Greek Order - interesting prospect

Horses to follow: Mark Howard autumn thoughts

By Mark Howard

Horse Racing

Sun September 03, 2023 · 2y ago

Check out some of the horses on top analyst Mark Howard's radar for the autumn months.

Littleton Stud owner Jeff Smith has been associated with some top-class fillies, including the brilliant Lochsong. Arabian Queen, who also sported Smith’s familiar purple and light blue silks, shocked the racing world when becoming the first horse to beat Golden Horn in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York eight years ago.

To date, the former David Elsworth trained filly has produced four individual winners including the Northumberland Plate runner-up Spirit Mixer. However, the pick of her crop may prove to be stablemate SEE THE FIRE who transferred her ‘exceptional’ homework to the track proper on the July course at Newmarket during August. A filly by Sea The Stars, she lined up in a seven furlong fillies’ ‘newcomers’ event and, having raced handily, she only had to be pushed out to beat Richard Hannon’s Heartfullofstars (won since) by a length and a half.

With a field full of debutants, time will tell what the form amounts to, but she evidently arrived from Kingsclere with a lofty reputation and, given the fact Jeff Smith is never afraid to plunge his charges into the deep end, don’t be surprised if a Pattern race is next. If upped to a mile, then the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster (14th September) is an obvious target. Should Smith and Balding decide to remain low key, then there is a £30,000 fillies’ novice stakes over a mile at Ascot (8th September) or a seven furlongs conditions stakes for fillies’ at Newbury (22nd September). The Group 2 Rockfel Stakes (29th September) and Group 1 Fillies’ Mile (13th October) – both on the Rowley Mile – are also likely to be on See The Fire’s radar later on. Four times Group 1 winner Alcohol Free was the last top notcher Andrew Balding trained for Jeff Smith and the pair may have unearthed another.

William Haggas enjoyed a productive four days at York with three Pattern race successes, including Group 2 wins for juveniles Relief Rally and Lake Forest in the Lowther and Gimcrack Stakes respectively, while Sea Theme took the Listed Galtres Stakes on only her third start. Indeed, it has been a profitable summer for the Somerville Lodge outfit with 23 winners in July, 26 in August and 19 Pattern winners during 2023. Those efforts are all the more meritorious given the fact two of the yard’s ‘big guns’ haven’t even run this season.

However, both MALJOOM and SENSE OF DUTY are set to return to action shortly. Maljoom, a German 2000 Guineas winner who is unlucky not to be unbeaten, may reappear in either the Group 3 Superior Mile at Haydock (9th September) or the Listed Fortune Stakes at Sandown (20th September). Sense of Duty hasn’t been seen since taking the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle in June last year. The daughter of Showcasing is being aimed at the Qipco British Sprint at Ascot on champions day in October. However, in the meantime, she could return to action in the Listed Garrowby Stakes at York tomorrow week (10th September). Fingers crossed they get a clear run between now and then because they are a pair of high-class four year olds who are ready to start making up for lost time. The fact they have only raced nine times between them suggests they have plenty more to offer.

Returning from a break of 86 days, GREEK ORDER relished the step up to ten furlongs when winning a 0-95 three year old handicap at Newbury a few weeks ago. Having shown promise on both his starts last year, the Kingman colt was slightly underwhelming during the spring even though he scraped home over a mile on his handicap debut at Sandown in late May. A half-brother to Group 3 winner Sangarius, Roger and Harry Charlton’s runner was given some time off during the summer and looked a different proposition at the Berkshire track making a mockery of his rating of 85.

A four and a half lengths winner under Oisin Murphy, he swept to the front with over a furlong to run before bounding clear in a style of a progressive type. Raised ten pounds since, he holds an entry in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket (30th September) and the Beckhampton team have won the nine furlongs cavalry charge twice, including with three year old Cap Juluca (1995). Alternatively, the Juddmonte owned colt could return to Newbury for the £75,000 Dubai Duty Free Handicap over a mile and a quarter (23rd September). Either way, he is a fine long-term prospect.

Karl Burke has had an excellent season with his two year olds sending out 42 juvenile winners. The well bred NIGHT RAIDER has been showing all the right signs at home and is one to keep an eye on when making his racecourse bow. A son of Dark Angel, he is a half-brother to Group 3 Palace House Stakes winner Far Above, who had his career cut short due to injury. He is therefore bred to be quick and has been given an entry in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury. While that is unlikely, he could be tackling something decent before the end of the year. An expensive foal (155,000gns), he is set to become another smart youngster for Clipper Logistics.

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