Wednesday 9th September 2009
Big guns remain engaged in autumn highlights
Misheer - in line for Cheveley Park Stakes shot.
The three Group One contests at Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting in early October are taking shape following the latest scratchings deadline, details of which are revealed today, Wednesday, 9th September.
Friday, 2nd October, sees two Group One two-year-old contests taking place on the Rowley Mile - the £170,000 Cheveley Park Stakes and the £170,000 Shadwell Middle Park Stakes - with both six-furlong contests looking like being high-class renewals.
A total of 33 colts remain engaged in the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes including the unbeaten Arcano, who followed up his success in Newmarket’s Group Two TNT July Stakes with a dramatic last-gasp triumph in the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville on 23rd August. Arcano’s trainer Brian Meehan has left in a total of seven entries which also include Radiohead, successful in the Group Two Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and a highly respectable third against older horses in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York last month.
Aidan O’Brien, successful with Ad Valorem in 2004, has nine to choose from this time around including Alfred Nobel, who proved half a length too strong for stable companion Air Chief Marshal in the Group One Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on 26th July. O’Brien could also run the exciting Steinbeck, an impressive Naas maiden winner back in May.
Newmarket handler John Gosden won the 2002 contest with subsequent champion sprinter Oasis Dream and has an exciting contender on his hands this year with Showcasing, a son of Oasis Dream, who won the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes at York last month when he was two lengths too good for Taajub.
Meanwhile, there are 37 fillies remaining for the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes including Special Duty, who went down by a short-neck to Arcano in the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville last time out. Trained by Criquette Head-Maarek, Special Duty is one of two entries remaining from France along with the Robert Collet-trained Dolled Up, who also ran well when fourth in the Prix Morny.
Nine of the entries going forward hail from Ireland including Walk On Bye from the Tommy Stack stable who ran very well when she took on the colts in the Group One Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on 26th July, finishing a close third behind Alfred Nobel. The Danehill Dancer filly had previously defeated male opposition when landing the Group Three Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh earlier in the same month.
Aidan O’Brien supplies four entries including Group Two scorer Lillie Langtry and Famous, who was runner-up in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes last time out.
Clive Brittain has enjoyed an excellent summer with his juveniles and could be represented in the Cheveley Park Stakes by Misheer, heroine of the Group Two Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket on 8th July when she defeated Group Three Royal Ascot winner Habaayib impressively be three and a quarter lengths.
On Saturday, 3rd October, fillies and mares of the Classic generation and above receive their chance to shine in the £200,000 Group One Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes, run over the Rowley Mile.
A fascinating clash of the generations is in prospect with the star filly from the older age group, Goldikova, still among the 26 remaining entries along with this year’s stanjames.com 1000 Guineas heroine Ghanaati.
Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2008, Goldikova has swept all before her this year with Group One victories in Newmarket’s Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes, the Prix Rothschild and against the colts in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on her latest three outings. Ghanaati followed up on her Classic success with victory in the Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot but needs to bounce back from a slightly disappointing third last time out in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Goldikova, trained by Freddie Head, is one seven possible starters from France along with this year’s French 1,000 Guineas scorer Elusive Wave.
Last year’s champion juvenile filly Rainbow View got back to winning ways in the Group One Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on 5th September and is another possible starter, while Aidan O’Brien, successful last year with Halfway To Heaven, could rely on stanjames.com 1000 Guineas fourth Heart Shaped and Totally Devoted. Other entries from Ireland include the David Wachman-trained Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Again.
Owner Cheveley Park Stud could rely on the consistent duo of Heaven Sent and Spacious, who filled the second and third spots respectively behind Goldikova in the Group One Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes.
