Check out the view from connections ahead of Saturday's feature action on a mouthwatering Newmarket card.
13.50 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes
Royal Patronage will bid for a hat-trick of wins when he lines up for the Group Two Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes.
The Mark Johnston-trained two-year-old was an impressive winner of the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York when last seen, triumphing by two and a quarter lengths at 25-1 from Imperial Fighter, denting one or two lofty reputations in the process.
The victory followed a five-length success in a novice event at Epsom, with a prior run in a Sandown maiden seeing him finish fourth behind subsequent Group One National Stakes winner Native Trail.
The son of Wootton Bassett will now progress in both grade and trip as he takes on the one-mile Group Two Royal Lodge.
“We’re very excited to see him line up,” said Harry Herbert, racing manager to owners Highclere Racing. “He was impressive last time at York, I don’t think there was any fluke about that and he’s now put together two very good performances. He’s improving rapidly so we’re hopeful that he’ll give everyone a big shout on Saturday.
“If he’s come on the same amount as he has been showing in all of his races then you’d have to hope he’d be right up the sharp end – we love the horse and it’s great to hear he has been working impressively.”
Masekela also has form behind Native Trail, having come home just a short head behind the 2000 Guineas favourite when second in the Superlative Stakes at the July Meeting.
Andrew Balding’s charge then went on to succeed in the Listed Denford Stakes at Newbury, beating Roger Varian’s Bayside Boy by a head when the two were joint 6-4 favourites – with the runner-up going to take the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. He too steps up in class and trip, having so far been campaigned over six and seven furlongs.
“His form has worked out very well,” Balding said. “He’s working well, we’re really happy with the horse and we’re hopeful for a good run on Saturday.”
Native Trail’s trainer Charlie Appleby is represented by Coroebus, the winner of a novice on his sole start at Newmarket in August.
“Coroebus won his maiden in a raw style, but did it well and has come on for the run,” Appleby told the Godolphin website.
“We have been pleased with him going into this and feel that he is ready to test himself in Pattern company.”
2.25 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes
Ger Lyons’ unbeaten filly Sacred Bridge puts her flawless record on the line in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
The two-year-old’s four runs thus far have produced four victories, beginning with a Naas maiden in June and progressing to the Listed Tipperary Stakes later in the same month.
The valuable Ballyhane Stakes was her next success before a step up to Group Three level that was deftly handled when the bay took the Round Tower Stakes last month.
This is another step up and Lyons expects the Juddmonte-owned daughter of Bated Breath to make the grade after her impressive three-and-three-quarter-length triumph at the Curragh.
“I see she’s favourite, whatever that means, she’s rocked up four times and won four times,” he said. “I wouldn’t change her for anything. What other trainers are doing is their business and my job is to get this filly there on Saturday in good health and if she rocks up and does what she has been doing all summer then happy days.
“This is her sternest test, she’s stepping into the big leagues now in Group One level and invariably they fail – and that’s not to be negative. In the Round Tower, I thought the way she did it in Group company was visually spectacular and it was also fast ground which I think is the key to her.
“She’s favourite, as long as she runs well I’ll take it, but I hope, as always, to win it. She hasn’t let me down yet. You live in hope you have a Group One horse, but normally you don’t and you are disappointed a lot of the time. After the Round Tower I don’t think she’s out of her depth.”
Vying for favouritism behind Sacred Bridge is Andrew Balding’s Sandrine, a three-time winner whose perfect run of form was interrupted when she was beaten a length by Zain Claudette in the Lowther Stakes at York.
The daughter of Bobby’s Kitten took her maiden in May before going on to triumph in the Group Three Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.
“She’s done nothing wrong this year,” said Balding. “It was probably too quick a test and the draw didn’t work out as we’d have wanted at York. She doesn’t have to carry a penalty in this and she seems in good form, so we’re hoping she’ll run well.”
Ismail Mohammed’s Zain Claudette is a key challenger after enjoying a hat-trick of successes this term, a winning streak that includes a Newmarket maiden and the Group Three Princess Margaret Keeneland Stakes in addition to the Lowther.
A run at the highest level is now imminent and Mohammed’s confidence in his filly’s chances has been boosted by her recovery from her past wins and her work at home.
