Newmarket previews and trainer quotes

All eyes on exciting Commissioning

Commissioning puts her unbeaten record and tall reputation on the line in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket on Friday.

Impressive on her July course debut during the summer, John and Thady Gosden’s Kingman filly successfully stepped up to Group Two class in the Rockfel Stakes on the Rowley Mile two weeks ago.

With the season drawing to a close, she is back just a fortnight later as connections see if they can make her a Group One winner as a juvenile.

“It’s obviously exactly two weeks since the Rockfel. It’s a quick turnaround, but she handled the track well that day and has done well for the experience,” said Thady Gosden.

“The Rockfel was only the second run of her life. It looks a very competitive race on Friday – there’s only eight runners, but it’s an elite field.

“We’ve been happy with her since her last run. She stayed the seven furlongs well in the Rockfel and all being well she should see out the mile.”

Inspiral landed the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster en route to claiming Fillies’ Mile glory last season for the Gosden team, a double the soon-to-retire Harry Dunlop hopes to repeat with the rapidly-improving Polly Pott. The daughter of Muhaarar may have been beaten in her first two career starts, but she was completing a four-timer when causing a 40/1 upset on Town Moor last month.

She was supplemented for the Fillies’ Mile at a cost of £35,000 on Monday, and Dunlop – whose only previous top-level success was provided by Robin Of Navan in the 2015 Criterium de Saint-Cloud – would dearly love to add a second Group One win to his CV before calling it a day.

He said: “Obviously it’s a tougher race, being a Group One. Fingers crossed she runs well. She won the May Hill and the obvious next step is a Group One and it would certainly be very nice for the yard if she could win it.

“It’s the Horses in Training Sale at the end of the month so I think we’ll have our last runners before then. We have a few more to run, but that is basically the plan.”

Novakai was runner-up to Polly Pott at Doncaster and renews rivalry as one of two runners for trainer Karl Burke along with Bright Diamond, who was last seen finishing third in Goodwood’s Prestige Stakes.

Burke said: “Novakai is a mile-and-a-half filly for next year really and over a mile the ground might be plenty quick enough for her, but she should run well and hopefully she can get a place.

“Bright Diamond would have a bit more of a turn of foot. She didn’t get the run of the race at Goodwood as we were a bit slowly away, the first two were always the first two and we were the only horse to make ground up on them. I think if she’d jumped better she’d have probably beaten them.

“We were always targeting her at this race. They’re two nice fillies, it’s just that one would be a lot more stoutly-bred than the other.”

Richard Hughes has high hopes for Sparkling Beauty – a winner in maiden company at Glorious Goodwood before filling the runner-up spot in a French Group Two.

“We took her to Deauville for the Prix du Calvados and we’ve given her plenty of time to get over that,” said the Lambourn handler.

“We always had this race in mind since. We were going to go to the Moyglare, but we dodged it and went to France, so we’ve given her every chance to be true and get stronger. She’ll run a big race and any rain will help. She was always going to be more of a three-year-old. She’s a 10-furlong filly for next year and she’ll give a good account of herself."

Crystallium takes next step up the ladder

Crystallium could provide Tom Clover with the biggest success of his training career when she takes her chance in the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket.

The daughter of Expert Eye, who was a relatively inexpensive breeze-up purchase at 28,000 guineas, is two from two so far and now steps up to Group level on Friday with a perfect record and burgeoning reputation to keep in tact.

A clear-cut winner on the all-weather on debut, she made light work of a deep conditions contest at Newbury on her second outing which sees her head the market for this seven-furlong Group Three on the Rowley Mile.

On Crystallium’s position at the top of the market, Clover said: “Gosh, they do take a bit of winning, but we’ve been pleased with her since the conditions race at Newbury and she is in good form.

“We’re under no illusions, she is the favourite and has a great chance, but there is some strong opposition there.”

He added: “Good ground will be lovely for her and fingers crossed she can have a smooth run and be thereabouts at the finish.

“She’s got a lovely page and she’s a nice filly and I would love it for the owners if she could run a big race, it would be terrific. We’ll worry about Friday first, but of course it’s a natural stepping stone to other things potentially if all goes to plan.”

Ralph Beckett’s Lose Yourself, Roger Varian’s Youngest and Richard Fahey’s Midnight Mile all arrive having won their sole racecourse outings, while Eve Johnson Houghton’s Rage Of Bamby lost her unbeaten record in the Rockfel Stakes over course and distance last month.

The daughter of Saxon Warrior was a bronze medallist in that Group Two event beaten four lengths by Commissioning and her handler thinks that sets her up perfectly for her return to HQ.

“Rage Of Bamby is in great form,” said Johnson Houghton. “She ran a lovely race in the Rockfel and we were really pleased with that. We’re just hoping she can step up on that and we’d like to think she’ll be close to winning. She’s a lovely horse.”

Michael Grassick holds Irish raider Small Oasis in the highest regard, but is worried about conditions for his traveller.

He said: “We think she could be special, but the ground would be a big worry. She’s a far better filly with a bit of juice in the ground, so hopefully the ground doesn’t get too quick for her.”

