Newmarket and York Saturday preview: What the trainers say

3.00 Darley Dewhurst Stakes

As far as championship two-year-old contests go, the Darley Dewhurst Stakes needs little introduction and another high-class renewal looks to be in prospect at Newmarket on Saturday.

Charlie Appleby has claimed the seven-furlong showpiece twice so far, both times with exciting operators, as Pinatubo was brilliant in his juvenile year and Native Trail was similarly smart. Pinatubo and Native Trail were unbeaten heading to the Rowley Mile and already had Group Ones to their name by way of the National Stakes at the Curragh.

That had been thought a likely route for Ancient Truth after he won the Superlative Stakes in July, but instead he was given time and this will be his first run since then.

In contrast, stablemate Shadow Of Light has been relatively busy, winning the Middle Park after losing his unbeaten record when second in the Gimcrack at York.

It came as a minor surprise to see him supplemented for Dewhurst duty, but he is the pick of William Buick over Ancient Truth, who will be ridden by James Doyle.

“I’m delighted with the pair of them coming into it,” said Appleby.

“Shadow Of Light, you are going to tell me that two weeks ago you thought you were going to go sprinting. But as I look at it, he has everything to gain and nothing to lose.

“If he goes and wins, then fantastic, he adds an extra dimension to his three-year-old career and do we look at a Guineas route. If he gets beat, like Blue Point did, then we just cement he’s a sprinter and you can tailor your training programme in the spring. It’s a win-win situation, really.

“Ancient Truth is three from three coming into it and we haven’t seen him since the Superlative. We were toying with the idea of running in the National Stakes in Ireland, but I felt he was a horse who would be better given more time and I didn’t want to have two cracks at Group Ones – and this one, the Dewhurst, is an important Group One for us.

“He looks great, he’s strengthened and has done everything we have asked for.”

While Appleby has two Dewhursts to his name, Aidan O’Brien has eight – including a certain City Of Troy 12 months ago.

He has a three-strong challenge this year, led by The Lion In Winter, a Sea The Stars colt who looked the real deal in the Acomb at York. Ryan Moore takes the ride, with Tom Marquand on the once-raced Expanded and Wayne Lordan aboard Rock Of Cashel.

O’Brien said of The Lion In Winter: “Everything seems good and he’s had his two runs now – everyone knows about him. He seems to be in good form.

“He missed the Goffs race and hopefully he will run well. No doubt it is important he comes here, if he is a Guineas horse it is very important to have experience (of Newmarket) and you know they are going to handle it, so if there is any ironing out you have to do, you have to do it.”

He went on: “We feel Rock Of Cashel is better than we have seen and we feel he is a little bit like his sister Snowfall (winner of Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks) – we could only win a maiden with her at two, but we always thought she was good.

“We think he’s a bit like that and there is plenty there we haven’t seen yet. He had a bad run the last day, but we think there is more to come. Whether that comes in the Dewhurst or whether we have to wait until next year we will find out.”

Completing the line-up is Seagulls Eleven, who is anything but a forlorn hope for Hugo Palmer in the blue and white of Brighton & Hove Albion, having been runner-up to Ancient Truth at Newmarket and then third in the National Stakes.

“He’s done better and better and better; he’s just improved all year,” said Palmer, whose Dubawi Legend gave Native Trail a real race in his Dewhurst victory. “He’s such a big horse, he’ll be better again next year.

“We couldn’t be happier with him going into the race and they say dogs are like their owners, but horses are like their owners. He is owned by 11 Brighton footballers and he’s Brighton taking on Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.

“He’s a lovely horse, we think the world of him, he’s proved he’s capable of mixing it at this level and he’s a big horse who’s still improving.

“Things didn’t go right at the Curragh, he probably over-raced for a little bit in the early part of the race and then virtually wore Ryan Moore (riding Henri Matisse) for half of the last furlong, so there are things that can go better for him going forwards.

“He needs to find probably 7-8lbs on what he’s done before, but he’s a young and improving two-year-old and why can’t he?”

Rest of Newmarket

Hugo Palmer feels Wolf Of Badenoch has a genuine excuse for his disappointing run last time out and expects him to be right in the mix in the Emirates Autumn Stakes.

A winner on his debut at Doncaster, he then chased home Aomori City in the Vintage Stakes. Strongly fancied for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, Palmer felt he was inconvenienced by Chancellor, who kicked out in the stalls and was withdrawn. Wolf Of Badenoch ran but finished down the field.

“He was disappointing at Doncaster, but he’s in good order,” Palmer said. “He banged his head when the Gosden horse (Chancellor) hit the gates – we hit the gates as well. We thought we were going and he banged his head. Whether he ran a little bit dazed or not, I don’t know.

“We’ve been very happy with him since, but obviously he needs to step back in the right direction. The ground might have been a little bit lively for him as well at Doncaster, I know he’s run well on fast ground at Goodwood but a bit of ease in the ground at Newmarket on Saturday would suit.

“If he comes back to his Goodwood form, then he’s probably the one to beat.”

Charlie Appleby’s Silver Peak will bid to give the stable a fifth consecutive winner in the race.

One Ruler, Coroebus, Silver Knott and Ancient Wisdom have seen Appleby dominate in recent years.

Appleby told Godolphin on X: “Silver Peak is a Dubawi who broke his maiden at Haydock and the form has worked out very well. He’s done very well physically at this time of year, as they always do, the Dubawis, so we’re testing ourselves at Pattern level to see what sort of a career he’s going to have in the early part of his three-year-old season.”

Ryan Moore is on Delacroix, rather than his Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate Genealogy, and appears hopeful.

