Best bets for the horse racing Friday 11th October 2024

With Tattersalls October Yearling Sales Book 1 over and done with just up the road in Newmarket the thoroughbreds of racing age take centre stage for two-days as the Dubai Future Champions Festival gets underway on the Rowley Mile. They race on Good to soft-good in places with a sunny day forecast. I have bet overnight as I think the three I fancy are likely to get shorter. 

Best bets for the horse racing at Newmarket Dubai Future Champions Festival

It’s no surprise to see the yard of Charlie Appleby well represented at this meeting and he has a couple in the 7f Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies' Stakes that gets the meeting underway at 1.07. Wild Angel arrives with two third-placed finishes to her name. She was what looked a promising third in 7f novice stakes at Kempton in September but was then unable to significantly improve on that when third again here at Newmarket later that month over track and trip - I tipped her. She is a half-sister to four winners including multiple G.1 winner Space Blues and Group winner Shuruq but I can’t be backing her after what can only be considered a disappointing run last time; led but faded out of contention to be beaten 4½ lengths. Verse Of Love makes her racecourse debut and significantly is the choice of William Buick. I back Moulton Paddocks debutants here at HQ all the time and the daughter of Siyouni has been backed for this. Sire was of course a top-class juvenile winning the G.1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and has sired a few good ones already. She is the first foal to race out of Dam Vercelli who is a once raced daughter of Shamardal and hails from a decent family that has produced a few Group performers down the years. You’d expect she’s ready to go and on breeding there’s every reason to think she can win as a two-year-old so I am on at 2-1. Rockin' The Boat caught my eye when third on debut but didn't really improve on her second start when third again. She is the one with some experience that could pick-up the pieces if the selection isn't at it on debut. 

It is difficult to know just how good Magical Trail may be off the back of her two wins as she took both races so comfortably, visibly at least. She goes in the 7f Group Three Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes at 2.25 and has tempted me in at 11-2 which might look huge by the end of the race. She won a Fillies' Novice Stakes over 7f on the July course back in August, tipped on here, before taking a 6f Fillies' Novice Stakes at Kempton in September, at long odds-on, both with apparently plenty left in the tank. Back up to seven here I have had to back her at the price as she might, just might, be a lot better than she has had to show thus far. Charlie Appleby said this week “Magical Trail has progressed nicely with her first two starts and we feel that the return to seven furlongs is going to suit. We are hoping she can be a live contender, although it’s her first step into Pattern company and we will be wiser afterwards.”

I tipped Desert Flower for the mile G.2 Betfred May Hill Stakes last time and have talked about her quite a bit this season. I was at the track to watch Treasure Time when she won on debut on the July Course at Newmarket back in July and she caught my eye then going away from the field over the 7f that day like a good filly. She was unbackable on her second start over the same seven-furlongs in August when winning easily again. She took the May Hill Stakes comfortably it has to be said and though this is of course tougher I think she can go into winter quarters unbeaten and towards the head of the 1,000 Guineas market. By 2,000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder out of Promising Run, a multiple Group winner over a mile and mile-one in her career, she looks unlikely to progress into a middle-distance type at three but in the here and now she should prove too good for this line-up. Recent May Hill winners Laurens and Inspiral followed up in the Fillies' Mile and I fully expect this filly to do the same, I am on at Evens. Her trainer Charlie Appleby appears in bullish mood saying on the Godolphin website “Desert Flower has done nothing but improve with each of her three starts. She proved herself over this trip in the May Hill Stakes and I couldn’t be happier with her.” Second on the May Hill Stakes I see no reason why January should be able to reverse the form with the selection so the biggest danger may prove to be one of the other Ballydoyle runners. Dreamy won the G.3 mile Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes at the Curragh in August but probably didn’t have to be anything very special to win that in my opinion. A few of those behind have come out since and run okay on Group company but I wouldn’t be backing any of them in this. She could of course come on plenty on only her third start but I think the Godolphin owned filly will have too much class for her in this.

I am all about Godolphin with Charlie Appleby and William Buick on Friday but it wouldn’t be the first time the team had a big day at Newmarket.

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