Day one of the 2024 Future Champions Festival kicks off at Newmarket on Friday and there are five Group races on the card, including the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile.
The big-race features this season’s star juvenile, Desert Flower, who is bidding to maintain her unbeaten record.
Our expert, Clive Gildon, has a trio of selections on the card, including one in the feature race, another in the chief supporting race and one in the big handicap.
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Friday’s tips
3.00 Newmarket – Noble Dynasty
3.35 Newmarket – Desert Flower
4.10 Newmarket – Highland Bling
3.00 Newmarket – Noble Dynasty
The chief supporting race on the card is the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes (3.00) and the class act in the field is the Charlie Appleby-trained Noble Dynasty.
He has some smart form at this track and thrashed the subsequent Buckingham Palace winner, English Oak, by two lengths in a handicap over course and distance in May, despite giving his rival 15lb.
That was an outstanding effort and Noble Dynasty followed up when beating a back-to-form Nostrum in the Criterion Stakes on the July course and the front two pulled nicely clear that day, further underlining Noble Dynasty’s liking for Newmarket.
He was well held at Goodwood last time, finishing last of eight, but was always struggling after a slow start that day and is capable of bouncing back at his favourite track after a 73-day absence.
3.35 Newmarket – Desert Flower
The Fillies’ Mile (3.35) is the feature race on the card and it should be a first Group 1 win for Noble Dynasty’s stablemate Desert Flower, who has looked good when going unbeaten through three starts.
Desert Flower has looked top class on all three occasions and improved on maiden and novice wins on the July course when running away with the May Hill at Doncaster last month.
The Appleby-trained filly quickly settled the race that day with a smart turn of foot and had the reopposing January well held a length-and-a-half back in second in an impressive time.
Desert Flower should be capable of even better than she showed that day now that she is returned to Newmarket and she can cement her place at the head of the market for next year’s 1,000 Guineas by stretching her unbeaten record to four.
4.10 Newmarket – Highland Bling
The Old Rowley Cup Handicap (4.10) is a fantastic contest featuring several potentially top-class three-year-olds, and Highland Blind might be capable of springing a surprise.
The Jessica Harrington-trained gelding won a maiden at Fairyhouse in June and put a below-par run at Royal Ascot next time behind him when twice second in handicaps at Galway and Gowran Park. He is 1lb lower than when beaten a neck the second time and is well treated.
Highland Bling needs to bounce back from a below-par run at Listowel last time, but that was over further than this trip and he didn’t appear to stay. The shorter distance can do the trick and Tom Marquand takes over from 7lb claimer Keithen Kennedy, which is an upgrade in the plate.
Marquand also has a winner, a second and two thirds from just ten rides for the Harrington stable over the last five seasons, which suggests that Highland Bling’s connections mean business.
*all odds correct at time of writing and subject to change
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