John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Sunday.
Three points of interest
Unbeaten fillies clash in mouthwatering 1000 Guineas
With ten fillies declared, it’s the smallest field for the 1000 Guineas (15:35) this century and you have to go back to 1990, when Salsabil won, for the last time there was a same sized field. But there can be no complaints about the quality in the line-up, with the two unbeaten fillies who were much the best of their sex at two last year finally meeting in a clash that has been anticipated all winter.
Most years, a filly with Lake Victoria’s record at two would have much the strongest claims. After all, she won all five of her starts for Aidan O’Brien, including the Sweet Solera Stakes and Moyglare Stud Stakes, before having the speed to drop back for the Cheveley Park Stakes but then proving herself at a mile in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The very best of those efforts came in the Cheveley Park which she made all the running for an impressive three-length win but the daughter of Frankel will prove at least as good at a mile this year and she’s a strong type who looks sure to make a better three-year-old.
But Desert Flower makes very strong appeal for Charlie Appleby after her own unbeaten four-race campaign last year. Apart from the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster, her other three wins all came at Newmarket, notably in the Fillies’ Mile in October when she produced one of the best efforts seen in the race in the last dozen years, routing her field as she pulled away to win by five and a half lengths with a trio of Lake Victoria’s stablemates completing the frame. Saeed bin Suroor has won the 1000 Guineas three times for Godolphin but Desert Flower can give Charlie Appleby his first win in the race.
Desert Flower just edges things in the Timeform ratings, being 1 lb in front of Lake Victoria, but they’re well clear of the rest who are headed in the ratings by the surprise Fred Darling winner Duty First, though it could be Red Letter, who wasn’t far behind Lake Victoria in their two meetings at the Curragh last year, who could prove best of the remainder.
Last year’s 1000 Guineas winner Elmalka returns in Dahlia
Earlier on the card, last year’s 1000 Guineas winner Elmalka makes her reappearance in the Dahlia Stakes (14:20) over nine furlongs against four rivals. Charlie Appleby is well represented here too, with the smart pair Cinderella’s Dream and Beautiful Love who for the most part have been campaigned in Dubai and the USA since their two-year-old days, though Cinderella’s Dream did finish behind Elmalka when seventh in the 1000 Guineas.
That’s the only time she has finished out of the first two, however, and she looks the pick of the Godolphin pair having gone on to Grade 1 success in the Belmont Oaks and was only beaten half a length in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. She also has the benefit of a run already this year, going down by a head to subsequent US Grade 1 winner Choisya in the Balanchine at Meydan in February.
But this looks a good opportunity for Elmalka to get head back in front for the first time since her classic victory twelve months ago when she came out best in a close finish with Porta Fortuna, Ramatuelle and Tamfana who all went on to win in Group 1 company later in the season. Elmalka, who has still had only six races all told, finished fourth in her three subsequent outings in the Coronation Stakes, Nassau Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes, running her best race back over the Rowley Mile in the last-named race won by Tamfana.
The Nassau seemed to stretch Elmalka’s stamina but she sees a mile out well so this trip could prove ideal, and she can get the better of the Godolphin pair and last year’s runner-up Running Lion. As well as the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag, she’s from a stable in form with Roger Varian having the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag.
Lots of potential in Pretty Polly
Fillies take centre stage on Newmarket’s card which opens with a cracking edition of the listed Pretty Polly Stakes (13:45) featuring eight unexposed types from top stables. Between them, they have won ten of their fifteen starts and all bar two hold entries in the Oaks.
It will all come down to which of them shows the most improvement on the day but two of the likeliest candidates come here after impressive debuts on the all-weather. Preference is for Falakeyah, trained by Owen Burrows for Shadwell whose colours were also carried by Taghrooda, the last Pretty Polly winner to go on to win the Oaks. Always going strongly, Falakeyah barely needed to come off the bridle when cruising clear to win a maiden at Wolverhampton in November by five lengths, earning the ‘Sectional Timing’ flag.
Falakeyah can get the better of Ralph Beckett’s filly Likealot who showed a fine turn of foot to make a successful debut in a novice at Chelmsford in February when quickening clear off a modest gallop to win by three and a half lengths, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. She too looks open to plenty of improvement.
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