Five key horses to follow at Newmarket's QIPCO Guineas Festival
Gavin Beech has selections for each day of the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket which gets underway on Friday this week, all live on Racing TV.
CIRCLE OF FIRE
Race: Newmarket Stakes (1.15pm, Friday)
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute. General odds: --
Sir Michael Stoute’s team have generally hit the ground running this season (5 winners from his past 12 runners at time of writing) so it’s unlikely that the potentially smart Circle Of Fire will lack for fitness on his seasonal return.
Circle Of Fire will not go under the radar, primarily because he is owned by HM The King & HM The Queen Consort, but there is an awful lot more to this horse than his high-profile owners.
A son of top-class Almanzor, he is certain to relish the step up in trip this year as he looks to build on last season’s extremely impressive Salisbury novice success, where the further he went over that mile trip, the better he looked.
His Betfred Derby entry is by no means fanciful based upon his undoubted scope over middle distances this term, and victory in what is always an informative Listed contest at Newmarket on Friday would surely elevate him to a genuine contender for the Epsom Classic.
GALE FORCE MAYA
Trainer: Michael Dods. General odds: --
Gale Force Maya absolutely loves this track, so much so that she has won, or finished in the frame, in five of her seven visits to the Rowley Mile, despite often racing in hugely competitive handicaps.
One of her two course and distance wins came on her seasonal return 12 months ago, so we can be confident that Michael Dods has her primed for this targetm and she’s the class act in the field with a rating of 106.
Drying ground will suit her well, and this tough-as-teak mare will once again take some getting past.
SAKHEER
Race: QIPCO 2000 Guineas (4.40pm, Saturday).
Trainer: Roger Varian. General odds: 7-1.
Most of the focus going into the first Classic of the 2023 Flat season is on Auguste Rodin, who is clearly held in extremely high regard at Ballydoyle. He might well go on to be an outstanding racehorse, but he’s not one yet and, at this stage, Sakheer has as much potential as any horse entered for Saturday’s showpiece.
Sakheer hasn’t been seen since his romp in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes, but what an impression he created that day. The son of Zoffany travelled oh so smoothly before quickening away from his rivals in the manner of a top-class colt, and three of the next four horses home have won since, which gives the form a solid look.
If Sakheer handles the undulations of Newmarket, he could easily take the step up in grade in his stride and provide Roger Varian with his first success in the race.
WITH THE MOONLIGHT
Race: Howden Dahlia Stakes (3.00pm, Sunday)
Trainer: Charlie Appleby. General odds: 4-1.
With The Moonlight produced one of the performances of this meeting 12 months ago when she spreadeagled a decent field in the Pretty Polly Stakes and, fit from a taking in high-class races on the international stage, she looks, by some margin, the most likely of these to show her best at this early stage of the campaign.
With The Moonlight is the highest-rated filly in the line-up and although she has yet to strike at the highest level, she wasn’t far off her best when beaten just three lengths in the Grade One Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland last month.
The daughter of Frankel stays well, so expect her to be ridden close to the pace by William Buick, and it’s going to take a good one to pass her coming out of the dip.
REMARQUEE
Race: QIPCO 1000 Guineas (3.40pm, Sunday)
Trainer: Ralph Beckett. General odds: 7-1.
A whole host of unexposed fillies on show in Sunday’s Classic, not least Tahiyra, but there was loads to like about the way Remarquee flew home, despite still looking green, to win the Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury last month.
It is a relatively quick turnaround from that first outing of the season, but the experience is sure to bring this daughter of Kingman on significantly, both mentally and physically.
Despite having raced keenly early on, Rob Hornby got his mount rolling once switched to the outside of the field entering the final two furlongs and, despite still looking raw, and her rider dropping his whip, she came home strongly to assert close home.
That wouldn’t be the strongest piece of form going into this race, but it’s more about the impression Remarquee created and the scope for improvement at Newmarket, where she could leave that form a long way behind. If she does, she’ll run a huge race.
