Future Champions Day (featuring The Middle Park (G1) and The Dewhurst Stakes (G1)
October 12, 2012
Newmarket’s biggest day of the year was established last year for the first time. Two Group 1’s The Middle Park aimed at finding future sprinters and the Dewhurst the premier juvenile contest in Europe aimed at finding next years top classic contenders, especially regarding the Guineas, centrepiece the day.
Let’s start with the Dewhurst. It’s attracted not unsurprisingly Europe top two year old colt in Dawn Approach. He’s an unbeaten five time winner whose run started on the first day of the season in March . He packed in two runs at Naas before taking the G2 Coventry from Olympic Glory( thrice a winner since including last weeks G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere). Last time out after a break since Royal Ascot he was a very impressive winner in the G1 National Stakes. For the forecast George Vancouver’s run in the Prix Morny when third to Reckless Abandon looks good but it’s the stable companion Leitir Mor who subsequently beat him in the Round Tower at the Curragh for the one two. Safe to say Jim Bolger’s dominance of the Dewhurst will continue.
The Middle Park is a more open affair. Reckless Abandon leads the field in the 6 f contest on the back of the Morny success. His season has been beautifully constructed so far , a Doncaster maiden win was followed by a G2 Norfolk 3/4 L topping of Gael Force Ten then on to the G2 Prix Papin to put Sir Prancealot in his place before the easy victory over George Vancouver and Parliament Square in the Morny at Deauville. Gale Force Ten hasn’t built on his second in the Norfolk disappointing twice since while Parliament Square also disappointed at Doncaster in a sales race carrying top weight. This leave’s Cristoforo Colombo as the Ballydoyle number one hope in the hands of Ryan Moore. He was a length third in arrears of Dawn Approach in the Coventry and second beaten 1 3/4 L in the G2 Railway Stakes before slipping and falling when sent off favourite for the G1 Phoenix Stakes. Moohaajim was fifth in the Morny and then went on to take the G2 Mill Reef on G/F. He loved the fast ground at Newbury and the reserve here is conditions won’t be as much to his liking.
In the Challenge Stakes Reply is an interesting traveller, not seen since finishing well down the field in the July Cup he returns to Newmarket where he showed he had talent running third in last years Middle Park, a feat he repeated in the Irish Guineas.
In the G2 Rockfel the Irish pair of Gift From Heaven and Scintillula stand out with preference going to the G1 Moyglare second again from the Jim Bolger yard.
The G2 Autumn Stakes could also turn into an Irish affair with again Jim Bolger’s Trading Leather, David Wachman’s Galileo Rock and Aidan O’Brien’s Eye Of The Storm fronting the market. Here Galileo Rock’s racecourse debut victory of 8 L was the eye catching performance.
In the G3 Darley Stimulate hasn’t to improve much from his two length beating in the G2 Joel Stakes.
This glimpse of the future comes in a shade of green.
Recommendations
The G2 Challenge Stakes : Reply 8/1 win
The G1 Middle Park Stakes : Cristoforo Colombo 9/2 win
The G1 Dewhurst Stakes : Dawn Approach and Leitir Mor F/C
The G2 Rockfel Stakes : Scintillula 3/1 win
The G3 Autumn Stakes : Galileo Rock 5/1 win
The G3 Darley Stakes : Stimulate 6/1 win
