen to better effect back over 1m 6f and with that run under her belt. Fingers crossed that the showers stay away I think she’s got solid claims.

Monday Selection:

Yarmouth

4:00 – Goolwa – 9/1 @ Bet365

That’s me done until Champions Day. I’m away for the rest of the week in Devon and aim to switch off from racing and betting. Well, to be precise I will be switching off from the day to day fare. I will of course be looking at Ascot’s Champions Day’s races but at a nice leisurely pace.   

I’m hoping to get Saturday’s Champions Day Preview out on Friday evening. If not, it will be up on Saturday morning.

Good luck with your Monday bets.

John