{"id":10268,"date":"2024-10-10T11:28:47","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T11:28:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bettingsitesreviewed.co.uk\/?p=10268"},"modified":"2024-10-10T11:36:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T11:36:36","slug":"dubai-future-champions-festival-day-1-preview-newmarket-fillies-mile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bettingsitesreviewed.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/10\/10\/dubai-future-champions-festival-day-1-preview-newmarket-fillies-mile\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai Future Champions Festival Day 1 Preview – Juveniles Galore on Display at Newmarket"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Newmarket<\/p>\n

The Dubai Future Champions Festival kicks off at Newmarket on Friday, 11 October with Group 1 action courtesy of the Fillies’ Mile. As this two-day meeting’s name suggests, it is largely centred on horses with their careers in front of them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That makes it tricky for punters when placing wagers on horse racing betting sites<\/a>, because they must weigh up juvenile form against potential future progress. Supporting races include the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes for young sprinters and Oh So Sharp Stakes restricted to two-year-old fillies.<\/p>\n

There are events for older horses at the Dubai Future Champions Festival too. Day one has the Group 2 Challenge Stakes, Group 3 Pride Stakes for fillies and mares, and a three-year-olds only Heritage Handicap in the Old Rowley Cup.\u00a0All of these races are worth closer inspection.<\/p>\n

Newmarket Dubai Future Champions Festival Friday Preview<\/h2>\n

1:47 – 5f Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes<\/h3>\n

\"WathnanAn open sprint contest to kick off ITV Racing coverage from Headquarters where ratings topper\u00a0THE STRIKIN VIKING <\/strong>must have a good chance dropped to the minimum trip. He made all on good to soft ground at York and racecourse debut before two half-length seconds in Group 2 company at the Curragh and Glorious Goodwood over 6f.<\/p>\n

The Strikin Viking might be difficult to catch and we know he acts with cut in the ground. He has 5lb and upwards in hand on the field. There are plenty of credible challengers, however, with Godolphin’s progressive Midnight Thunder <\/strong>chief among them.<\/p>\n

He handled soft ground when landing a Windsor novice and has since followed-up under a penalty at Yarmouth. As with The Strikin Viking, dropping back in trip doesn’t look an issue for Midnight Thunder on paper with Oisin Murphy again taking the ride.<\/p>\n

There’s a good Irish contingent coming over too with Ballydoyle inmate\u00a0Treasure Isle\u00a0<\/strong>a player. After landing the Listed Juvenile Sprint at the Curragh, he wasn’t disgraced when third to subsequent Group 2 winner Aesterius in this grade at Longchamp last time out.<\/p>\n

Of the five fillies entered against the boys here, meanwhile, there isn’t much between the Crisfords’ Coto De Caza<\/strong> and Fozzy Stack raider\u00a0Grand Marques<\/strong> on ratings. John Ryan turns out\u00a0La Bellota\u00a0<\/strong>just five days after taking on his elders in the Abbaye at Longchamp, so this could come too soon after travelling to Paris and back in the last week.<\/p>\n

2:25 – 7f Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes<\/h3>\n

\"FlightAfter twice placing behind Fillies’ Mile favourite Desert Flower,\u00a0FLIGHT <\/strong>has leading form claims here dropped in grade and trip. Ollie Sangster’s daughter of Siyouni has a rating of 100 and didn’t see out the straight mile on Town Moor. A furlong shorter could be optimum during the Dubai Future Champions Festival.<\/p>\n

There are lots of unexposed dangers in the line-up, meanwhile. Ralph Beckett and Amo Racing team up with impressive once-raced Lingfield maiden winner\u00a0Cathedral<\/strong>, who could be anything. Dual 6f scorer\u00a0First Instinct\u00a0<\/strong>has needed almost every yard of that trip to get up, so it’s no surprise that William Haggas steps her up in trip and class.<\/p>\n

Magical Trail\u00a0<\/strong>is another unbeaten filly following wins on the July Course here and Kempton for Godolphin. Of those with more experience,\u00a0Miss Fascinator<\/strong> has progressed from handicaps and chased home Tabiti in the Dick Poole at Salisbury in this grade last time.<\/p>\n

Aidan O’Brien runs two with Ryan Moore sticking with May Hill fifth\u00a0Ecstatic\u00a0<\/strong>over stable companion Merrily<\/strong>. The former didn’t get a good start at Doncaster and weakened gradually in the closing stages, so a furlong less distance may help her cause.<\/p>\n

3:00 – 7f Group 2 Challenge Stakes<\/h3>\n

\"GreatA very competitive race where\u00a0GREAT GENERATION <\/strong>looks a bit of each way value for Marco Botti. A dual Group 3 winner over this trip against her own sex, she receives 5lb in weight for age and sex allowances from the market principals. Great Generation is well worth a crack at this level off the back of defying a penalty for her Lingfield win at Doncaster the last day.<\/p>\n

Prolific Newmarket winner\u00a0Noble Dynasty<\/strong> heads the betting, meanwhile, but the ratings topper also faces the slowest ground of his career. Most of the six-year-old’s successes have come in handicaps at Headquarters, but Charlie Appleby saddled him to Group 3 victory in the Criterion Stakes over the summer.<\/p>\n

Royal Scotsman\u00a0<\/strong>has two placed efforts at the highest level on the Rowley Mile. Paul & Oliver Cole’s four-year-old Gleneagles colt went down by a head in the 2022 Dewhurst over course and distance. He then ran third in last year’s 2000 Guineas. Royal Scotsman has often been seen to good effect with cut in the ground, so may be better value than the market leader.<\/p>\n

If the handicapper is right, then Tom Clover’s\u00a0Witness Stand\u00a0<\/strong>has improved more than a stone-and-a-half (22lb) since the beginning of August. He is rather forced into Group company off the back of a taking enough three-length Listed success at Newbury last month.<\/p>\n

Prix du Pin 1-2\u00a0Topgear\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Ten Bob Tony\u00a0<\/strong>look closely matched on that Longchamp run, but there must be some doubt as to whether the in-form Quinault\u00a0<\/strong>will get this extra furlong on a softer surface despite notching a recent hat-trick. Even\u00a0Shouldvebeenaring<\/strong>, who has so often been highly tried, isn’t out of it on the pick of his form.<\/p>\n

3:35 – Group 1 Fillies’ Mile<\/h3>\n

It’s hard to get away from the unbeaten\u00a0Desert Flower\u00a0<\/strong>in the big race on day one of the Dubai Future Champions Festival. A dual winner on the July Course, she now tackles the Rowley Mile for Appleby and William Buick off the back of a comfortable Group 2 May Hill success at Doncaster. Desert Flower has a favourite’s chance and she’s the one to beat.<\/p>\n