The three-day Craven meeting got underway with no Listed or Group racing on day one with the Conditions Stakes being the highlight. The Godolphin owned Talk Of New York won readily after being turned over at Meydan in the Listed Jumeirah 2000 Guineas at the end of February.
Wednesday and day two saw the 1000 Guineas Trial, the G3 Nell Gwyn and we were given a shock result to most as the Stuart Williams trained Azleet held off America Queen by a neck under Marco Ghiani. Earlier on the card the Listed Fielden Stakes was taken by Morshdi for William Haggas and Tom Marquand. The winner, a son of Dubawi will go to Chester for the Dee Stakes next and has a Derby entry for which he is quoted around 25/1 for the Epsom showpiece.
The other G3 on the card was the Earl Of Sefton Stakes over nine furlongs. Wathnan Racing provided the first two home in this six-runner event. The winner Damysus, had a very impressive three-year-old year finishing second in the Dante last May before kicking out in the stalls at Epsom and eventually finished last in the Derby the following month. He returned to win a Listed race at Deauville and on his final outing in October he took the G3 Darley Stakes. The son of Frankel will probably go for the Lockinge at Newbury next and possibly the Prince Of Wales at Royal Ascot.
The G3 Craven Stakes a 2000 Guineas trial saw Oxagon make all for the Gosden’s and Oisin Murphy beating the unbeaten Roger Varian trained Avicenna by over two lengths, with favourite Hidden Force back in third. Surely this colt heads back to the Rowley Mile for the 2000 Guineas.
The Abernant Stakes, another G3 went to the veteran sprinter Run To Freedom who last won in May 2023 but in the meantime had run many good races in defeat. Lovely to see horses like this who turn up over and over again and run their race. Great credit to trainer Henry Candy too.
The Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes has thrown up many good horses over the years and this year’s winner looks potentially top drawer. The King Charles owned Portcullis trained by the Gosden’s and ridden by Ryan Moore won easily here and it’s impossible to gauge what he has beaten here but the performance was impressive. John Gosden stated post-race he would likely go for a Novice Stakes race carrying a penalty and further decisions to made after that.
The Spring Trials Meeting from Newbury on Saturday saw more Guineas clues unfold. The Fred Darling for fillies saw a surprise to many when the Jack Channon trained Sukanya held of the Shadwell owned filly Touleen under David Probert. She is likely to go for the Irish 2000 Guineas and does not hold an entry for the English equivalent at Newmarket. The colt’s trial, the Greenham looked a competitive affair and it proved to be. The O’Brien trained Albert Einstein was sent off favourite under Ryan Moore with the Eve Johnson-Houghton trained colt Zavateri a strong second in the market. However, the Karl Burke trained winner Alparslan made all under the rail and won a length. He ran a reasonable race in the Dewhurst last backend behind the ill- fated Gewan and has obviously wintered well and is quoted at 25/1 for the 2000 at Newmarket but has an Irish Guineas entry too. This colt is one of many horses to look forward to from recently returning jockey Clifford Lee who diced with death not so long ago after a motorbike accident.
The G3 John Porter was another good win for the Burke/Lee combination when Convergent won after trouble in running on the far rail. This adds more to the victory as he had to pull out from behind to get a clear run and won readily. His trainer said after the race he was the best horse at this distance he had trained and the King George is written all over him in July.