Who To Follow At Newbury On Saturday - 20/05/23

James Mackie | @JMackieRacing

Thu 18 May 2023 14.34

Newbury 14:35

8(13)

Modern Games

J: William Buick

T: Charlie Appleby

N/A

Age: 4

Weight: 9-2

OR: 121

Days: 36

The feature event of the afternoon at Newbury is the Group One Lockinge Stakes and the horse with the best form in the race is the Godolphin owned Modern Games.

Needing his first experience on a racecourse at Haydock, he learnt plenty and got off the mark at the second time of asking at Newmarket over 7f.

Sent to Leicester he was a narrow second to Leicester with the ground having a bit of juice in the ground, but he returned to winning ways in a Nursery Handicap at Doncaster.

Rounding off his season in England he scored again at Newmarket in the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes, taking his first black type event.

Appleby sent him to the Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar off the back of that run for his first taste of Group One Company and under a superb ride by William Buick he went on to land the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Making his seasonal debut last term the three year old made an emphatic start to the season landing the French 2000 Guineas with a bit in hand.

Since then he was upped in trip to 1m2f in the G1 Prix Du Jockey Club and finished a fair third behind the smart Vadeni who franked the form in the Coral Eclipse.

Back at 7f next time out in the Group One Prix Jean Prat he could only manage fifth but back up to a mile in the Sussex Stakes he finished a good second behind the superstar Baaeed.

Sent globetrotting after that he went over to Canada to land the Group One Woodbine Mile and then came back to England and finished second to Bayside Boy in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II at Ascot.

Finishing the season at Keeneland in the Breeders' Cup Mile he went on to win extremely well adding another black type victory to his name in another country.

Starting his season this term off at Keeneland in the Grade One Maker's Mark Mile he ran a credible race back in second behind a very smart horse and looking for his first domestic Group One, he looks one of the most solid contenders in a race stacked with talent.

Charlie Appleby sends a strong team to Newbury on Saturday starting in the opener with even money favourite Noble Style who drops to 6f and should be a class above these.

In the Group Three Al Rayyan Stakes he then fields the favourite again with Yibir and also Kemari is in there looking for place money.

Appleby is looking to land the London Gold Cup handicap aswell with Bold Act the top weight rated 103 and having finished fifth but landing a four timer before that, he will want to get back on track.

The Godolphin handler has the favourite in the feature race of the afternoon with Modern Games looking to land his first Group One on home soil having done it in France, Canada and America.

His final runner of the afternoon comes in the Listed Haras De Bouquetot Fillies' Trial Stakes with Queen Of Fairies looking to get back to form.

Appleby heads into the meeting sporting a strike rate of 29% for the last two weeks, managing to land nine winners from his 31 runners.

Frankie Dettori is in hot form on what will be his final season as a jockey landing races like the 2000 Guineas, Chester Vase, Musidora Stakes and Middleton Stakes already this season and on Saturday at Newbury he has a handful of nice rides.

His first ride of the afternoon comes in the Group Three Al Rayyan Stakes with Haskoy looking to make it three wins from four.

In Group One Lockinge Stakes Dettori jumps on Laurel for John & Thady Gosden with the four year old filly being the one in the field who we don't know how good she is.

Frankie then rides in the BetVictor Handicap on Unforgotten who needs to bounce back to form but was flying before his last run.

Finally, Dettori then gets the mount on Inner Space who blew out in the Nell Gwyn but off the back of her debut can come good again.

The experienced rider heads into the meeting sporting a strike rate of 33% for the last two weeks, with three wins from nine rides.