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Group Three Craven Stakes (1m)
Fastest Time: 1:29.18 (Toronado, 2013)
Notable Previous Winners: Native Trail (2022), Masar (2018), Toronado (2013)
Last Year's Winner: Native Trail (William Buick/Charlie Appleby)
Favourite Strike Rate: 40% from last 10 renewals
Run over the same course and distance as the 2000 Guineas (G1), the Craven Stakes (G3) can provide valuable Classic clues.
Run over the same course and distance as the 2000 Guineas (G1), the Craven Stakes (G3) can provide valuable Classic clues.
An eight-strong field will contest Thursday's renewal on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, headed by the Godolphin pair of Mysterious Night and Naval Power. Trainer Charlie Appleby is in flying form with 39% winners in the last fourteen days including Tuesday's Earl of Sefton (G3) winner Ottoman Fleet.
TRAINER WATCH: CHARLIE APPLEBY IS OPERATING AT A 39% WIN STRIKE RATE IN THE LAST 14 DAYS
Mysterious Night is the preference of the current market. Winner of a novice event at Newbury in June, the Dark Angel colt was cleverly campaigned at the end of the flat season to pick up two international Group races: the Prix Francois Boutin (G3) at Deauville (France) and the Summer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine (Canada). Although Mysterious Night was an impressive five-and-three-quarter length victor in Canada, the second and third-placed horses have yet to make their seasonal reappearance, so the form is difficult to assess.
Unbeaten on his first four career starts, Naval Power was disappointing when sixth of seven in the Dewhurst Stakes (G1) in October and was reported to have bled from the nose. He returned to winning ways with an easy victory in the 9f Jumeirah Classic (L) at Meydan on seasonal reappearance. The Teofilo colt is an interesting prospect upped to Group Three standard and probably has the best form of the Godolphin duo.
OWNER WATCH: AMO RACING HAVE A 40% WIN AND 80% PLACE STRIKE RATE FROM THEIR PAST TEN RUNNERS
Debut winner Mostabshir is open to any amount of improvement on his first three-year-old start. The Dark Angel colt was a comfortable four length winner of a mile Class Four novice stakes at Kempton Park in November.
Oisin Murphy has returned from his lengthy suspension with a renewed sense of energy and will partner two-time winner The Foxes who appeared to enjoy the step up to a mile when scoring by half-a-length in the course and distance Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) in September. The race was only a four-runner affair, but the second-placed horse Dubai Mile progressed to win the 10f Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1) on his only subsequent start.
JOCKEY WATCH: KIERAN SHOEMARK HOLDS A 23% WIN RATE IN THE LAST 14 DAYS
Owners Amo Racing are making a significant impact on UK flat racing with four winners and four placings from their past nine runners. They are represented by the Karl Burke trained Indestructible who has undergone wind surgery since last being seen on the racetrack. He chased Dewhurst (G1) winner Chaldean home when second in both the 7f Acombe Stakes (G3) and Champagne Stakes (G2). This could represent strong form.
Jockey Kieran Shoemark boasts a 23% win rate for the last fourteen days and booked to ride lively outsider Dancing Magic. He remains a maiden after five career starts but out-ran his odds to finish fourth of eight in the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes (G1) at Doncaster in October behind easy winner Auguste Rodin.
WINNER: NAVAL POWER
DARK HORSE: INDESTRUCTIBLE