Newmarket Guineas Festival Day 1 Tips
The first and second Classics of the British Flat season will take place at Newmarket over the next two days, with the 2000 Guineas taking centre stage on Saturday and the 1000 on Sunday. However, it all kicks off on Friday and there is some quality on the Rowley Mile.
Day one on Friday has Group 2 action, with the Jockey Club Stakes (16:05) supplemented by the Newmarket Stakes (13:45) for three-year-olds.
There are seven races in all at Newmarket on Friday, with four live on ITV, and we have selected our best bets.
13:10 – Darley EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes (1m2f)
There are some promising newcomers in this maiden, but it might pay to stick with the experience and ZGHARTA has plenty of that. She showed promise when third on her debut in November and stepped up on that to take second in a maiden for fillies over a mile at this course last month.
The winner of that race was Victory Queen, who franked the form when scoring at Ascot on Wednesday, and Zgharta is open to improvement now tried over 1m2f.
Selection: Zgharta
14:20 – Trustatrader King Charles II Stakes (Listed, 7f)
One of the most exciting horses of the season to come runs here and that is the Harry Charlton-trained COSMIC YEAR. He is bred to be special being by Kingman out of the multiple Group 1-winning mare Passage Of Time and has looked every inch the real deal on his way to two victories at Sandown and Kempton.
He was being considered for the 2000 Guineas until Field Of Gold won the Craven Stakes for the same owners and should be up to landing the Listed event en route to better things. He looks like a Group 1 horse in waiting.
Selection: Cosmic Year
14:55 – Handicap (1m)
This looks like a good opportunity for FORT GEORGE to make a winning handicap debut. The son of Territories has his first run since being gelded and showed plenty of promise in three novice events on the all-weather last year.
He returns from a 150-day break and looks open to plenty more improvement for Ed Walker and Tom Marquand, who have a good record when combining and enjoy plenty of success on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket.
Selection: Fort George
15:30 – Handicap (7f)
Another open handicap and it can go to LOCAL HERO, who has been in good form on the all-weather and ran his best race for a while when beaten only a head into second behind Mount Athos at Kempton last time.
He has yet to prove he can show that form on turf but hasn't had many opportunities to do so because he has run only twice on grass. It's worth giving him another chance to show what he can do, especially with fitness on his side.
Selection: Local Hero
16:05 – Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2, 1m4f)
This looks like a match between the globetrotting Silver Knott and AMBIENTE FRIENDLY. Preference is for Ambiente Friendly, who was the only horse to give City Of Troy any concerns when second in the Derby at Epsom last season and should improve for his reappearance at this course last month.
He raced too freely that day and was probably too fresh, but he bounced back from a defeat at the first time out last season to win at the second time of asking and could do the same, especially now that he is stepped up to this trip. His last run was at 1m1f.
Selection: Ambiente Friendly
16:45 – Fillies’ Handicap (6f)
The pick of the bunch here might be SANTA SAVANA, who is trained by Rod Millman in Devon and makes a long trip across Britain. The three-year-old ran one of her best races when fourth at this course over 7f last September and probably needed her return from a winter break when well held at Kempton last time. That should have put her spot on for a return to this track and the drop to 6f promises to suit. She has plenty of speed.
Selection: Santa Savana
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Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation