Newmarket Friday Preview - 24/09/21

The first race of the afternoon on day two of the Cambridgeshire meeting is the Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs and John & Thady Gosden's two year old Spinaround looks a big improver.

The son of Kodiac was a £190,000 purchase that has been seen twice to date, needing the run at the first time of asking but last time out Leicester was a much better third, learning a lot on the job.

He managed to make up a lot of ground towards the end of the race, with the penny seeming to drop and should be a much improved horse for this event that lacks a lot of depth.

The first big race of the day on the Rowley Mile is the Listed Rosemary Stakes over a mile and Fooraat for Roger Varian looks a big player.

The four year old daughter of Dubawi looked a bright juvenile back in 2019 when winning her debut at Newcastle in gritty style.

From there she returned last season and won nicely in June winning a Novice Stakes over a mile at Chelmsford by seven lengths.

However, since then she started to lose her way being upped in class and being slightly found out by better horses.

Returning for her four year old campaign she finished a good second in a Listed event at Kempton, but then went into the Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot and could only finish midfield.

Last time out she gave one of the best runs of her career when a narrow third in the Listed Lyric Fillies' Stakes behind Alpine Star.

Dropping back to a mile is a positive and this filly has always threatened to have a race like this in her.

Next up is the Group Three Princess Royal Stakes over 1m4f and we can't look past the favourite Albaflora who heads into the event with leading form.

The daughter of Muhaarar has has some decent runs to her name over the last few years with a head loss over 14f in a Listed event at Ascot before subsequently landing the Listed Buckhounds Stakes at the same track next time out when dropped back to 12f on her seasonal re-appearance.

She was then sent to Epsom for the Group One Coronation Cup but was well-beaten into fourth and off the back of that went to Royal Ascot when putting up a fair effort into fifth.

The form of that race has obviously worked out, but next time out she could only finish third behind the star mare Wonderful Tonight in the Lillie Langtry Stakes.

However, she gave one of her best runs of the season last time out when chasing home the superstar Snowfall in the Yorkshire Oaks, only going down by four lengths and now down to a Group Three she should dominate.

She normally likes softer ground but proved last time out she can handle this surface aswell.

One of the feature events on the card is the Group Two Rockfel Stakes over seven furlongs and the horse who makes the most appeal is the Andrew Balding trained Majestic Glory.

The two year old is a beautifully bred daughter of Frankel that cost 350,000gns who has been seen four times to date and of late has really started to show how good she can be.

She made her debut back in July needing the run at Windsor, but off the back of it then finished a neck second in a good Fillies' Maiden at Newbury.

Since then she has not looked back landing back to back events at Newmarket over six and seven furlongs, with her latest win coming in the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes.

She saw off Wild Beauty for Godolphin that day and she has since gone on to take a Group One in Canada with the minimal of fuss.

Strong form claims.

The feature race of the afternoon is the Group Two Joel Stakes and looking to land it for a second year is the Saeed bin Suroor trained Benbatl.

The son of Dubawi was impressive on his first run of last season in this event, finishing third behind Guineas winner Kameko with his handler explaining his six year old lacked a little bit of race fitness.

With slight complications he wasn't seen again last term and returned at Goodwood this term in the Group Two Celebration Mile and having ran a cracker he went down by a short head.

Having had that run he should improve massively and looks a big contender, holding some superb Group One form throughout his career.

We are hoping the favourite Master Of The Seas may need the run after the break and if that is the case then Benbatl is the value.

The penultimate event of the afternoon is the Listed Godolphin Stakes and Fox Tal for Andrew Balding looks to have been overlooked in the market.

This horse went down in notebooks when running a screamer to be fourth behind Magical in the Champion Stakes at Ascot at the end of the 2019 season.

Although slightly struggling since then, a gelding operation at the end of last season looked to have brought about some improvement and he was only narrowly touched off on comeback at Chester in handicap company.

Other nice runs from the gelding is his second in the Listed Gala Stakes at Sandown behind Euchen Glen, Third at Glorious in a Group Three and then third again in the August Stakes at Windsor where the winner Teona has since gone on to frank the form when winning the Group One Prix Vermeille.

After a string of some nice placed runs, he gave the best run of his career last time out when only being narrowly beaten in the Group Three September Stakes by Hukum and Hamish.

On the best of his form he enters calculations and now he just needs to get his head in front.

The final event of the afternoon is the Class 3 Handicap over 1m1f and we can't look past the favourite Fireworks for William Haggas.

The three year old son of Kingman was an expensive purchase as a yearling costing €850,000 and has been since then to good effect in his three starts.

Making his debut in December 2020, he finished a good third at Newcastle over a mile but from there was saved for his three year old campaign.

Coming back for his seasonal debut he ran out a runner up at Newmarket behind the talented Derab and off the back of that landed the first win of his career at Beverley.

He now makes his handicap debut off a mark of 86 and he looks to have big potential off this mark.

Tough to beat.