“We have been running her every month, we don’t run her every few weeks and she has very good recovery and she is handling everything so well,” he said. “It’s the same fillies, it’s only the Irish fillies that she hasn’t beaten “In the end we will see if she is the champion or not, but from my side I feel she is already a champion and she has shown us so much speed.”
Ownership group Nick Bradley Racing have two chances in the race, the most-fancied of which is the George Boughey-trained Corazon.
The filly has won twice this season, a Lingfield maiden and the Group Three Prix d’Arenberg, and was last seen coming home third in the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster having led for much of the race.
“She won well in Longchamp from a good draw,” Bradley said. “She went to Doncaster and the race wasn’t run to suit, she hit the front far too soon and then idled in front. She’s stepping up from five (furlongs) to six, which is a tiny concern, we were considering the Cheveley Park or the (Prix de) l’Abbaye and we may still try and do both.
“In terms of this field she’s a bit of an unknown, she hasn’t raced against a lot of this field already but I think she’ll run a big race – I think she’s my best chance of the weekend.”
The Bradley colours are also carried by Guilded, who is trained by Karl Burke and was a five-length winner when last seen at Beverley on Tuesday.
Prior to that the bay finished sixth in the Prix d’Arenberg at Longchamp, just one and three-quarter lengths behind Corazon.
“Based on that French run, myself and Karl thought she would have nearly won that Group Three,” Bradley said. “She beat the filly at Beverley by five lengths earlier in the week, that filly (Dreams Of Thunder) was only beaten eight lengths in the Lowther and she beat her with Clifford (Lee, jockey) barely breathing on her.
“If she turns up in the same form we had her in going to Beverley then she will definitely outrun her odds. She’s been unlucky, in the Newbury Super Sprint she hit the front too soon, she’s probably the most unlucky filly we’ve got but she got her head in front this week and we do think a lot of her.”
Burke has another chance through Illustrating, who was a close third in the Prix d’Arenberg, while Joseph O’Brien’s Velocidad is looking to bounce back after a below-par effort in the Prix Morny at Deauville.
15.00 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes
Perfect Power will cement his position as the pre-eminent juvenile over six furlongs this season if he can come out on top in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes.
Richard Fahey’s Ardad colt won the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June from Go Bears Go, who quickly franked the form in the Railway Stakes in Ireland.
Perfect Power was then strongly fancied in the Richmond at Goodwood – but wherever the luckless Paul Hanagan went that day, he seemed to find trouble and was beaten just over a length into fifth behind Asymmetric.
He was extremely impressive in the Prix Morny at Deauville, however – displaying an electric turn of foot under Christophe Soumillon, who keeps the ride.
“We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but we’re going there very hopeful,” said Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager for owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum. “Obviously we were all delighted with the success in France, and Richard says he has got him spot on – he’s very happy with him.
“Hopefully he’ll win while the owner is in town. The hope is he’ll be there, and it will be great if he can win while he is. He’s won on quick ground at Ascot, so that won’t be a worry to him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they put a bit of water on because it’s been a bit breezy.
“Good, fast ground should be perfect. It’s what you want for a meeting like this, when you are trying to find the champions.”
While Perfect Power remains over six furlongs for now, the hope is he may stay further next season.
“Obviously we’re hoping he’s not just a two-year-old,” added Robinson. “At this stage, whether he’ll stay any further we’ll just have to play it by ear, but we know he’s got plenty of speed. We’ll hope he gets a mile and we’ll maybe start off looking that way. We might find out a bit more in this, and we’ll see how he handles the track. With a horse of his calibre, you are always hoping they will be OK for the Guineas.”
One horse who looks sure to stay further next season is the Ger Lyons-trained Dr Zempf.
Fourth in the Railway Stakes on just his second start, he turned that form around with Go Bears Go and Castle Star in the Phoenix – in which he found only Ebro River too strong.
“His work has always been impressive, but we’ve always trained him with next year in mind,” said Lyons. “I’m happy going into the Middle Park – I’m not saying he’ll win it, but he’ll be competitive. He’s always showed quality.
“I would much rather be going over seven furlongs with him, but we are erring on the side of weakness at the moment. Colin (Keane) has always said ‘stick to six with him for the moment’.
“I think it is the six furlongs that has been getting him beat up to now. Colin said he would reverse the form of the Railway Stakes, and he was right, but then we bumped into one in the Phoenix.
