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Dubai Dewhurst Stakes 2010 |
Leading Juvenile Colts Declared to Run in Dewhurst Stakes
14/10/10
As the Flat season draws to a close, many punters will be beginning to turn their attention to the Jumps season with the first of the major races over obstacles just around the corner. However, this weekend’s racing at Newmarket provides every reason not to forget that there is still plenty at stake for those horses who will soon be heading off for a winter break.
The Champion Stakes is the feature at the Suffolk track on Saturday afternoon but another Group One in the form of the Dewhurst Stakes will be the priority of many fans. With three leading juvenile Colts declared to run, it promises to be a cracker and should provide plenty of pointers for those looking towards identifying the leading two year olds who will be contenders for the top honours as three year olds in 2011 for a race that has provided two of the last five winners of the Epsom Derby and down the years has become synonymous with providing indicators about horses to look out for in the future.
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The favourite for Saturday’s renewal of the Dewhurst is a Frankel, a Colt dubbed “the best two year old I’ve trained” and coming from none other than Henry Cecil, that is some compliment for this son of Galileo who is 4/6 to land the £200,000 first prize and already 9/4 clear favourite to land the 2000 Guineas next May.
Unbeaten in three starts with a cumulative winning distance of over 23 lengths, Frankel has given every reason for the media hype surrounding him to be justified and whilst the Dewhurst will be the biggest task to date in his juvenile campaign, the manner in which he demolished rivals in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot last time out provided enough evidence to suggest he should be capable of seeing off better opposition.
The main threats to Frankel come in the form of two other unbeaten Colts in the form of the David Simcock trained Dream Ahead and Godolphin’s Saamidd, both of whom are also second and third favourite in the Guineas market.
Neither of these runners has put a foot wrong so far this season and connections of both have every reason to be confident that they may have a future superstar amongst their ranks. Dream Ahead is rated better of the two and in fact is rated higher than Frankel on official ratings judged on his nine length victory in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes earlier this month which boasted several useful prospects, three of which had already won in Group company including Royal Ascot winners Strong Suit and Approve. The extra furlong of the Dewhurst should pose a problem for Dream Ahead and makes plenty of appeal as an alternative to the favourite at a best price 7/2 with William Hill and
Boylesports .
Saamidd has a bit more to prove than the front two in the betting and based on the line of form with Approve who he beat by 2 ¼ lengths last team out, Dream Ahead should have the measure of the Godolphin runner but nothing is certain with all three principles open to further improvement, however, Frankie Dettori’s mount would have to prove he can handle any cut in the ground if the heavens open over Newmarket, something Frankel and Dream Ahead have both proven.
If any of the other three runners declared to run in the race were to win it would be classed as a huge shock up against these three exciting prospects and whilst there can only be one winner this looks as strong a renewal of this insightful two year of contest there has been for some time and it would be no surprise to see all three leading players in the Classics next spring.
