The horse racing broadcaster offers up his selections for the ITV races at Newmarket on Friday, including one in the Rockfel Stakes.
A rather unusual line-up for the five ITV races from Newmarket on Friday, with not a single handicap in sight. However, a rare visit to Worcester does provide a competitive race for the Fixed Brush Final. Summer jumping isn’t really on my radar, and the last of the Newmarket races at 15:35 features so many runners returning from long absences that both the market and paddock will be key pieces of the jigsaw — and neither are yet available. From a punting perspective, both are passed over.
Of the remaining four races, the horse I’m most looking forward to seeing is TOULEEN 6/5 (14:25 Newmarket) in the Rockfel. I called her debut at Newbury, where she made short work of the field, and then floored Zanthos (who reopposes here) at Leicester. I’ve often mentioned how many quality horses emerge each year from a string of just 50 at the Burrows yard, and how strong his record is in Group and Listed races (38/194, A/E 1.25). Sadly, Jim Crowley will be sidelined for a considerable time after his nasty fall at York, but William Buick stepped in at short notice at Leicester — and it could be significant that he’s available again to ride here, with no Godolphin representative. Perhaps he told them it wasn’t worth bothering! William’s record on the Rowley Mile is excellent (219/1086, A/E 1.19), and hopefully he can help Touleen negotiate the Dip and emerge as a leading Classic contender for next year’s Guineas.
The card starts with a 1m Listed contest for fillies and mares, where CAJOLE 4/1 (13:15 Newmarket) can gain her first victory at this level. It still grates how narrowly she was beaten in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot off just 85, and she has made steady progress since then — impressive for a filly in her first year of racing, having only debuted in April. She comes from a good Cheveley Park family; her dam won the 2017 QEII. She may have been a bit too close to the pace at Sandown last time when finishing fourth to Lady of Spain, with all three ahead of her coming from further back. She looks pretty versatile regarding ground, has a good cruising speed, and drops a grade back to Listed company — all factors that should count in her favour.
Ground looks key in the 1m 4f Princess Royal Stakes. A fast surface is a query for me regarding Jane Temple, but potentially a positive for the two Sea The Stars fillies — SPIRITED STYLE 13/8 (13:50 Newmarket) and Understudy. Spirited Style went to Germany for their Oaks but was well beaten on soft ground. Sea The Stars progeny have a poor record on soft and heavy (99/813, A/E 0.84), so they’re always worth another chance on quicker ground. The biggest danger may come from within, and it must have been a tough choice for William Buick to desert Silent Love. Perhaps the fact that Billy Loughnane rode her to her Listed victory last month made it more of a team decision. Charlie Appleby (175/622, A/E 1.24) also excels on the Rowley Mile, and the home team looks to have a very strong hand here.
They also have a leading chance in the Group 2 Joel Stakes with Opera Ballo, who, like Cajole, is also in his first year of racing. He won twice on the All-Weather early in the year, prompting comparisons with Godolphin’s 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech, who took a similar path. Opera Ballo has been brought along more patiently and handled with kid gloves, as if still maturing mentally and physically. He faces a fascinating rival in ZEUS OLYMPIOS 11/4 (15:00 Newmarket) — a strapping son of Night of Thunder, unbeaten in three starts and impressive in the Superior Mile at Haydock. It’s not an easy choice between the two, and William Buick will know exactly what he’s up against, having ridden Zeus Olympios at Haydock. A big, long-striding horse, there’s a question mark over how balanced he’ll be in the Dip. But with Flight Leader likely to ensure a strong pace, and given that Zeus Olympios is the more physically impressive of the pair, the scales tilt in his favour.
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