Matt Brocklebank identifies a handful of horses he's keen to keep on side in the coming weeks following a rather hectic day's racing on Saturday.
Whatever your take on Saturday’s racing schedule, featuring three quality cards from Newmarket, York and Ascot throughout the afternoon, following by Chester, Salisbury and Hamilton in the evening, it’s certainly not easy to keep track of it all and fully digest what has unfolded.
So as the dust settles, here are the five horses who I reckon will be worth following in the next few weeks and months.
MODERN UTOPIA – 5th in 7f Fillies’ Maiden, Newmarket
Trainer George Scott has only sent out three juvenile winners all year (from 33 starters) but Modern Utopia is one to monitor closely now qualified for a nursery mark.
Saturday’s assignment, in a July Course maiden won by some really nice types over the years, was always going to be tough one and she went off a largely unconsidered 33/1 chance in the hands of Clifford Lee, but there were positives to take from the run.
The daughter of Sottsass was a fraction keen early on and those exertions seemed to take a toll in the closing stages as she was ultimately brought home in her own time but not before making quite an encouraging move with two and a half furlongs to travel.
She's bred for further and now looks to be crying out for a mile and beyond, having stayed on nicely on debut at Carlisle and again when third at Kempton earlier this month.
Three outings in the space of 33 days suggest handicaps have been in mind and a mark in the low-70s should give her every chance to progress through the ranks.
EPIC POET – 5th in 10f John Smith’s Cup Handicap, York
Enfjaar did a decent impression of Shadwell's 2022 winner and subsequent Group 1 hero Anmaat when bolting up in York’s John Smith’s Cup, and Roger Varian's representative looks bound for pattern races before the year is out.
The one to take from this year’s renewal, however, is Epic Poet, who backed up his fine Royal Ascot second with a never-nearer fifth on the Knavesmire. Beaten just over three lengths, he did really well to finish where he did considering his wide draw (22) and the fact he had to wait for a run behind rivals on the stands' rail approaching the last couple of furlongs.
He was 3lb well-in for this but should remain seriously competitive in some of the best middle-distance handicaps off the revised rating (100) and might sneak into the Ebor if connections wish to tackle the mile and three-quarters for the first time next month, though on pedigree that might be a bit of a stretch. The November Handicap at Doncaster could be tailormade.
ALBASHEER - 2nd in 5f A1R Services Heritage Handicap, Ascot
There's a perfectly understandable assumption that the progressive Fair Wind had something to spare when landing Ascot's opening sprint handicap, but I'd counter that by suggesting Albasheer was an unlucky loser in second.
Granted, he can be a hostage to fortune and I vividly recall the day he dead-heated with Summerghand when a share of the spoils was the least he deserved after twice being denied a clear run through the field at York.
Saturday's race didn't pan out at all well for jockey Hollie Doyle, who was drawn in five and looked to be behind the eight-ball from a very early stage as the smaller group near the stands' side rail took them along at a good clip. The winner came from near the back of that bunch, getting a lovely tow and a nice split as Dream Composer drifted a little to his right heading down to the final furlong.
At that precise moment, Albasheer was having to switch right for a run and then had to manoeuvre left again to eventually find a clear sailing, but it was all too late as he scampered through to fill the runner-up spot out towards the centre of the course.
Archie Watson's six-year-old should remain well treated on turf (his all-weather mark is 9lb higher) despite a small rise for this effort and a return to the Ayr Gold Cup - in which he was a close fourth last year - looks the logical target.
ROYAL PLAYWRIGHT – WON 7f Novice Stakes, Salisbury
The 2022 winner of this event (Marbaan) went on to land the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood later in the month and Pyledriver won it first time out in 2019 so the fact Royal Playwright was good enough – and by some way good enough – to take top spot on debut probably says a lot.
He wasn’t exactly red hot in the market but went off 3/1 under Hayley Turner and very much lived up to his pedigree, being the latest smart sort out of Group 1-winning dam Arabian Queen.
His half-sister See The Fire was third in last year’s Fillies’ Mile, having been pitched into the Group 2 May Hill at Doncaster following her introductory win in a Newmarket maiden in August, so it will be interesting how deep they go with this Lope De Vega colt on his second start as he’s clearly got plenty of the family talent based on Saturday’s three-length success.
EYE OF DUBAI - 3rd in 6f Horse PWR Handicap, Chester
Eye Of Dubai may have let down favourite-backers at Chester but John and Sean Quinn should be pretty satisfied they have the three-year-old back on track after a complete blowout (when again sent off fav) at Newmarket back in May.
The subsequent layoff and wind surgery gave a clear indication he wasn't himself on the Rowley Mile that day but this was far more like it, drawn wide and tucked in early as Knicks took the field along at a ridiculously strong pace.
Eye Of Dubai could never really get competitive but he responded well for pressure, running on past tiring rivals, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him back up to seven furlongs next time as he won his novice at Catterick and dead-heated on handicap debut over that trip earlier in the spring.
Officially rated 85, there's more to come from this lightly-raced horse and you can bank on his trainers finding a suitable spot.
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