3 minute read

Newmarket hosts the pick of the action this week on GBI racing, with two Group 1 races on offer at British racing's headquarters.

French raider Sahpresa is being lined up to win the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes for a third consecutive year. The race, for fillies and mares only, is run over a mile (1600m) and is due off at 3.10pm (BST).

Rod Collet's mare was last seen finishing third behind Immortal Verse in the Prix Jaques le Marois. Sahpresa is the only French entry after Immortal Verse was removed from the race

Unbeaten filly Nahrain and Irish hopes Emulous and Alanza also feature among 14 possible runners. Roger Varian's Nahrain has not been seen since running away with a Sandown Listed prize at the start of July.

The Aga Khan has stumped up the £16,000 supplementary fee to add Alanza to the race following her victory in Doncaster's Sceptre Stakes, while the Dermot Weld-trained Emulous is set for a first trip to Britain following a sensational last-to-first success in Leopardstown's Matron Stakes.

Other interesting possibles include Timepiece, Beatrice Aurore and the Ballydoyle duo of Together and Wild Wind.

There are two classy races for juveniles, and the unbeaten Best Terms is among 15 two-year-old fillies left in the second of those, the Group 1 Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs (1200m) at 2.35pm.

Richard Hannon's youngster has won all of her four starts, including Royal Ascot's Queen Mary Stakes and the Lowther Stakes at York.

Added to the field at the supplementary stage was Lightening Pearl from Ger Lyons' Irish stable. The daughter of Marju gets her chance after winning a Group 3 at The Curragh last month by five lengths.

She was second to Best Terms at York and runner-up to Maybe in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

Aidan O'Brien is responsible for five of the 14 five-day acceptors in the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes, run over one mile (1600m) and due off at 2.05pm.

The champion Irish trainer won this Group 2 contest four times when it was held at Ascot, its former home, and is making a strong bid to make it five when it moves to Newmarket.

His team comprises Astrology, Daddy Long Legs, Furner's Green, Tenth Star and Wrote.

Roger Varian has an interesting contender in Ektihaam, who has won his two starts at Newbury and Doncaster in highly-promising fashion.

The Invincible Spirit colt's owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum has a second string to his bow in Farhaan, trained by John Dunlop, winner of his last two races.

Richard Hannon can choose from Champagne Stakes victor Trumpet Major and Rockinante while John Gosden relies on Fencing, who looked good when taking a Listed contest at Newbury in August.

One of the biggest handicaps also takes place on the same card, with Distant Memories heading the weights following the confirmation stage for the Betfred Cambridgeshire.

A full 92 horses remain among the entries for the first leg of the 'Autumn Double', but only the top 35 are guaranteed a run in the valuable contest.

Jeremy Noseda's Dare To Dance heads the ante-post betting but he is currently 45th in the list.

Other leading contenders include Roger Charlton-trained duo Cry Fury and Proponent, John Gosden's Questioning and Maraheb from the John Dunlop yard.