Following Friday's G1 Fillies' Mile victory of Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), Joseph O'Brien could be celebrating a notable Newmarket double on Saturday if fellow TDN Rising Star Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) can provide the stable with further glory in the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. Showing an impressive surge of acceleration to upstage the re-opposing Ballydoyle pair Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in The Curragh's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. over this seven-furlong trip Sept. 13, Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's bay appears the main threat to the British-trained juveniles in the feature of Future Champions Day. “Hopefully the ground dries out as much as possible and we'll see what happens,” Joseph said. “We were delighted with him at the Curragh and he's been in good form since.”
Richard Hannon holds a strong hand with Michael Pescod's Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) looking his strongest chance after his defeat of TDN Rising Star Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal) in Doncaster's G2 Champagne S. Sept. 12 but Julie Wood's Etonian (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) remains unbeaten and an unknown quantity. His two successes at Sandown include the Aug. 23 G3 Solario S.
Hannon said of the duo, “Both horses are fit and well and good to go. We've not managed to win the Dewhurst yet, so let's hope this is our chance. Chindit's last bit of work with a couple of older horses was very good for a two-year-old. He seems in very good form. Etonian has done nothing wrong either. It's a shame we have to run them against each other really, but this is the right race for both horses and the Dewhurst is always the best two-year-old race of the year.”
Jim Crowley has picked Shadwell's supplemented Sept. 19 G2 Mill Reef S. scorer Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) over Albasheer and Alkumait's trainer Marcus Tregoning said, “I think he'll stay seven furlongs fine. I suppose seven furlongs in soft ground makes it more of a test, but Showcasing's progeny are versatile. He'll give himself every chance of getting the trip because he settles well, or at least he did at Newbury, and if he settles as well again, I can't see seven being a problem. I think Chindit might be the one to beat. He looked tough at Doncaster, he had to battle but came through it well. It's the right race for us, though, and I'm pleased he's running.”
Of Albasheer, trainer Owen Burrows said, “I've been happy with him since Doncaster. He did his last proper piece of work on Saturday and had a breeze midweek. He is inexperienced and this will be different for him. I'd like to think wherever Chindit finishes, we would be bang there with him–whether or not that is good enough to win, time will tell. On his pedigree he should get a mile next year and we will look to go down that route. God-willing he is good enough to be talked as a Guineas horse, but we will learn a lot more on Saturday.”
The typically strong Irish challenge is backed up by Jessica Harrington's Sept. 12 G2 Champions Juvenile winner Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while Jim Bolger has enjoyed five successes here and he saddles a fascinating contender in Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}). He won his sole start in the first race of the Irish Flat turf season at Naas Mar. 23, but his owner, breeder and trainer is unconcerned about the lengthy absence.
“He hasn't run because he started to grow–he's grown two inches since March and I didn't want to push him,” he explained. “That's all settled down now. He's been fine since the beginning of August and we've had an uninterrupted preparation since. I thought it would be good to get him away before the end of the year. I think he'll go on any ground.”
Newmarket's pattern-race action kicks off with the G3 Godolphin Flying Start Zetland S. for juveniles over 10 furlongs and Aidan O'Brien saddles an intriguing contender in Moyglare Stud, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor's Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Off the mark on debut over an extended mile at Galway Sept. 8, the full-brother to the dual G1 Irish St Leger heroine Search For a Song (Ire) and half-brother to Free Eagle (Ire) has ideal credentials for this stamina test. “He seems to have come out of his first race well, he was very green the first day and we've been happy with him since,” the Ballydoyle handler said. “We always thought he would get much further than a mile, so the step up in trip shouldn't worry him.” Two notably-bred nursery winners in Khalid Abdullah's Sept. 27 Nottingham scorer Fabilis (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm's Sept. 12 Doncaster winner Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) offer fascinating opposition from the Ralph Beckett and Martyn Meade stables respectively.
In the G3 Emirates Autumn S. over a mile, there is another leading Ballydoyle contender in the Aug. 6 G3 Tyros S. and Sept. 12 G2 Champions Juvenile S. runner-up Van Gogh (American Pharoah), who enjoyed a confidence-boosting maiden success at The Curragh Sept. 27. “We think he should benefit from getting his head in front, he's a horse that is maturing and improving every month,” Aidan O'Brien commented. In a fascinating line-up, Shadwell's TDN Rising Star Akmaam (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) comes in on the back of his impressive winning debut over seven furlongs at Ascot Sept. 5 while Khalid Abdullah's Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) bids to build on a novice win over this trip at Sandown Sept. 11. He was previously runner-up to Godolphin's One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) at that track Aug. 23 and the latter's trainer Charlie Appleby also saddles the Aug. 15 Listed Washington Singer S. runner-up Dhahabi (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). “One Ruler put up a solid performance [when subsequently third in the Listed Flying Scotsman S.] at Doncaster, when he was slightly unlucky, and we feel that the step up to a mile will see further improvement,” he said. “Dhahabi also ran to a nice level at Newbury and has been crying out for a step up in distance. We are hoping that both colts can be very competitive at this level.”
Another TDN Rising Star takes to the Suffolk venue in The Niarchos Family's Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who has not been seen since finishing second in York's G2 Dante S. July 9 but who will be closely followed in the nine-furlong G3 Darley S. “There's been no major issue, he just needed a bit of time,” the owner-breeders' racing manager Alan Cooper explained. “He's in fine fettle. It looks a very competitive race, so hopefully he'll run well. I would imagine this will be his final run of the year, but we haven't really discussed it. We'll see how he performs this weekend and make a plan afterwards.” John Gosden opts to shorten up Qatar Racing and Watership Down Stud's TDN Rising Star Darain (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) following his fifth placing in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York Aug. 19. At Chantilly, the six-furlong G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte sees a clash between Alain Jathiere's impressive Sept .18 G3 Prix Eclipse scorer Plainchant (Fr) (Gregorian {Ire}), the Wertheimers' Sept. 3 G3 Prix d'Arenberg winner Kalahara (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Tanguy Moreux's Go Athletico (Fr) (Goken {Fr}) who beat the subsequent G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) in the seven-furlong G3 Prix la Rochette at ParisLongchamp Sept. 6.
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