Tag Archive for: Charlie Appleby

Desert Flower seals Classic double for Godolphin team

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Desert Flower claimed the Betfred 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket to maintain her flawless record and continue Godolphin’s remarkable weekend.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, who landed the 2000 Guineas with Ruling Court on Saturday, the chestnut was the evens favourite under William Buick.

Buick was hunting for his first success in the race and the duo led the group racing on the far side as a smaller handful challenged up the near side.

Her key rival became Ollie Sangster’s Flight in the final stages, but when Desert Flower met the rising ground she pushed on again and pulled clear of all contenders to prevail by a length. Sangster also saddled the third-placed Simmering.

Desert Flower set the seal on an exceptional weekend for Godolphin, with the owner having also landed Saturday’s Kentucky Derby with Sovereignty to supplement Friday’s Oaks success with Good Cheer.

Appleby said: “It’s been an amazing weekend and I’m genuinely such a lucky person. Outside it seems there’s huge amounts of pressure, but for me it’s enjoyable and to be able to speak to His Highness (Sheikh Mohammed) last night and today and congratulate him on what we’ve achieved and what’s been achieved within Godolphin over in America, it’s been a phenomenal weekend.

“As I said to a few people beforehand, I spoke to the team in America this morning and said ‘thanks very much lads, you’ve really tightened the screw a little bit’. I said ‘I’m normally the one that’s pretty cool’.

“But the filly herself, she’s the one that deserves the plaudits today, let’s not take it away from her. She’s an unbeaten filly, we came here with a lot of confidence as everyone knows and she’s gone and delivered and so therefore, it’s her day.

“She should stay further and we were pretty confident she will do but we’ll let it all settle down and we’ll sort it all out in the coming weeks.”

Betfred Guineas Festival – 1000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse
William Buick on board Desert Flower after winning the Betfred 1000 Guineas (Joe Giddens/PA).

Flight appeared to edge ahead at one stage but Appleby added: “I wasn’t too worried watching the race, we saw it in the Fillies’ Mile and in the May Hill as well, she just goes through those gears.

“At one point, she just looks a little bit sticky but with the dip here, especially on this quicker ground, we knew we would just have to go out and make it (the running).

“I said to get her out, get her into a rhythm and then you’re sat comfortably at the top of the dip, that puts them on their heads a bit and they can stumble or find their feet.”

Desert Flower is now favourite for the Betfred Oaks at Epsom and Appleby said: “I see no reason why she can’t stretch out to the mile and a half, she does all her best work in the last furlong. She settles well, they’re nice conversations to be having.”

Appleby paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed’s enduring enthusiasm for producing and finding Classic calibre competitors around the world.

He added: “The Kentucky Derby has been on the bucket list for 30-plus years, he’s had plenty of other goes at it, so to do that has been an amazing feat, but to do what’s been done this weekend, that’s why he is so passionate about it.

“It’s why thankfully each year he just keeps at it, looking for yearlings, looking for two-year-olds, it’s amazing. We’re having all this success now with the three-year-olds but he’s only worried about the two-year-olds because he knows they are the future.”

Buick was thrilled to make it a Classic double, adding: “I’m a very happy man. Congratulations to everyone, this means the world.

Betfred Guineas Festival – 1000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse
William Buick kisses the trophy after winning the Betfred 1000 Guineas (Joe Giddens/PA).

“To do the Guineas double, the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby and to be a part of it, I just can’t put it into words.

“It was incredible. We looked at the race beforehand, me and Charlie spoke and said we thought we’d have to make our own running.

“You saw what a versatile filly she is, we didn’t think that would be a problem for her. She’s genuine, she’s uncomplicated. She gets organised coming out of the dip, hits the rising ground – she’s all class.

“She’s a beautiful filly and she may even get a little bit further.

“I think she could be (an Oaks filly), that’s the race everyone was thinking of beforehand, we’ll sit down and make a plan. It’s been an amazing weekend for everybody.”

Appleby admits Triple Crown bonus is ‘a great incentive’

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Charlie Appleby has hailed the £2million bonus offered by Betfred to any horse capable of winning the Triple Crown as “great for the sport”.

The Triple Crown comprises of the 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger and was last achieved by Nijinsky in 1970, while Camelot came close in 2012, failing by just three-quarters of a length at the final stage.

Appleby’s Ruling Court landed the first leg on Saturday and with Betfred sponsoring all five British Classics this year, founder Fred Done was quick to remind the trainer of the carrot.

While the Godolphin colours were carried to Classic glory at Newmarket, the owner also won the Kentucky Derby and Oaks at Churchill Downs.

“It’s been an unbelievable weekend for Godolphin. Somebody told me the same owner hadn’t won the Kentucky Derby and Oaks since 1952 and it was great to play a part with our fella,” said Appleby.

“Throughout the winter, we’d always viewed him as more of a Derby horse than a Guineas horse, but then over the last couple of weeks it was a race that we felt instead of being hopeful, that he’d run well in.

“We couldn’t see anything else coming forward – apart from the favourite, who had been impressive in the Craven and had our utmost respect.

“When I looked at the rest of the field, there was nothing to run away from.

“Obviously there’s the huge bonus for the Triple Crown this year and we’ll just take each race as it comes.

“We’ve got the Derby next and all being well, he’ll be there. The bonus is a great incentive, it’s great for the sport, it’s put it back on the table.

“We see things like this in all other sports, so why not racing, so thanks to Fred for putting it there for everyone to have a crack at.

“We’ll let everything calm down for a week but I can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t be going to Epsom, that was always the plan.”

