Trackside: Horses to follow from Newmarket Craven meeting

Jazz Queen (Hugo Palmer)

April 15, Newmarket - Scorthy Champ Standing At Barton British EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes

Rewind twelve months and Hugo Palmer landed a quick-fire double on the second day of the opening Chester fixture, including with speedy two-year-old Tricky Tel. It's a meeting that the local stable love to target, and we're already looking at potential prospects for repeat success.

Jazz Queen made plenty of appeal in the paddock before the Scorthy Champ Standing At Barton British EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes, athletic, racy and everything you’re looking for in an early-season two-year-old. Dam Close Company was not raced as a two-year-old but she’s a half-sister to some speedy types – namely Winter Power and Revival Power.

The filly’s effort to finish sixth may not have struck as an obvious one for the notebook, but she was left alone on the near-side rail from three furlongs out and looked a little lonely in the closing stages. You’d hope that she’ll be kept in closer order if Chester is the next target and an improved performance wouldn’t surprise.

Inis Mor (David Menuisier)

April 15, Newmarket - Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes

We were already fans of Inis Mor at two, as she had plenty of physical presence about her when we saw her at Newmarket last year, and she always looked one that would do better again at three, as long as she made the necessary growing. Well, we’re delighted to say she has, she still really takes the eye and for all she clearly needed this first run of the season, one for which she’ll come on plenty, she still ran a race full of promise when a staying-on fourth on Wednesday.

It perhaps came as no surprise that she was outpaced at a key stage, as dropping back to seven furlongs was never going to be to her benefit, but it was pleasing to see her stay on again up the hill to be beaten under two lengths.

Maybe she’s more an Oaks type than a 1000 Guineas, but we’re not putting anyone off taking the 33s for the latter, as a step back up to a mile will see her in an even better light.

Galiyan (Andrew Balding)

April 16, Newmarket – Betway EBF "Confined" Novice Stakes

It wouldn’t be a Newmarket meeting without finding a 'green as grass' three-year-old to follow and Galiyan fits the bill.

They never look flashy, the offspring of Galiway, but they're neat and solid, well balanced and always catch the eye as a ‘proper stamp’ of a racehorse. The chestnut was green from the moment he walked into paddock, clueless rather than stressed, and spent the preliminaries having a good look at everyone, and everything, with his bottom lip flopping.

You’d have liked to have seen the well-bred colt produce a better performance on debut, especially given the strong form of the yard, but he did everything wrong from the outset. The use of ‘ducked left’ indicated more intent than the chestnut showed as he wandered towards the near-side rail and never really cottoned onto the idea, passing the longshot Sir Griflet in the closing stages to finish seven lengths fourth.

He’ll be more switched on next time – or at least, you’d hope so – and there might be plenty of ability in the locker.

Aspect Island (James Owen)

April 16, Newmarket – Group 3 Abernant Stakes

The Abernant Stakes was an early look at the sprinting division for 2026, with fourteen lined up for a dash up the Rowley Mile. Run To Freedom proved that the veterans still have a strong grasp in the category, but a couple in behind caught the eye.

Aspect Island, third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, seemed vastly over-priced based on his collateral form with Beckford’s Folly, having finished three-quarters of a length behind Godolphin’s hope in the Cornwallis Stakes. 33/1 versus 8/1 was how the pair started, and Aspect Island denied his old rival by a short head to steal seventh.

The Owen yard tend to produce very fit horses with a high level of definition and whilst Aspect Island earned the comment of ‘fit and well’, there’s a good chance we’ll be pleased with the progress the three-year-old has made on his next outing. He took a few races to get going last season, not winning until Yarmouth in September, and his Breeders’ Cup form seems to have been placed in the ‘American form, good placing by trainer’ category rather than a credible result.

In a division where closed eyes and a pin has been a good way of finding winners, Aspect Island has potential to make an impact against the older horses – and don’t forget the Commonwealth Cup.

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