All Set For Future Champions Day

Whether Newmarket's “Future Champions Day” lives up to its name is reliant on a trio of tests on Saturday, with a heavy emphasis on the feature G1 Darley Dewhurst S. to uphold the fixture's reputation as the launch site for excellence. In Godolphin's Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the seven-furlong 2-year-old jewel of the British season's crown has the prime candidate for the coronation much as the operation's Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) was in 2019. If his G2 Superlative S. success at the July Festival here failed to set anything ablaze, his subsequent 3 1/2-length dismissal of Ballydoyle's Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. lit up the scene at The Curragh Sept. 12. While that form has taken a couple of subsequent knocks, the bay looks to have the jump on his peers at present and that is often the key factor in this race.

Charlie Appleby, who is set for a big day as he sorts out the order of dominance among some of his choice 2-year-old colts, has faith that Native Trail can clinch 2-year-old champion status here. “Native Trail has been faultless to date and we feel that he is a horse who is improving mentally with each race,” he said. “As a physical specimen, we have always felt that he was a man amongst boys but he has sharpened up mentally again since the National Stakes. On all evidence to date, he looks the one to beat.”

Despite the obvious claims of Moulton Paddocks' big gun, this is not the foregone conclusion it can sometimes be with the addition of TDN Rising Star Straight Answer (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) this week. Strictly on a line through the National fourth Ultramarine (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Juddmonte's homebred is closely tied with the Godolphin runner after he slammed that rival in Fairyhouse's Listed Blenheim S. over six furlongs last time Sept. 20. While Ger Lyons is not one to overface his juveniles, there is a feeling that the manner of the performance of the relative of Zafonic there allied with his wellbeing has forced their hand to supplement.

Also worthy of respect is Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), who upset the G3 Solario S. winner Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the G2 Champagne S. over this trip at Doncaster Sept. 11, where Friday's G3 Cornwallis S. scorer Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) was third and the G2 July S. and G2 Gimcrack S. winner Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) was well-beaten. Trainer Roger Varian is happy to test him against the best and said, “Bayside Boy goes into the race with a strong line of form. He hasn't put a foot wrong at home since he won the Champagne Stakes. It's going to be tough to come out on top, but I couldn't be more pleased with his condition and we're excited about running him. He has improved with every start and I'm hoping his best performances still lie ahead of him.”

Another TDN Rising Star is Dr Ali Ridha's Dubawi Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who has to improve on the form of his five-length debut success at Doncaster July 22 and his subsequent third in York's G3 Acomb S. Aug. 18. While connections were initially disappointed with his reversal, the form of the latter contest has been boosted by the subsequent G2 Royal Lodge S. success of the winner Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and the performances of the fourth Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) when taking the Listed Flying Scotsman S. and finishing runner-up in Sunday's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Hugo Palmer is hoping Dubawi Legend can hold his own here and said, “We've had a stop-start time with him, but his work has been very good and I'm very pleased with him.”

From Ballydoyle is the once-raced Glounthaune (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who represents a departure from the norm with the seven-times-winning stable usually armed with juveniles already proven as some of the season's leading lights. What his neck success from the subsequent G3 Marble Hill S. winner and G1 Middle Park S. runner-up Castle Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in a six-furlong Curragh maiden Apr. 17 represents in this context is hard to know and he will need to possess every bit as much ability as the yard's Tenebrism (Caravaggio) to pull off the same trick as she did in the G1 Cheveley Park S. two weeks ago.

Aidan O'Brien said of him, “He won nicely on his debut at the Curragh, but it's a long time since he ran. He beat a nice horse that day, but then he had a little problem which just held him up. It was just a little setback after his maiden and it just required time. We've been happy with him lately. It's obviously only his second run, but he seems to be in good form.”

Whereas the Dewhurst has expectedly played host to the winners of six subsequent Classics in the last five years, the 10-furlong G3 Godolphin Flying Start Zetland S. also has a trio to boast of in that period. A race that once lost its black-type status has acted as an important learning curve for Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who took the 2017 renewal, Wings of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) who was fourth in the previous year's edition and Miss Yoda (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) who was second two years ago. Others to use this en route to establishing themselves at the top level since 2016 are Coronet (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), so the prospects of witnessing a future luminary are strong.

