THE first day of the two-day Dubai Future Champions Festival features the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile with Desert Flower rightfully heading the market after her victory in the May Hill Stakes Group 2 at Doncaster and this race is the best yardstick for the Fillies’ Mile.
At Chepstow it is day one of the Unibet Jump Season Opener featuring a very competitive renewal of the Unibet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle Grade 2with Ryans Rocket, Flying Fortune and Intense Approach all with recent wins, however Vincenzo is my selection on seasonal debut as he certainly has the ability.
My Unibet blog with my Ten to Follow for this Jump Season includes Isaac Des Obeaux who runs in the 4.25 Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Chepstow and he has strong claims here.
Enjoy whether at the races or watching #athome on ITV Racing.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster.
2:25 Newmarket – Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes Fillies Group 3 (7f)
Flight (nap) really caught the eye at Doncaster when third to Desert Flower (runs Fillies’ Mile at 3.35) in the May Hill Stakes Group 2. She really is filling her frame out in good fashion and whatever she does here, she’s going to make a super three-year-old. It’s encouraging she got nearer to Desert Flower at Doncaster than she did when second to her in a Newmarket maiden earlier in the season, and she’s clearly going the right way. She has raced on good or quicker and with the dry forecast conditions should be fine.
3:15 Chepstow – Unibet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle Grade 2 (2m 3½f)
Vincenzo is a good-looking sort that didn’t really hit the heights that you thought he might last year, his second to Diamond Ri (in my Unibet Ten to Follow) at Warwick ending up the highlight of the season, although he won a maiden hurdle at Exeter when heavily odds-on to end his campaign. Vincenzo had wind surgery in February, which says that all might not have been right with him last season. He turns up nice and early this year, which is a positive sign and with the trip and ground looking ideal, he can get his campaign off to a winning start.
3:35 Newmarket – Fillies’ Mile Group 1 (1m)
Desert Flower reappears at Newmarket where she won her first two races in an effort to make it a clean sweep of victories as a juvenile and go into her three-year-old campaign unbeaten. Victory here would see her price shorten even further for next year’s 1000 Guineas, for which she’s already third favourite.
She won well in the May Hill Stakes Group 2 at Doncaster at last time out when beating January, who reopposes, by one and a half lengths, with Flight who runs in the Oh So Sharp Stakes back in third.
The way that Desert Flower quickened away in the final furlong was very smart and whilst Dreamy looks more of a threat than January for the Aidan O’ Brien team the favourite will still come out on top with Anna Swan the one who could pose most of the threat here.
3:50 Chepstow – Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase (2m 7½f)
Wayfinder often goes well fresh (including a win here on seasonal debut a couple of years ago) and looks on a fair mark of 124 based on his second to the Welsh National winner Nassalam last December over this distance. Wayfinder is trained locally at the yard of Rebecca Curtis and of his 24 career starts nine have been at Chepstow with a record of four wins and two seconds. The trip and ground are ideal, and he should go well with the yard in good form too.
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The Wine Tipster
Enjoyed this article? Why not check out some of The Wine Tipster’s other pieces, including his Ten to Follow: a look at the best prospects ahead of the 2024/25 Jumps season!
