By Emma Berry
Were you at the Rowley Mile on October 17, 2014? Those autumn meetings are always special, and that particular Group 1 race day saw Belardo (Ire) beat Kodi Bear (Ire) in the Dubai Dewhurst S. some 35 minutes after what now looks to have been a rather special running of the Dubai Fillies' Mile.
If you were there that day you can reflect on the fact that you saw the dams of this weekend's favourites for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and Qipco 1,000 Guineas finish first and second in the Fillies' Mile. Coolmore's Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was already a half-sister to a Group 1 winner in Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) when she lined up to claim her own top-level win. Four years later her confusingly named full-sister Forever Together (Ire) would triumph in the Oaks. Now, Together Forever is in danger of becoming better known as the mother of the colt whose return is hotly anticipated on Saturday: City Of Troy (Justify).
Her runner-up at Newmarket, by half a length, was the G2 May Hill S. winner Agnes Stewart (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) in the colours of Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics. Last September Agnes Stewart's daughter Fallen Angel (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) became Parkin's first homebred Group 1 winner when landing the Moyglare Stud S. On Saturday, she has an excellent chance of becoming his first Classic winner, though challenging her for 1,000 Guineas favouritism is the most recent Fillies' Mile winner, Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Adding further credence to that contest of a decade ago is the third-placed Winters Moon (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). She didn't achieve much on the track thereafter but her celebrity is ensured as the dam of Godolphin's dual Group 1-winning juvenile Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), whose first runners are emerging this season.
Then in fourth there was Rockliffe Stud's Marsh Hawk (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Her daughter Trillium (GB) (No Nay Never) claimed the G2 Flying Childers S. of 2022, narrowly beating the subsequent G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}).
When the British Champions Series was launched, Newmarket's major October meeting was shuffled around a bit and rebranded as Future Champions Day. Clearly it is a label which is applicable not just for that particular generation, but also for those in the decades to follow.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
