Expert Panel: Weekend racing preview including Longchamp tips

What’s your view on the G1 Sun Chariot at Newmarket?

Andrew Asquith: Cinderella’s Dream will be right up there judged on her Falmouth win and, though she wasn’t in the same form at Deauville last time, she has bounced back from lesser efforts in the past. But, for me, I think LADY OF SPAIN has much more to offer. I thought she did extremely well when beating Blue Bolt in the Atalanta Stakes last month on her turf debut and first start for nine months. That took her record to five from five and she’s entitled to take a big step forward now. Likely firmer ground is an unknown, but she’s a good-moving filly who shouldn’t be inconvenienced by it, and her Sandown form alone, without allowing for improvement, would be enough to see her play a big role.

Matt Brocklebank: It’s not a particularly inspiring betting race would be my honest assessment but it’s clearly clashing with a massive weekend in France so perhaps we should be grateful for the 10-runner field in the Sun Chariot. Plenty of Charlie Appleby’s horses seem to show their true colours on their home patch at Newmarket and if Cinderella’s Dream brings her A-game then she could be hard to beat, although Friday’s forecast rain might not help her cause. ATSILA interests me at longer odds as she still retains potential and is a half-sister to Layfayette who just continued to improve with racing. She’s got a bit to find on Fallen Angel but the Leopardstown run was better again and it looks significant connections are willing to roll the dice here too.

Ben Linfoot: It looks a really good renewal. We’ve a few proven Group 1 winners in there like Cinderella’s Dream and Fallen Angel, while LADY OF SPAIN and Blue Bolt offer bags of potential. There’s a pretty good supporting cast, too, with Atsila and Cathedral far from out of things, but I was quite taken with Lady Of Spain’s Sandown victory last time. That was some effort for a turf debut on the back of 255 days off the track and ground conditions that day suggest she will not mind however much rain Newmarket get on the Rowley Mile. She looks to have a touch of class and can become Ray Dawson’s first Group 1 winner granted a bit of luck.

Any 2yos worth noting on the Newmarket card?

AA: I was quite taken with COLORI FORVER when she made a winning debut at Yarmouth in August and I think he can go well in the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes. He beat Rosa Inglesa comfortably on that occasion, and that rival has come out to win well since, while the third, Explosion, has won twice, so the form has a solid look to it. The timefigure was also good and Colori Forever impressed with how he travelled and quickened that day, changing his legs and shooting clear but showing signs of greenness when out on his own. There should be any amount of improvement in him and he deserves a crack at this prize.

MB: It’s certainly not a strong view but TEMPLE could be a really interesting newcomer in the mile maiden at 3.15. He’s up against two for Godolphin and a couple who have already shown promise on the track but this well-bred son of Wootton Bassett made 575,000 guineas at Tattersalls Book 1 last autumn and trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam knows the time of day with late-maturing juveniles. One to monitor in the betting at the very least.

BL: Yes, I agree with Matt, keep an eye on Jane Chapple-Hyam’s TEMPLE in the BetMGM EBF Maiden Stakes at 3.15. She has got previous at introducing winning newcomers at Newmarket around this time of year, the likes of Claymore (13/2) and Sons And Lovers (33/1) springing to mind, and this one might be overlooked given there’s a couple of Godolphin newcomers in there. As Matt says he's very nicely bred, out of a Galileo mare who was a full-sister to Kingsbarns (Group 1 winner at two), so I’ll be also interested to see how he slots into the market in the build-up to the race.

Who do you fancy in the Elmonjed v Prince Of India rematch in the Bengough Stakes at Ascot?

AA: I’d side with PRINCE OF INDIA this time, as it looked to me that he found everything happening a bit too soon over the fast six furlongs at York. He was one of the first to be niggled along to keep his position, and it was Elmonjed’s turn of foot which proved the difference, but Prince of India was coming back at him at the line. A stiffer six furlongs at Ascot will suit him well as he showed at the Shergar Cup meeting, and it’s worth noting that Elmonjed’s last three wins have come at York, so he clearly has an affinity for that track.

MB: I’m with PRINCE OF INDIA who is a horse still very much on an upward curve in my opinion. Sprinting at York can be a bit of an acquired taste and he just seemed to find things happening a bit too quickly but still stayed on well to be beaten a length. Jamie Spencer rides for the first time and returning to Ascot looks a great move as well.

BL: Elmonjed’s victory at York in the Garrowby Stakes was fairly cosy with Prince Of India a length back in third and William Haggas’ horse actually gets a small 1lb pull at the weights here. However, plenty of rain is forecast at Ascot and out of the two I think that swings things in favour of PRINCE OF INDIA as I think he’s been crying out for some dig in the ground. Throw in the fact that his career-best run came at this track two starts ago and he begins to look a very solid favourite indeed.

Who else takes your fancy at Ascot?

AA: With the forecast rain, the ground should be in favour of HAMISH, and he should be a tough nut to crack in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes. Admittedly, he isn’t getting any younger, but he proved the fire still burns bright at Chester last time when he had Military Academy back in fourth. That was a decidedly smart effort which proved he’s still got the ability to mix it in pattern company, and he’s also a past winner of this race.

MB: SILKY WILKIE has slipped to a dangerous mark and looks the sort to pop up again for Karl Burke and Clifford Lee. He ran well when third at York after the summer off and although not quite so good in the Ayr Silver Cup last time, six furlongs on soft ground looked a bit too much of a test. This is more his thing and he’s now fully 15lb lower than for his most recent success.

BL: I think NARDRA is an interesting runner in the opening Listed October Stakes on the card. She looked a very bright prospect when hacking up in soft ground on her sole start at two but things haven’t gone her way this year. First she looked rusty and was bumped about a bit when fifth in the Nell Gwyn, then she didn’t look to handle fast ground when beaten at 1/3 at Leicester in July. Haggas has given her plenty of time and with the rain coming she might just enjoy this test on Saturday if she’s not too fresh.

Give us one horse for Longchamp this weekend?

AA: I was pondering over the Arc earlier in the week and the horse I keep coming back to is DARYZ. He bombed out in the Juddmonte Stakes at York, but that is the only blot on his copybook, and it is an effort which can be easily excused, too. He showed his true colours when beaten a short head by Croix du Nord in the Prix du Prince d'Orange, but he has to sit and wait for a run on that occasion, and was doing all of his best work at the finish, only just failing to get up on the line. Daryz is related to plenty of above average winners over a mile and a half, while his dam was smart and stayed even further, so he should relish going beyond a mile and a quarter for the first time. He looks overpriced to me given he’s not many miles on the clock and is still improving.

MB: I’m hoping to see First Instinct in the Abbaye and Wemightakedlongway among the final declarations for the Prix de l’Opera on Friday morning, but prior to that I reckon QUDDWAH should be hard to beat in Saturday’s Prix Daniel Wildenstein. He probably wasn’t quite good enough in last month’s Moulin but didn’t get a great trip and, with all due respect to Callum Shepherd, you’ve got to love the booking Christophe Soumillon for the Arc weekend assignment.

BL: Sticking with Haggas, I think with the Longchamp ground is likely to ride softer on Saturday than Sunday I’d be quite keen on his SANTORINI STAR in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu. Haggas knows exactly what is required for this race having won it in two of the last three years and this Golden Horn filly looks a strong stayer at 1m6f, already being a 2m winner. Indeed, she looked in great nick over the trip when winning the Park Hill at Doncaster last time and she will love the cut in the ground. I think she’ll be hard to beat.

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