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Simple Verse and Jack Hobbs, two Classic winners from last season, are in line to start their new campaigns in the Group 2 Dunaden At Overbury Jockey Club Stakes on QIPCO 2000 Guineas day, Saturday, April 30th, at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse.
Entries were released today for both this £100,000 mile and a half event and Sunday, 1st May’s Group 2 £90,000 Charm Spirit At Tweenhills In 2017 Dahlia Stakes, a one mile and one furlong fillies and mares contest.
Part-owned by the race sponsors, Qatar Racing Limited, Simple Verse ended 2015 with back-to-back Group 1 triumphs in the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster and the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot. She has 17 potential opponents in the Dunaden At Overbury Jockey Club Stakes headed by Jack Hobbs.
Winner of the Irish Derby and runner-up in the Epsom equivalent, Jack Hobbs took part in a racecourse gallop on the Rowley Mile yesterday (Tuesday) after which his trainer, John Gosden, said that the plan was for him to go for the Dunaden At Overbury Jockey Club Stakes.
Other interesting entries include last year’s winner of this race, Second Step; the recent Dubai Gold Cup runner-up, Big Orange; and the French raider, Ming Dynasty, who landed a Group 2 event at Chantilly back in October.
The 14 entries for the Charm Spirit At Tweenhills In 2017 Dahlia Stakes are headed by Amazing Maria, twice successful in Group 1 company last term including in the QIPCO Falmouth Stakes, and the shock Group 1 Juddmonte International heroine, Arabian Queen.
Sir Michael Stoute must rely on Crystal Zvezda if he is to improve his incredible record of six wins in the last nine renewals of this race, while the 27-time French Champion Trainer, Andre Fabre, who won it in 2014 with the top class Esoterique, may run Usherette, winner of four of her five career starts.
Ralph Beckett, trainer of Simple Verse, said:
“Simple Verse is in good shape and I am keen to run her in the Dunaden At Overbury Jockey Club Stakes as a prep race for the Coronation Cup.”
“She has done well over the winter and I am very happy with her condition, although I wouldn’t want to risk her on fast ground if it dries up at Newmarket.”
“She took on the boys and managed to beat them in the St Leger so, until proven otherwise, I am happy for her continue to do so.”