This year, Godolphin look to hold the aces with the Charlie Appleby-trained duo Hafit (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Goldspur (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with the latter attaining TDN Rising Star status on his impressive debut at Sandown Sept. 15. That 6 1/2-length success came on soft ground and he has to prove himself on a sounder surface here, having been withdrawn from Epsom's Cazoo Derby “Wild Card” EBF Conditions S. after becoming upset in the stalls.

   Hafit, who was the second-highest-priced colt at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, was off the mark over seven furlongs at Newmarket Aug. 6 before finding Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) 1 1/2 lengths too strong in the Listed Ascendant S. at Haydock Sept. 4. “We are looking forward to stepping up to a mile and a quarter with Hafit, which should suit based on his pedigree, as well as getting him back on a softer surface,” Appleby said. “It was very quick at Haydock, but conditions at Newmarket should be much more to his liking. Goldspur is a horse we are still learning about and we will hopefully be a lot wiser after this.” Aidan O'Brien saddles the Aug. 27 mile Curragh maiden winner Bluegrass (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a son of the high-class sprinter  Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), while Donnacha sends across Atlantic Thoroughbreds' Sept. 25 G2 Royal Lodge S.  third Unconquerable (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}).

In the G3 Emirates Autumn S., which has recently taken on extra import as a staging post for the following spring's 2000 Guineas, again it is Appleby who saddles the favourite in Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who looked the surefire winner of the Royal Lodge when kicking clear only to lose out by a neck to the aforementioned Royal Patronage late on. If Unconquerable is able to take the Zetland, his case will only become stronger and there is a genuine excitement about the colt who created such a stir with the way he surged into the clear prior to his demise.

“Coroebus surprised us with the manner of his acceleration in the Royal Lodge Stakes and he ultimately paid the price for it in the closing stages,” commented Appleby, who won this with Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in 2017. “He came out of that race well and we felt that it was the right time to let him go again, especially with the softer ground. He has definitely come forward for his last run but, most importantly, we know more about him now.”

Aidan O'Brien was runner-up in this in 2018 with the eventual Guineas hero Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})–who split Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a vintage renewal–and has a trio engaged this time. Ryan Moore has opted for the Sept. 16 Naas seven-furlong maiden winner United Nations (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) over the Sept. 18 Gowran Park mile maiden scorer Scriptwriter (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and Aikhal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who carried the Mary Slack colours to success in a Listowel maiden over seven furlongs Sept. 21.

Second in the aforementioned Acomb, Michael Blencowe's Imperial Fighter (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}) will either advertise the Dewhurst claims of Dubawi Legend or not depending on how he fares here. Oisin Murphy said, “Coroebus will be very hard to beat, but I like Imperial Fighter. He should improve again for a mile and he's a very tough and genuine horse. The ground with a little bit of ease will help him as well. The Acomb form looks good so we go there with a chance, but he'll improve from two to three as well. He's one of our nicer horses for next year.” Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Dubai Poet (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) scored by 5 1/2 lengths over seven furlongs in a Newbury novice Sept. 18 and is another in the mix.

Godolphin's influence extends throughout the afternoon and in the nine-furlong G3 Darley S. which closes the card it is the multiple group 1-winning Appleby veteran Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) who stages his belated return having been absent since taking the 2020 G1 Grosser Preis von Baden with Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) back in third. He has four years on Shadwell's Mostahdaf (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who suffered his sole career defeat when 12th in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot June 15 and reappeared off a subsequent break to win Sandown's Listed Fortune S. over a mile on soft ground Sept. 15. “Barney Roy is coming back off an extended break, but he is in great shape and we are pleased with him,” Appleby said. “It's very much a comeback run, as we are looking towards taking him out to Bahrain this year and he will improve for the run.”

At Chantilly, the six-furlong G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte sees Steve Ryan's Aug. 20 G2 Gimcrack S.  runner-up Gis a Sub (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and the July 9 G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. runner-up Desert Dreamer (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) bid for a sixth British success since 2014. The home team includes Stall Ad Episas's Sept. 17 G3 Prix Eclipse runner-up Best Flying (Fr) (Pedro the Great) and Everest Racing, David Redvers and Barbara Keller's Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) who was off the mark in style in a conditions event over the same six-furlong trip on that Chantilly card.