Penitent, Montiridge and Soft Falling Rain amongst 17 Nayef Joel Stakes entries

Penitent wins last year’s Nayef Joel Stakes. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

The Nayef Joel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday is the last Series race before the spectacular, five-race finale on QIPCO British Champions Day and 17 horses have been entered at the six-day stage.

Penitent, who won the race a year ago, could seek back-to-back wins in the one mile contest for in-form trainer, David O’Meara, while the Richard Hannon-trained Montiridge, who could be a star in the making on good or faster ground, and Mike De Kock’s Soft Falling Rain will be very tough opponents.

That’s without mentioning five Aidan O’Brien-trained entries as he looks to extend his long-looking lead still further in the Trainer of the Series table.

They include last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes winner (when trained by Brian Meehan), Most Improved, and this year’s Jersey Stakes winner, Gale Force Ten, who beat Montiridge by a head in that Royal Ascot contest.

Soft Falling Rain, who had been unbeaten in seven starts until going down to Gregorian in August after a break of four and half months, will use the race as a springboard to the Mile finale, the £1m Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday 19 October.

In that race he could clash with three-year-old mile stars Dawn Approach and Toronado.

Others to note amongst the Nayef Joel Stakes entries include the QIPCO 2000 Guineas runner-up, Glory Awaits, trained by Kevin Ryan, and Lady Cecil’s useful filly, Chigun.

The final declarations will be made on Wednesday morning.