Another edition of the Dubai Future Champions Festival from Newmarket concludes on Saturday, 12 October with the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. This is one of the top juvenile races of the entire calendar and always shapes the markets for the following season’s Classics.
Supporting this are a couple of other trials for young horses hoping to go on to better things next term. The Group 3 Zetland Stakes and Autumn Stakes offer greater tests of stamina than the Dewhurst. Elsewhere on the Newmarket card, there’s another Group 3 for older horses in the Darley Stakes.
The big saying race of the meeting and one that horse racing betting sites often take most money on is the Cesarewitch Heritage Handicap. Just 25 are declared in this edition when the maximum field is 10 more. Five races having ITV Racing coverage from here, so let’s see what our experts think about those.
Newmarket Dubai Future Champions Festival Saturday Preview
1:15 – 1m 1f Group 3 Darley Stakes
Liberty Lane also landed the Suffolk Stakes here during the Guineas Festival, so a Rowley Mile nine-furlong hat-trick beckons. There may still be more to come from Lead Artist, however, and he’s back up in trip for the Gosdens after a good second to Kinross over 7f at Doncaster.
Although penalised for his win in this grade during Glorious Goodwood, the way he shaped that suggests the extra furlong will suit. Skellet is a notable non-runner for the same owners as Lead Artist, so Ancient Rome sneaks onto the revised shortlist back on home turf after a couple of runs on firmer ground across the Atlantic.
1:50 – 1m 2f Group 3 Zetland Stakes
Aidan O’Brien has won this twice before including with Kew Gardens and runs a couple. Clear preference is for Shackelton, a colt by Camelot, who will need even further next year. He built on his Tipperary second by making all over nine furlongs at the Curragh. Ryan Moore chooses Shackelton over County Mayo, who has something to find with him on a previous encounter.
Ralph Beckett saddles Leicester novice scorer Starzintheireyes, whose previous Newmarket maiden second has worked out pretty well. The winner went on to Group 3 success at Sandown, while the third home tasted victory in a valuable race over in France on Arc Weekend.
Of the others, Epsom Wild Card winner Too Soon only needed riding out to punch his ticket to free entry into next year’s Derby. Wide-margin Yarmouth winner Green Storm is also worth a mention for the Johnston stable that often target this race at the Dubai Future Champions Festival.
2:25 – 1m Group 3 Autumn Stakes
Charlie Appleby has won this in each of the last four years, so Haydock novice winner Silver Peak obviously commands respect. The Ballydoyle pair are big dangers, though, and none more so than Leopardstown Group 2 second DELACROIX. The Rowley Mile being straight and undulating offers him a stiffer test of stamina than he encountered last month.
The O’Brien second string Genealogy isn’t out of this either as his form ties in with Delacroix through another stable companion Acapulco Bay. It’s difficult to rule any of the six out, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Beckett’s Stanhope Gardens or Wolf Of Badenoch got involved for Hugo Plamer. The market doesn’t favour Nightwalker.
3:00 – 7f Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes
Appleby and O’Brien have farmed this feature race of the Dubai Future Champions Festival in recent years, and it looks between the superpowers of Godolphin and Coolmore. THE LION IN WINTER is favourite for The Derby next term, least exposed of the high-profile horses and has two others for the same connections as potential pacemakers.
A colt by Sea The Stars, he impressed when landing the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York during the Ebor Festival. As the runner-up, Wimbledon Hawkeye, came out and won the Group 2 Royal Lodge here last month, the form of The Lion In Winter received a major boost.
The supplemented Middle Park winner Shadow Of Light wasn’t stopping when readily accounting for Prix Morny hero Whistlejacket here a fortnight ago, so is greatly-feared in the first Godolphin silks. He tops official ratings on a mark of 119, 3lb clear of The Lion In Winter.
Ancient Truth has done nothing wrong for the Boys in Blue in winning all three career starts, both on the Rowley Mile and July Course here. He landed the Group 2 Superlative Stakes here in July and has been laid out for this ever since. Seagulls Eleven will tie this form to that of last month’s Vincent O’Brien National run on the Irish Champions Festival Weekend, but it’s hard to see him improving on third.
3:40 – 2m 2f Cesarewitch Heritage Handicap
It looks little more than a benefit for the Emerald Isle raiders on paper. Horses drawn high did well one day one of the Dubai Future Champions Festival, so Irish Cesarewitch third SIXANDAHALF could have that in his favour. Trained by Gavin Cromwell, he has only been nudged up 1lb for a length and a tail defeat at the Curragh last month and jumps from stall 20.
Sea Of Sands won over hurdles on stable debut for Willie Mullins and now switches codes. This six-year-old won the official German Derby Trial earlier in his career and remains unexposed as a stayer after springing to favouritism in the ante post market. Mullins took the Cesarewitch in three consecutive seasons between 2018 and 2020, so anything he saddles commands respect.
Another member of the family, Emmet, landed it 12 months ago with The Shunter and the veteran is back for more, alongside fellow JP McManus runner Dawn Rising. The younger Mullins also saddles Jacovec Cavern off a low weight here and he should come on for a close reappearance second during the Galway Festival.
The 2022 Cesarewitch winner Run For Oscar has been in form in both codes, but a low draw is a concern for Charles Byrnes. Simon & Ed Crisford’s Manxman also has that worry, while topweight Queenstown has the highest gate of all and could bounce back up in trip on easier going following her Ebor flop.
Andrew Balding has Spirit Mixer back in form after back-to-back staying wins around Chester. He’s 1lb well-in despite a 7lb penalty. Alphonse Le Grande also stays well and has an extra furlong to gain ground on Sixandahalf and Dawn Rising.
