The second day of Newmarket’s three-day Cambridgeshire meeting begins with the listed Rosemary Stakes over a mile for fillies’ and mares. Chaleur looked ready for a return to a mile when third in an ultra-competitive handicap at York over 7f last time and she must go close.
Despite the fact that she is penalised 3lbs for her Pretty Polly Stakes win over 10f here on 1000 Guineas day Maqsad (1.50) gets the vote for William Haggas. The classic generation have won five of the last seven renewals of this contest and Haggas has saddled the winner in the last couple of years. Maqsad is 3/1 at BetVictor and still holds an entry in the Gp 1 Sun Chariot Stakes back at Newmarket on Saturday week.
Shailene did us a favour when scoring at Newbury last time but the form of Promissory’s (2.25) second at Goodwood in the March Stakes was given a boost when the winner – Sir Ron Priestley – finished runner up in the St Leger at Doncaster last time. The selection – 13/8 at BetVictor – has only had three career starts but holds an entry in the Fillies & Mares event at Ascot on Champions Day for which she is 20/1 with BetVictor.
In the Gp 2 Rockfel Stakes Cloak Of Spirits is interesting dropping back to 7f, the distance of her Ascot debut success having looked a non-stayer over a mile at Doncaster in the May Hill Stakes last time. Daahyeh (3.00) finished runner up in the Gp 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh last time when Aidan O’Brien’s Love got first run on the Roger Varian filly. The selection suggested she would get a mile in Ireland last time but this stiff 7f should suit although 5/4 with BetVictor looks plenty short enough.
The 3-y-old King Of Comedy may not have stayed the extended 10f against some of Europe’s best middle-distance performers in the Juddmonte International at York last time and the return to a mile will suit. If the ground is no quicker than good, however, I am going to take a chance on Benbatl (3.35) even though he is, arguably, better over slightly further.
Saeed bin Suroor’s 5-year-old entire was easily brushed aside by the wonderful mare Winx in the Cox Plate when last seen in October, but the Godolphin horse is reported to be working well ahead of his return to the track. At 13/2 with BetVictor he can reward each way support.
In the listed Godolphin Stakes I expect to see Irish raider Mount Everest (4.45) leave behind his fourth at the Curragh on his belated seasonal reappearance. The selection was noticeably weak in the market on that occasion and, in the circumstances, ran a race full of promise. Godolphin’s Loxley disappointed on his reappearance at Doncaster when he was backed as if defeat was out of the question. It will be interesting to see if he attracts market support this afternoon.
In the opener at Newcastle Cieren Fallon takes over in the saddle aboard Sweet Celebration (5.30) who had no luck in running when a staying on third at Wolverhampton last time. The filly remains a maiden but has only had five career starts and is open to further improvement for Marco Botti.
Magic J (8.00) has been on my radar since making a winning debut at Yarmouth over 6f last September. Ed Vaughan’s Scat Daddy colt has only had one subsequent start when he finished down the field in a listed race here over a mile back in the spring. The drop back in distance is considered a plus although I would want the selection to settle better than he did back in the spring.
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