Ryan Moore column: my views on the key races at Newmarket

Kicking off with the Darley Stakes, where Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane sets a good standard. He won the Cambridgeshire here last year and is a winner at Listed level, and I think he should be up to winning in this grade too. He’s possibly not open to further improvement, as we know where he is, but he is the most solid and goes well over this course and distance.

Gladius is an improving horse who ran okay in a good renewal of the Strensall Stakes at York last time out, so he’s one to keep an eye on, while First Conquest would have every chance on his best form. He’s been lightly-campaigned this season, so it’s hard to know what sort of form he’s in. Damysus bounced back from his effort in the Derby to win after a break at Deauville and is dropping back down in trip again. As a three-year-old, he’s open to improvement too.

Endorsement won his maiden in Tipperary well, and that is a race that has produced some good winners in recent years, like Tennessee Stud and Los Angeles. Aidan’s [O’Brien] other runner, Pierre Bonnard, is another nice horse. He’s by Camelot out of a G1-winning mare. He won a race on the all-weather at Dundalk, so would need to take a big step up to win in this sort of grade, but he’s a lovely horse.

Look To The Stars won a conditions race at Newbury and is also open to plenty of improvement. 

At this stage, they’ve all got to step up to be a Group horse, but they’re all very much open to improvement, so it’s a hard race to assess.

I’ve won on New Zealand, who is a lovely big son of Frankel. Though he’s only won a maiden, I think he beat a few good horses and he’s a nice big horse who’s going to keep progressing.

Straight Up looked good when winning at Listowel and is obviously open to any amount of improvement too.

Hankelow probably sets the standard on what we’ve seen so far, while Al Zanati won a decent maiden on the July Course so has to be respected too.

The maiden that Pathein won at Doncaster often works out well too, so he’s in with a shout, and overall it’s an open race with not too much form to go on.

Gstaad was a good winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and was just touched off in the Prix Morny. I don’t think everything went his way that day. He was then just beaten by Zavateri in the National Stakes at the Curragh, but I think he could reverse that form. I know Zavateri got the better of him the last day, but I’ve just got a feeling that this trip at Newmarket on slightly better ground will suit Gstaad. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him the last twice.

Distant Storm deserves plenty of respect with William Buick riding. He was third behind two of these, Gewan and Italy, at York, but then won the Tattersalls Stakes over this course and distance two weeks ago.

Italy remains of interest. Things haven’t quite gone right for him yet, but he’s got a bit to prove.

This sort of race looks tailor-made for Hipop de Loire. It was a good effort to finish third behind Sweet William in the Doncaster Cup and I think the extra distance will suit. He’s the one I’d want to ride.

Dawn Rising is a horse I know well. He stays well and looks fairly handicapped at the moment, so would have to be of interest.

With William Buick booked to ride Bunting, he looks an obvious contender too. 

Away from Newmarket, my son Toby has his first ride today (4:05pm, Kempton). He’s ready for it and is very much looking forward to it.

He’s lucky to have been given a ride by Charlie [Appleby] and hopefully it all goes well and he enjoys it.