Dods hoping Arapaho Gold can take another step forward in Mill Reef

All eyes will be on Arapaho Gold when he looks to extend his unbeaten record to five in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.

Winner of his first two starts at Thirsk, the Michael Dods-trained Bayside Boy gelding then claimed a Listed success in the Rose Bowl over this course and distance in July before successfully stepping up to Group Two level when striking gold in the Gimcrack last month.

Dods is encouraged by the fact York runner-up Final Objective went one better in last week’s Flying Childers Stakes at York, but he is taking nothing for granted ahead of his bid for back-to-back Group Two wins on Saturday.

“He’s in good shape. Obviously it’s a tough assignment again, but hopefully he runs well,” said the Darlington-based trainer.

“It was good to see the second horse from York coming out and doing what he did at Doncaster, but as I say it’s a tough assignment – we’ve got to give 6lb to the filly (Jolivette) and 3lb to Nabati, so he’s got so step up again.

“I think he’s an improving horse, but he needs to do it on the track.”

With Arapaho Gold unable to run in any of the end-of-season Group Ones due to being a gelding, he could sign off his season in the Qatar Racing British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes at Ascot next month.

Dods added: “We’ve got it in the back of our minds, but we’ll get over Saturday first and see how he is and then make a decision.”

Andrew Balding’s Jolivette was third in the Lowther Stakes at York’s Ebor Festival, while dual winner Nabati was a neck second to Arapaho Gold in the Rose Bowl and takes him on again just a week after finishing third in the Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster.

Speaking on the Godolphin website, trainer Charlie Appleby said: “Nabati ran a solid race at Doncaster, where the step up to seven furlongs and slower ground just caught him out. We felt dropping back to six was the way forward and this opportunity was there for him.

“You would hope that returning to six on a sounder surface would put him bang there, while he is also getting a pull at the weights from Arapaho Gold this time.”

Adaay In Scarlett spent the summer months as a perennial bridesmaid for Hugo Palmer, finishing runner-up in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, the July Stakes at Newmarket and the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.

He was only fifth in the Gimcrack, however, and beat just one home when seventh in the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton a fortnight ago.

“Adaay In Scarlett has run very well this year. Oisin (Murphy) felt that when he hit the front in the Richmond he pulled up so we put some cheekpieces on him, but I don’t think he liked them,” said Palmer.

“He didn’t travel with his normal zest at York and then again at Kempton. Oisin didn’t ride him at Kempton, but he did make the comment that Kempton (all-weather surface) was the deepest he had ever known it on the day, probably because they had that jumper (Constitution Hill) running in the September Stakes!

“It should be nice ground at Newbury. He has four lengths to find with the favourite from the Gimcrack, but he gets one back with the penalty and there have been mitigating circumstances to our runs – he should be right there.”