The first meeting of the year at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course, the Craven, is perhaps one of the most exciting of the new season as many of the year’s Classic contenders make their three-year-old racecourse debuts. A win in one of the trials here almost automatically guarantees a horse a tilt at the 2,000 or 1,000 Guineas, which will take place in just over two weeks’ time and following a hugely successful week, the Darley stallions have some serious contenders for the first Classics of 2018.
The first Darley-sired winner came in the very first race, as Exceed And Excel’s son Aurum took the seven-furlong maiden on his racecourse debut, making light of the windy conditions to win by almost three lengths.
Later on the Tuesday, Mildenberger (Teofilo) landed the only Black Type race of the day with a convincing win in the Listed Feilden Stakes. The Mark Johnston-trained colt could now be aimed at a Derby trial, bidding to emulate his ill-fated paternal half-brother Permian who took the Dante last year.
Dubawi’s daughter Anna Nerium, winner of the G3 Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes last year, opened proceedings on the Wednesday with a superb victory over the colts in the Listed European Free Handicap. Stalking the pace throughout, Richard Hannon’s charge did not enjoy the clearest of runs but once she took the lead, could not have been more impressive as she won the seven-furlong contest by three lengths and looked to have plenty in hand, suggested the extra furlong of the 1,000 Guineas should be no problem. Helmet’s son Finniston Farm ran an excellent race on only his third career start to finish second.
Two races later and the feature contest of the day, the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes, it was the turn of another Dubawi filly to stake her Classic claim. Godolphin’s Soliloquy won her maiden last September, leading all the way over a mile at Ascot and the same tactic was employed at Newmarket as she took up the running pretty much from the start and was never troubled, winning by almost two lengths. Trainer Charlie Appleby indicated after the race that she is very likely to be supplemented for the 1,000 Guineas.
The following race saw first-season sire Slade Power record his very first winner, as Strings Of Life took the fillies’ maiden in tenacious style, having been forced to switch to the inside rail but bravely went through the gap and kept to her task superbly considering her lack of racecourse experience and won by half a length.
Dubawi’s Old Persian completed a treble for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby when winning the last race of the day. A step up to Stakes company now beckons with the Listed Newmarket Stakes at the Guineas meeting a likely target.
Thursday’s Darley-sired success commenced when Sawwaah (New Approach) made a successful racecourse debut against some well-bred runners in the Wood Ditton Stakes. While not a Stakes race, this contest has thrown up some decent horses over the years, perhaps most notably Shamardal’s G1 Eclipse Stakes winner Mukhadram, who also ran in Sheikh Hamdan’s blue and white silks.
The colts’ main Classic trial is of course the G3 Craven Stakes and it was another son of New Approach who took the spoils and Masar could not have been more impressive as he stormed to an astounding nine-length win. Masar was a talented two-year-old for Charlie Appleby last year, winning the G3 Solario Stakes before finishing third in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. He was arguably unlucky not to gain a place in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and will now aim to add a first G1 win to his record in the 2,000 Guineas.
Three-year-old Shamardal filly Sheikha Reika rounded off a sensational week for the Darley stallions in the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden, running out the easy winner under Andrea Atzeni. It is worth noting that she was second to the aforementioned Soliloquy on her racecourse debut last September.
