There are four Group Three races, plus a Listed, taking place on the Rowley Mile over the next couple of days at the Craven Meeting, with potential Classic clues on offer in the Betway Feilden Stakes, Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes and the Betway Craven Stakes. Alex Scott shares five names to note, plus a couple of best bets, for all the action live on Racing TV.
Wednesday
ISAAC NEWTON
Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old is undoubtedly one of the star attractions on the second day of this meeting and he is a best-priced 7-2 chance for the £60,000 Listed Fielden Stakes over 1m1f.
The son of Camelot is out of a half-sister to Master Of The Seas, who won the Craven Stakes exactly five years ago en-route to finishing a short-head second in the 2000 Guineas over the same course and distance.
Runner-up on debut last summer, Isaac Newton then broke his maiden at the second attempt before finishing fifth in the two-year-old conditions race at Longchamp on Arc day. He then signed off his campaign with a fourth-placed finish in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud behind Pierre Bonnard and A Boy Named Susie.
This step back a furlong in trip is not certain to suit, but his performance should provide plenty of clues as to what sort of programme he is likely to have this season and whereabouts he sits in the Ballydoyle Classic pecking order.
He is the most experienced runner amongst the market principals, with Charlie Appleby’s Poseidon’s Warrior, Archie Watson’s Wareeth and the William Haggas-trained Morshdi having had just five starts between them.
This is a race rarely targeted by Aidan O’Brien and one he is yet to win.
DAMYSUS
Watch how Damysus won the Darley Stakes at Newmarket in October.
The striking chestnut Damysus bounced back from his no-show in the Derby last season to go two from two over the remainder of the season, winning a strong Listed Prix Nureyev at Deauville before landing the Darley Stakes over this course and distance (1m1f) at the Future Champions Festival in October.
A good performance here and connections will surely have some top races over a mile and a quarter on the agenda for the son of Frankel, whose disappointment at Epsom last June remains his only poor effort in six starts. He does, however, have to carry a 3lb penalty here for that latest Group Three triumph.
The Karl Burke-trained Boiling Point, another course and distance winner, who won the Cambridgeshire off top-weight in September, will provide a stern test for John and Thady Gosden’s gelding – the son of Too Darn Hot arriving in Newmarket having already ran this season, where he finished fourth in the Winter Derby.
BEAUTIFY
Beautify was runner-up in the Moyglare Stud Stakes last season.
Aidan O’Brien is also yet to win the Nell Gwyn Stakes but has a good chance of changing that in this year’s £95,000 Fillies’ Group Three courtesy of Beautify.
The Wootton Bassett filly sets the standard on form having won the Group Two Airlie Stud Stakes on her second start in June, before going on to finish second in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes on her following start, splitting subsequent Fillies’ Mile winner Precise and Venetian Sun in third, who has previously won the Group One Prix Morny.
She signed off her campaign with a disappointing eighth in the Cheveley Park Stakes here, but should be suited by this step back up to seven furlongs and is capable of better. Providing she has trained on, she looks the one they all have to beat, although there are several lightly-raced improvers in here that should give her a run for her money, plus Cheveley Park fourth America Queen, who is stepping up in trip.
Thursday
SANTUSHTI
There are several eye-catching runners in the one-mile Wood Ditton for unraced three-year-olds on Thursday. One of the most interesting looks to be the Lady Bamford homebred Santushti.
John and Thady Gosden's colt is by Dubawi and out of the Duke Of Marmalade mare Star Of Seville, who won the Musidora in 2015. She then bounced back from Oaks disappointment at Epsom to land the French version at Chantilly under Frankie Dettori.
This is also the same family as King Of Comedy, who finished second in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Santushti is not the only runner in this year's Wood Ditton out of a French Classic winner either, as John and Thady Gosden also saddle Royal runner Portcullis - a son of Frankel out of French 1000 Guineas heroine Castle Lady.
HAWK MOUNTAIN
Hawk Mountain and Ronan Whelan landed the William Hill Futurity Trophy in October. (Photo: Dan Abraham - focusonracing.com)
Hawk Mountain looks likely to go off favourite for the meeting's Group Three feature on Thursday after signing off his juvenile season with a win in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, a race previously used as a springboard to Guineas glory by Aidan O'Brien with Saxon Warrior and Magna Grecia.
That Group One success followed an authoritative win in the Beresford Stakes and he is three from four, so sets a high level of form for the others to match.
Standing in his way in what could be a strong renewal of this trial are two unbeaten Godolphin runners in the shape of Charlie Appleby's Hidden Force and Roger Varian's Avicenna, who are both two from two, plus Karl Burke saddles Hankelow, last seen winning the Autumn Stakes over this course and distance in good style.
Best bets for each day
Wednesday
She is yet to race beyond six furlongs, but AMERICA QUEEN has stamina in her pedigree and can land a minor upset in the Nell Gwyn Stakes for Richard Hughes and Rossa Ryan.
The daughter of Havana Grey was a wide-margin winner on debut before finishing second in the Lowther and then a close-up fourth in the Cheveley Park. That form is better than those at the head of the market and she looks the value play at a best-priced 9-1.
Thursday
A competitive renewal of the Abernant Stakes takes place at 3.00 and it may be worth siding with BECKFORD'S FOLLY for Charlie Appleby and William Buick. In receipt of weight here as a three-year-old, he is unbeaten at Newmarket, having won twice on the July Course last summer before showing plenty of speed to win the Cornwallis over on this course in track record time, beating several highly-regarded juveniles including Brussels and Revival Power.
He was a handful at times last year, but the gelding operation he had before his latest run may have worked the oracle and he looks too big to ignore at 8-1, especially given the impressive record of his yard's runners on the Rowley Mile over the past five years (29% / +42.55 P/L).
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