Newmarket Saturday review: Star Of Mystery has Cheveley Park aim after impressive win

Mystery machine at HQ

Star Of Mystery looked a potential Group race performer in the making after leaving her rivals toiling with an emphatic success in the Maureen Britain Memorial Empress Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

After bolting up by 11 lengths on her last start at Haydock Park, the daughter of Kodiac backed that up with another visually impressive performance on her first start at Listed level to give Charlie Appleby his second victory in today’s six-furlong race.

Racing up with the pace close to the stands side rail throughout in the hands of champion jockey William Buick the 4-5 favourite soon put daylight between herself and the rest of the field approaching the final furlong before scoring by four lengths.

Appleby, who won the 2019 renewal with Summer Romance, said: “It was pleasing. Pedigree-wise, she is from a speed-on-speed family. We came here today confident that she would come forward for that run at Haydock.

“I know at the time when she got beat the winner was well fancied that day and it was a big ask for that horse to go to Ascot and it didn’t materialise unfortunately.

“We then went to Haydock and we probably felt we hadn’t beaten a great deal but when you win by 11 lengths it is still a very impressive performance.

“Physically she has done well since then. Is she a Guineas filly? No, unless they shorten it by a couple of furlongs. I feel it would be wrong to train her like that.

“She is a set little model and we will crack on as we are. She is doing well and we will be positive with her this year.”

As for future targets Appleby earmarked the Group One Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes on the Rowley Mile in October as a long-term aim.

He added: “The natural route would be to work back from a Cheveley Park realistically. I’m not going to say where we will go next but that is the target.

“If she can do what we hope she can achieve in the Cheveley Park we will be delighted.”

While former trainer Clive Brittain, whose late wife the race was run in memory of failed to pick out the winner, he admitted he was pleased to see such a dominant winner in a race he saddled subsequent Fillies’ Mile winner Ivanka to glory in 1992 and Jira in 2009.

Brittain said: “I went for Indispensable just because the way she looked and the groom had turned her out well.

“It was nice to see a good winner and hopefully this is something we will continue to sponsor for years to come. I love this course.

“Ivanka was a good filly and we came here very confident that day and her highlight was the win in the Fillies’ Mile.”

Kemari hits bullseye in Fred Archer

Kemari enjoyed a rare moment centre stage when gaining a long overdue success to end a winless run stretching back more than two years with a tenacious win in the Cavani Menswear Sartorial Sprint Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket.

Heading into the mile and a half Listed prize all eyes were on the winner’s stablemate New London, who was making his first start since finishing second in last year’s Cazoo St Leger at Doncaster. However, the son of Dubawi had to settle for a supporting role.

Settled in behind early pacesetter, and 2021 winner of the race, Outbox, the 7/1 chance got first run on the long-time leader as the pair approached the final three furlongs of the race with 11/10 favourite New London having already come under pressure.

Although New London and Phantom Flight attempted to mount challenges from off the pace neither could reel in Outbox and Kemari, with later eventually scoring by half a length to register a first victory since landing the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in 2021.

Appleby, enjoying a 13.4/1 double following the success of Star Of Mystery in the opener, said: “It has been two years since he has won but bless this horse he has not missed a beat all year. As I said to James (Doyle) today he is a horse that has always been forward going so ride your own race and don’t forget you are on a fit horse.

“We knew Outbox would go forward and if he were to falter at the business end I said don’t be afraid to press on with your fella as you are on a fit horse. James gave him a great ride and he has got that sort of a race in him.

“That is his level. He might nick a Group Three somewhere but he was a fit horse coming into today.”

Plans for the winner remain fluid however Appleby earmarked the Group Three Golorious Stakes at Goodwood for eventual third New London.

He added: “I was pleased with that run and he has had a good blow. He will move forward for that. He would like a bit more juice in the ground.

“It has always been our plan to have a second half of the season campaign and that is why we didn’t go down the Hardwicke Stakes route as that is a tough race to go into taking on Group One horses there.

“We saw it last year (how tough it was) when I campaigned Hurricane Lane that way and as they say you learn by your mistakes.

“I’d say we would take New London to the Glorious Stakes next.”

Audience silences HQ crowd

John Gosden hailed the ‘brilliant job’ done by groom Leah Mapston after Audience finally showed his true potential when securing the biggest success of his career in the feature Cavani Menswear Fashion Face-Off-Frenzy Criterion Stakes at Newmarket this afternoon.

