Classic clues at Newmarket and Newbury

Golden Horn and Frankie Dettori coast to victory at Newmarket’s Craven meeting before going on to dominate the 2015 Series. Image copyright of Racingfotos.com

Classic dreams will either be fuelled or punctured this week when Newmarket and Newbury combine to stage a string of traditional trials.

The Lanwades Nell Gwyn Stakes, CSP European Free Handicap and Novae Bloodstock Craven Stakes will take place on successive days at Newmarket between tomorrow and Thursday.

Then the attention will turn to Newbury’s two-day meeting, which starts on Friday and features the JLT Greenham Stakes and Dubai Duty Free Stakes (registered as the Fred Darling) on Saturday.

The action seems certain to have a bearing on the 35-race QIPCO British Champions Series, which will begin with a bang on April 30 with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas.

For instance, the mighty Frankel used the 2011 Greenham as a stepping stone towards winning nine consecutive QIPCO British Champions Series races.

And last year Golden Horn made a winning reappearance in the Feilden Stakes at the Craven meeting before going on to win the Dante, Investec Derby, Coral Eclipse, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes and Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

John Gosden, his trainer, seeks to repeat the trick in tomorrow’s renewal with Tathqeef who, like Golden Horn before him, lines up having won his only start as a two-year-old.

Gosden will be represented by Nathra in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes later on the card and intends running the exciting Foundation in Thursday’s Craven.

Illuminate, who was one of last season’s leading two-year-old fillies, also features among 14 entries for the Nell Gwyn, while older horses in action at the meeting could be Arod (Weatherbys General Stud Book Earl Of Sefton Stakes on Wednesday) and Magical Memory (Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes on Thursday).