Monday 13th April 2009
Newmarket’s season opens on Wednesday with cracking card
Michael Prosser - looking forward to curtain-raising card
MICHAEL Prosser, Director of Racing and Clerk of the Course, is hoping Newmarket’s season will open with good going on Wednesday, April 15.
He said today: "The current going is Good, good to firm in places, with a goingstick reading of 7.8 at noon, but if the forecast rain on Tuesday evening delivers the predicted three to four millimetres then I think we will end up with good going on Wednesday afternoon.
"The rain is predicted to clear on Wednesday morning and otherwise it is forecast to be dry. The last four to five weeks have been mild, with no sharp frosts and enough rain, so grass growth has been good and the track has thickened up very well."
Prosser is also delighted with the quality and quantity of the runners for the eight races on Wednesday. He added: "The racing looks extremely competitive with some exciting horses on display."
Art Connoisseur makes his seasonal reappearance in the Listed £45,000 Betterbet European Free Handicap (3.35pm). The Michael Bell-trained colt, priced at 25/1 for next month’s stanjames.com 2000 Guineas by the sponsor of the first Classic, gives weight all to nine opponents in the seven-furlong contest.
The trainer commented: "He worked nicely on Saturday and, hopefully, he will show he is back to his best, although on his two-year-old form he is giving plenty of weight to the other runners."
Art Connoisseur, who makes his seasonal debut under Jamie Spencer, won his first three races last year, including the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, and his rivals include the Jeremy Noseda-trained Awinnersgame, Marine Boy from Tom Dascombe’s stable and the Richard Hannon-trained Penny’s Gift whose final run of the 2008 season saw her win the Listed EBF Igloos Bosra Sham Fillies´ Stakes at Newmarket.
Fantasia, one of the top fillies of 2008, makes her comeback in the Group Three £65,000 Leslie Harrison Memorial Nell Gwyn Stakes (4.10pm) over seven furlongs later in the afternoon. The Luca Cumani-trained three-year-old won her first two starts of 2008 before finishing runner-up to Europe’s top two–year-old filly Rainbow View in the Group One Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile at Ascot in September.
Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien will saddle Rockhampton for the 10-furlong £400,000 Tattersalls Timeform 3-y-o Trophy (3pm) for which there are 19 declared runners. The Montjeu colt, placed twice in 2008, won his maiden at Leopardstown last month and takes on Godolphin’s Liberation, fourth in the Tattersalls Timeform Million behind subsequent Breeders’ Cup scorer Donativum at Newmarket in October.
The first race is at 1.50pm and the final race of the afternoon is scheduled to start at 5.55pm. Newmarket also races on Thursday.
Copy supplied by Racenews