“The Dewhurst is not out of the question. We’ll see what happens on Saturday – he’s had a light season, and I can’t wait to see him over seven.”
David Loughnane remains convinced there is a Group One in Go Bears Go, who has had a break since the Phoenix.
“He’s not let us down yet, so it’s all systems go,” said Loughnane. “He was my first runner in a Group One in the Phoenix when he was third, and he’s my only one. The winner franked the form in the National Stakes, so we’ll be going confident that he’s a Group One horse.
“He seems in a great place. We gave him a little break for a freshen-up after the Phoenix, and I couldn’t be happier with him at the moment. It’s a tough race, but he is definitely a Group One horse, so fingers crossed he gets the rub of the green.”
Clive Cox is rolling the dice with Caturra, who finished strongly to deny Morny fourth Armor in the Flying Childers over five furlongs at Doncaster.
The Lambourn trainer said: “Obviously this is another step back up in trip to six furlongs – but with the dry ground and his well-being, I’m pleased that we’ve got an option to run at the next level, having won his Group Two.”
15.40 bet365 Cambridgeshire
Frankie Dettori will have to wait and see if he made the right choice in opting to ride Magical Morning in the bet365 Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.
The Italian could have ridden fellow John and Thady Gosden inmate and ante-post favourite Uncle Bryn in Saturday’s big handicap feature, but instead plumped for Magical Morning – causing a reshuffle in the market following declarations.
Magical Morning is saddled with second top-weight of 9st 8lb following his narrow second to Cruyff Turn in a York handicap last month, and Thady Gosden has expressed a minor concern that the good to firm ground may not be ideal for the four-year-old.
He said: “Frankie has obviously ridden both horses plenty – it was up to him to decide, and in the end he went for Magical Morning. The ground might be on the quick side for Magical Morning, but hopefully he’ll handle it OK.”
Uncle Bryn, who will be ridden by Robert Havlin, started the season as a Classic hope – but was gelded in May and returned to action with a front-running Ascot handicap success at the start of this month.
Gosden expects conditions to be in his favour, but would struggle to split the Clarehaven runners.
He added: “The ground should suit Uncle Bryn, I think. There’s probably not much between them. It just depends how it plays out on the day. Magical Morning has got plenty of weight as well, obviously.”
Astro King is among the leading lights for Sir Michael Stoute after a season which has seen him turn in just one unplaced effort in five starts, when well down the field in the John Smith’s Cup at York.
The four-year-old had previously chased home Group Three winner Real World in the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot and was last seen finishing third, beaten just a length by Magical Morning, at York last month.
Bruce Raymond, racing manager for owner Saeed Suhail, said: “He’s a horse that doesn’t show up much at home – he doesn’t do much, but his form on the racecourse is pretty good. He likes fast ground, so hopefully it stays fast. I think it’s the most difficult race to win, but hopefully he’s in with a good shout.
“You can’t say anything on his homework – but I think Sir Michael Stoute is very happy with his well-being, and he’s very fit. I think his last run was good form – he’s certainly better on a racecourse than at home.”
Astro King is in stall 17 of 34 runners, and Raymond added: “I’ll let Ryan (Moore) worry about the draw – he’s the driver, we’re the engineer!”
Owen Burrows believes Anmaat has plenty in his favour as he bids to cap his season with victory in the ultra-competitive nine-furlong contest.
The three-year-old has won three of his five starts this term and is now rated 100, although he is able to race of 98 in this early-closing race. That perch takes into account a 4lb penalty for winning at Doncaster last time out, beating the well-regarded Faisal by a length and three-quarters at the St Leger meeting.
Burrows is satisfied with Anmaat’s draw in stall 22, and expects the likely fast ground to suit the Awtaad gelding.
He said: “We’ve been very pleased with him since Doncaster. The ground looks like it’s drying out – it’s going to be on the fast side of good. I’m happy with where he’s drawn. He seems to have quite a few fancied horses drawn around him, which I think is important. We’re looking forward to running him.
“He’s a horse we’ve always liked. He won first time up this year at Lingfield, and then I thought he would go on from that. To be truthful, it just took a bit of time to find his level, but I think he’s improved from going up in trip.
“I think in general he’s improved – we seem to have found a bit of a key with him now, and hopefully that can continue on Saturday.”