There was little to separate Richard Hannon’s Immortal Beauty and Rod Millman’s Tagline when they finished third and fourth respectively in the Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury and both return to seven furlongs, while George Boughey’s Believing has gone close at this level the last twice and will be looking to make it third-time lucky.

“Believing steps up to seven furlongs for the first time,” said Boughey. “She was probably unlucky not to get up in the Firth of Clyde. Before that she chased home a nice horse of Charlie Appleby’s at Kempton who went on to run well in a Group One and Malrescia did the form no harm when she was second in the Listed race at Dundalk the other night.

“She’s doing well, is bred to get seven furlongs and her running style looks that way. I think the ground should be perfect for her and I hope she’ll run a nice race.”

Queen Olly (David Loughnane) and Red N Blue Candy (Tom Dascombe) complete the line-up.

Challenge assignment for back-to-form Sacred

A trip to the Breeders’ Cup could be on the cards for Sacred if she can continue her resurgence in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes at Newmarket.

The William Haggas-trained four-year-old made a winning debut on the Rowley Mile in 2020 and also landed last season’s Nell Gwyn Stakes over the course and distance. She went on to win Newbury’s Hungerford Stakes on what proved to be final start of the year and results so far this term have been mixed.

The Exceed And Excel made a promising return when beaten just a length into fifth place in the Platinum Jubilee at Royal Ascot, but was well beaten in both the Lennox at Goodwood and the City of York Stakes.

Last month’s Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury was viewed by connections as the last chance saloon for Sacred, but having streaked to an impressive victory she gets another chance to prove her worth in Pattern company ahead of a possible trip to Kentucky next month.

Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud, said: “She was so impressive at Newbury and with the way she skipped away and showed her old sparkle we thought we’d look at the Prix de la Foret.

“Unfortunately the ground in Paris went against her last weekend, so we took a view that we’d have a little peak at the Challenge Stakes as she doesn’t carry a penalty and gets her ground.

“If she runs a big race then we might be tempted to travel to the Breeders’ Cup, but she’ll tell us I suppose. If she puts in another spectacular performance, as she did last time, then we might open that book, but we’ll have to see how she performs.

“We appreciate Keeneland can have soft ground at that time of year and it’s not like it would have been had the Breeders’ Cup been at Santa Anita, for example, but we’ll keep the window of opportunity open for now anyway."

Sacred’s rivals include stablemate Purplepay, the admirable Pogo and the tough-as-teak Oscula, who will be having her 12th start of the year for George Boughey.

Reflecting on her latest performance when fifth in the Joel Stakes a fortnight ago, Boughey said: “She was probably short of work and the race was a bit muddily.

“I think she’ll strip fitter for the run, but she’ll probably want a little bit of rain and it doesn’t look like we’re going to get much. She’s in good shape and has some good course form, so she is definitely worthy of her chance. She’s been a star this year and we’ll see how she gets on.”

The action gets under way with the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes, for which Middleham Park Racing’s Prince Of Pillo is a hot favourite.

Trained by Keith Dalgleish, the Prince Of Lir colt secured his third win from four starts with a dominant display in the Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr three weeks ago.

He had previously finished fourth in the Flying Childers at Doncaster, a race in which Middleham Park star The Platinum Queen finished a close second prior to claiming Prix de l’Abbaye glory last weekend.

Middleham Park’s Mike Prince said: “We’ve got to turn the Childers form around with Crispy Cat, but we were struck into at Doncaster and it just took him a while to get settled in again.

“He was impressive at Ayr and seems in good form at home, so hopefully he can repeat that. It’s a competitive race. He’s the highest-rated horse in the race and I think he’s got the best form, but he’s got to go and do it.”

Michael O’Callaghan’s Crispy Cat would not be winning out of turn following a string of placed efforts in Group-race company, while Tom Clover rolls the dice with recent Haydock scorer Rogue Spirit.

“Rogue Spirit won so nicely at Haydock last time. He’s a really fun, bonny horse and while he is in such good form it was worth having a go at this race,” he said.

“It would be huge for an 11,000 guineas horse that has already won three races this season to compete in this and we thought we’d give it a go. He’s been really well since Haydock.”

In the final Group Three of the afternoon, the Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes, Clover is represented by Rogue Millennium.

The one-time Classic hope drops down in grade after finishing seventh in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Clover added: “Rogue Millennium had a break after the Nassau – the ground wasn’t right for her there and she didn’t have much luck in running.

“The Nassau form looks really strong, there has been some nice winners come out of it and she’s done some nice work this autumn. We’re pleased with her at home and I hope she’ll run a nice race.”

John and Thady Gosden fire a twin assault, with Shaara chasing a fourth successive win and Darmoiselle making her first appearance since beating high-class stablemate Mimikyu at Haydock in May.

“Shaara battled on to win a Listed race at Yarmouth last time and has come out of that in good order. She deserves to step up to Group Three company,” said Thady Gosden.

“Darmoiselle has been off the track for a while, but she won last time out up at Haydock, beating another filly of ours (Mimikyu) who won the Park Hill. On the strength of that form, she deserves to step up to black-type company.”

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