The jockey told Betfair: “He stepped back up to the mile at Leopardstown after landing his maiden over seven furlongs at the Curragh and stayed on really well after becoming a little outpaced early in the straight there. He sets a decent standard here.”

Appleby has also won the last three renewals of the Palace Pier Zetland Stakes but he is not represented this time around.

James Doyle fancies his chances on the Wathnan Racing-owned Dunamase, trained by John and Thady Gosden

“He ran well on debut at Sandown and then was a novice winner at Kempton, so obviously this is a jump into deeper waters and we will find out what level he is at,” said Doyle.

“We’re kind of unknown at the minute where we are with him, so we’re dipping our toes in a bit to find out.”

Again, O’Brien runs two, with Moore on Shackleton and Wayne Lordan on County Mayo.

“Shackleton got off the mark at the Curragh the last day when he was a decisive winner of a nine-furlong maiden after making all the running,” said Moore.

“A lovely Camelot colt who is a smart prospect for next year, he answered every call at the Curragh and was strong at the line.

“He probably sets the standard here. Our other runner, County Mayo, is out of a half-sister to Danedream and comes from a family with plenty of stamina in the pedigree. He took a nice step forward from his Tipperary debut to win in good fashion at Gowran Park last month and should run well.”

Ralph Beckett’s Starzintheireyes is another likely player.

York round-up

Invictus Gold will seek to complete his hat-trick in the Coral Rockingham Stakes at York on Saturday.

Tom Clover’s juvenile has found confidence since finishing at the rear of a six-runner field on debut at Yarmouth in May. He was subsequently gelded and it has seemed to do the trick, as the son of Invincible Spirit prevailed by one and three-quarter lengths on his next appearance at Southwell in July.

Invictus Gold followed that up with an even more impressive triumph at Newmarket in August, powering to a two-length success on good to soft ground, with more juice set to be under foot on the Knavesmire.

A solid display in the six-furlong Listed race could result in lucrative contests on the all-weather this winter.

“I’ve been very pleased with him, he’s trained well,” the Kremlin House Stables handler said. “His home work has been really pleasing and I would hope he’d shape up well.

“It’s that time of year when it’s hard to go in with lots of confidence, just because horses can tend to run a bit in-and-out at this time of year. It’s a step up in grade, but I feel that he deserves to take his chance in this sort of a race.

“Our plan is to go Saturday and then think about what we might do in the winter. We’ll probably give him an easy two weeks after Saturday and then think whether we want to try to aim him towards something nice on the all-weather.”

Clover’s charge is set to face eight rivals in the £70,000 opener, with Hugo Palmer’s It Ain’t Two among the three fillies in the field.

The daughter of Calyx impressed during her Class Two success at Chester in August before stepping up to Pattern company on her last two starts, most recently finishing three and a quarter lengths behind winner Sky Majesty when sixth in the Group Three Firth of Clyde at Ayr.

Palmer was clear on his ambitions for his charge, who will be making her 11th start of a campaign in which she has acquitted herself well.

He said: “She’s in good order, I’m happy with her. She should go on the ground and we are trying to win a stakes race with her, having been placed in a few, so fingers crossed. She’s a hardy filly.”

Dark Cloud Rising is out to help David O’Meara, who trails leader Andrew Balding by two victories, in his bid to become the Charles Clinkard Top Trainer at the Knavesmire.

“He’s in good form, we were happy with his run at Haydock most recently,” O’Meara said. “The ground conditions on Saturday will be a little bit of an unknown.”

Ralph Beckett’s Bolo Neighs is bidding to strike again having shed his maiden tag in a lucrative sales race at the Curragh last time out, while Shadow Army, trained by Richard Fahey, is the only runner who has won at York, scoring at the Dante meeting.

Raneenn looks for a third triumph in four appearances for William Haggas, Pearl Of Windsor lines up for Conrad Allen and Karl Burke has two starters in Jungle Drums and Milford.

O’Meara will have another chance to close the gap in the feature race, as the evergreen Summerghand aims for glory in the Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap – in what could be his swansong.

The 10-year-old is set to make the 106th appearance of an admirable career in the six-furlong contest and with over £50,000 for the winner, it would be a fitting way for the son of Lope De Vega to bid farewell.

“I’ll run him on Saturday and see how it goes,” O’Meara said. “He could do with it drying out a little bit as well. He looks great, he’s moving well.”

The Fahey-trained Malc has not been seen since finishing down the field in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June after a number of minor setbacks. However, Tom Palin, of owners Middleham Park Racing, is confident of a strong showing despite the lack of “peak fitness” in the three-year-old.

“He’s pretty well, obviously he’s been off the track for a fair while. Whatever happens on Saturday, he will come on for it,” Palin said.

“We were targeting the Ayr Gold Cup as a sort of return for him and he just keeps getting the odd little setback, we can’t put our finger on it but he keeps missing targets. He will come here a little short of peak fitness and ‘prime’ Malc. But there’s lots of prize-money, six furlongs we think is his trip for now and the ground should be OK.

“A nice flat track should be good for him as well. On peak form, he’s only dropped a few pounds at 99, he’s on the right side of the handicapper.”

Musley Bank trainer Fahey has another runner in the form of 2022 winner Strike Red, while Secret Guest goes for Bryan Smart and York-based trainer Craig Lidster has The Bell Conductor.

Kevin Ryan saddles Room Service, Aleezdancer and Sergeant Wilko, while Tinto and Woven line up for Michael Dods and Germanic starts for William Haggas in a 22-strong line-up.

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