Dubai Duty Free Stakes(registered As The Fred Darling Stakes) |
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| Group 3, Newbury 13:25 £95,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 7f, Class 1  |
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The early-season trials for the fillies seldom lack for intrigue, and at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday, and this presents its usual blend of promise and uncertainty. Run over seven furlongs, it is a race that asks a familiar question of its participants: not simply how good they are, but how far they might yet go.
Among those seeking an answer is Touleen, a filly whose two-year-old campaign contained both encouragement and ambiguity. Trained by Owen Burrows, she made an immediate impression when winning on debut at this track, a performance that suggested both natural pace and a degree of professionalism beyond her experience. That promise was reinforced at Leicester, where she accounted for Zanthos in a conditions event that, at the time, appeared to confirm her upward trajectory.
The narrative shifted at Newmarket Racecourse in the Rockfel Stakes, where the form was reversed and Touleen finished well below expectations. Context, however, is rarely irrelevant. A subsequent dirty scope offered explanation, if not excuse, and her connections now return her to action with the hope that the earlier impression was the more accurate one.
“The plan is for Touleen to run on Saturday as we stand anyway,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to owners Shadwell.
“Touch wood Owen and the team have been very happy with her and it’s a good place to start her off, just down the road.”
The booking of Saffie Osborne, in the absence of Jim Crowley, adds a further layer of interest, though the task itself remains unchanged. This is, by design, a stepping stone towards the 1000 Guineas, and performances here are judged as much on implication as outcome.
No catching her! ⚡️
— oddsracing (@oddsRacing) September 20, 2025
🌙 Catching The Moon rises to the occasion to take the Group 3 Firth Of Clyde for @RichardFahey at @ayrracecourse!pic.twitter.com/6WyV7xOuzI
She is unlikely to have matters her own way. Catching The Moon, from the yard of Richard Fahey, arrives with established Group form, albeit at a shorter trip. Her success in the Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr marked her down as a filly of both speed and tenacity, and this step up to seven furlongs may reveal more about her range than her raw ability.
“She’s in good form and we’re trying to get her ready for Newbury. The Guineas trial races are good, they don’t put weak ones in there,” said Richard Fahey.
“We’re just trying to see how she is. It’s tough winning a Group Three at the end of the season and she’s carrying that (penalty) all year.
“There’s no easy option for her, but we’ll see how she gets on at Newbury and then we’ll make a plan.”
Others add depth rather than clarity. Princess Petrol, representing Ed Walker, brings a progressive profile, while Senorita Vega, now with Karl Burke after a change of ownership, has already demonstrated her aptitude for this course and distance, a factor that often proves decisive at Newbury.
Notably absent, at least from this particular examination, are Act Of Kindness and America Queen, both diverted to the Nell Gwyn Stakes, a reminder that the Guineas picture is shaped across multiple fronts.
For Touleen, however, the equation is more straightforward. This is a return, a reassessment, and potentially a reintroduction. Whether she confirms the promise of her early days or remains a filly of unfulfilled potential will be determined not by what she did at two, but by what she shows now.
Dubai Duty Free Stakes
£95,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 7f, Class 1
21 entries
Going: Good to Firm