The gelded son of Iffraaj, who Gosden trains in partnership with his son Thady, made his first start since landing a handicap at Leicester 263 days ago a triumphant one with victory on his return to pattern race company in the seven-furlong Group Three contest.

Breaking smartly in the hands of Rab Havlin the easy to back 14/1 chance was one of three horses that elected to race over on the far side along with Berkshire Shadow and 5/2 Favourite Aldaary for much of the race before the two groups of three converged.

With all six runners appearing to hold some kind of chance approaching the final furlong it was Cheveley Park Stud’s homebred Audience who stamped his authority on the race when finding plenty late on under Havlin, who had partnered Group Two scorer Mimikyu in a racecourse gallop at the track ahead of racing, before prevailing by two lengths from Jumby.

Gosden senior said: “It is all down to Leah who looks after him and rides him every day. She really understands the horse. She has more to do with this horse winning than the trainer. She has done a brilliant job.

“He has got a lot of talent. He was not right in the spring and we couldn’t quite get him where we wanted to but he has come right for a lovely race like this.

“I think it (the hood) helps him a lot. It is very useful for a horse like this as he can live a little bit on the edge.

“Ryan (Moore) rode him last year at Royal Ascot and he said this horse has really got something but he will need a little working out.

“Rab went up that ground this morning and it is completely fresh virgin ground and that was a little bit of knowing your track.”

Although Audience holds an entry in the Group Two World Pool Lennox Stakes at Goodwood on August 1st, the Newmarket handler was non-committal regarding future targets.

Gosden added: “He is in races like the Lennox but he enjoyed this race today and the straight track here.

“We have given him a couple of nice engagements but that was a grand performance.

“Seven furlongs is very much his trip.”

Rest of Newmarket

Charlie Appleby might have secured a Listed double on the card at Newmarket on Saturday, however it was debutant Dance Sequence that cast arguably the biggest impression after earning quotes for next year’s QIPCO 1000 Guineas.

Sent off 5/6 favourite to hit the ground running in the Blandford Bloodstock Maiden Fillies’ Stakes the daughter of Dubawi read the script to perfection when coming from last to first to complete a 25-1 treble on the card for the Godolphin handler.

While the margin of victory, which was a second on the card for winning jockey William Buick, was only half a length it was enough to secure a 33/1 quote for the mile fillies’ Classic from Paddy Power while William Hill went 20/1 for the same race.

Appleby said: “Although she was the favourite, and sometimes when you have the favourite you want to be nearer to the fore than out the back but William and I were in agreement - she is a filly for the future and to ride her to do it the right way round.

“He rode her with confidence, but she was bit green early doors. She wouldn’t show very much of that at home to be fair to her and there would be a marked improvement from that.

“To come from off the pace on that ground you could probably mark the performance up a bit more. It was a pleasing debut.

“The other filly (Race The Wind) would have been a little bit more forward than this but this is the classier filly.

“She has got a lovely head on her, and has an intelligent head and she takes it all in. She has got plenty of scope there as well.

“The attributes are there as she has got the scope and pedigree and thankfully, she has got the engine to date. It (the 1000 Guineas) is a big step to go but that was a good start.

“She is a filly that will get a mile at the back end.”

Meanwhile William Haggas will look to secure some black type with Royal Charter, who finished with a flourish to get up in the final strides and score by a neck to complete a treble on the card for champion jockey Buick in the Racing TV Fillies’ Handicap over a mile.

The Newmarket handler said of the triumphant 2/1 favourite: “I’m thrilled. She did very well as she got a bit buzzy beforehand. William took her down to the start early and he said she chilled when she got down there.

“I thought he was on the wrong side, and so did he, but she needs cover, so she had to stay there. She did well to win from where she was.

“I thought she ran well at Haydock (last time) but I thought the trip was a bit short. I thought the step up to the mile would suit her.

“She has won her twice now which I find staggering for a filly that needs to relax. She will get better when she learns to relax.

“I really want to try and chase some black type with her as she was an expensive breeze-up filly.

“I’d say we will prepare her for the Dick Hern at Haydock in early August.”

There was further success on the card for Group One winning rider Havlin, who completed a brace of victories when steering Spring Fever (8/15 favourite) to glory by five and a half lengths in the Mr Adrian Austin Memorial Fillies’ Handicap.

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