As well as saddling the winner, Appleby was also responsible for the third, last year’s champion juvenile Shadow Of Light.

He went on: “With Shadow Of Light, Mickael (Barzalona) just said he wished he had a lead for longer and he didn’t expect to have the acceleration he did, had he been able to take a lead for longer, he thought he stayed no problem.

“He is a quick horse but the decision is St James’s Palace or Commonwealth (Cup at Royal Ascot), which would be the easier option, but I see no reason to turn away from the mile.”

Cinderella’s Dream blooms in Dahlia test

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Cinderella’s Dream shone on the Rowley Mile with a neat success in the Betfred Dahlia Stakes.

The bay was one of two Charlie Appleby-trained and Godolphin-owned contenders in the Group Two, and was the chosen ride of William Buick as Ryan Moore partnered Beautiful Love.

As the 11-8 favourite Cinderella’s Dream did not feature prominently in the early stages of the race and had the whole field to pass in the final furlongs, but clearly she was content to bide her time and when asked to go on and win the race, she did so comfortably to prevail by four and a half lengths from Elmalka.

Beautiful Love was a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

Appleby said: “She’s a stronger model this year, definitely, that is one thing we have noticed since she came back from Dubai.

“We actually took her out there to do all that but to be honest with you, she didn’t really, but she’s thrived since she’s been back here.

“It was pleasing to see her do that, her work had been very good at home and her lead horse had been Beautiful Love so when she was still there swinging two out, I just thought Will just had to give her the office and she’d quicken away.

“Will said it is not very often you travel into the dip still pulling.”

Cinderella’s Dream was a Grade One winner in America last year but suffered an unlucky half-length defeat at the Breeders’ Cup meeting, a statistic Appleby is eager to right.

He added: “The grand plan is to work back from the Breeders’ Cup, she was unlucky in the Filly & Mare Turf last year and that’s the target again. She’ll probably have one race before it out there.

“Normally we send our fillies out to America but she looks very good, I’m just not that familiar with the programme for them here! I’ll go away and have a look, she’s beaten some smart fillies today but they’ll be more frightened of us wherever she goes I imagine.”

Ruling Court takes charge to give Appleby another Guineas triumph

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Ruling Court held off big-race favourite Field Of Gold to give Charlie Appleby his third Betfred 2000 Guineas win in four years at Newmarket.

The choice of William Buick, the son of Justify – who cost €2.3million at the breeze-up sales in May last year – was ridden confidently by the Godolphin number one, with Kieran Shoemark never far behind on the John and Thady Gosden-trained Craven scorer Field Of Gold, as they raced from stalls 11 and 10 respectively.

Shoemark was still motionless as Buick was urging his mount to quicken entering the dip, where Ruling Court showed a willing response to soon head the Classic field and join stablemate Shadow Of Light, who had emerged as a real danger from those who started on the far side.

Ruling Court’s stamina came to the fore as he knuckled down to fight his Dewhurst-winning stablemate in the closing stages and having beaten off that rival and Mickael Barzalona, he kept on strongly as Field Of Gold came home strongly to get within half a length of the 9-2 scorer.

Appleby – who struck with Notable Speech 12 months ago – said: “John Gosden’s horse looked great, I thought, and the way he won the Craven he was the horse we all had to beat, and it’s been hard for William – it was a tough call to get off a champion two-year-old (Shadow Of Light), but we all got our heads together and hopefully got the right people on the right horses.

“Everyone had their chance in the dip to come and have a crack at it and obviously William got a nice clear run. I was delighted also with Shadow Of Light and I thought at one stage it would be a good match race going on here.

“John’s horse as expected was always going to come to the party late on and he put it up to Ruling Court, but it was a great ride from William and he’s a very nice horse.”

Coral cut Ruling Court to 5-1 for the Derby on the back of his Newmarket display, with Appleby now set to discuss an Epsom tilt with the Godolphin team having opened his Classic account for the new campaign.

The Ruling Court team celebrate
The Ruling Court team celebrate (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)

He added: “You could see him as a Derby horse and that’s what we had our minds set on in the winter. There will be nice healthy discussions on Derby plans.

“Ruling Court has been an exciting horse since we purchased him. We’ll let the dust settle and enjoy the moment and then we’ll start to map out the rest of the year out from there.

“You enjoy these days and learn to enjoy them because they’re special. You can go through the season’s highs and lows and I’ve tried to teach myself to sit back and enjoy it sometimes.”

Having made the correct call by electing to ride Ruling Court, Buick was thrilled to win the opening Classic of the year for the second year running and has no doubts about the colt’s suitability for Epsom.

William Buick kisses the trophy after Ruling Court's victory
William Buick kisses the trophy after Ruling Court’s victory (David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA)

“We had a very high opinion of this horse last year and he came into the winter and was always going to run in Dubai in the Jumeirah Guineas and he put up an amazing performance,” said Buick.

“He gave me something to think about on the way back from Dubai that night. I knew we had the Dewhurst winner in the stable as well, so I’ve been thinking a lot for the last however many months.

“He lengthened all the way to the line, he looks like a horse who could get further in time, he’s got a huge engine and that was only his fourth run. It’s unbelievable.

“I think it would be hard not to think about the Derby strongly – that’s what everyone wants. If you think a horse is going to stay, the Guineas is always a good marker and a good trial.

“Before Masar won the Derby he was third in the Guineas. This horse has won the Guineas and is going to get further. You don’t quite know whether he’s going to get a mile and a half, but you’d feel a mile and a quarter is within his grasp and the last furlong and a half at Epsom is when you’ll find out.”

Desert Flower and Lake Victoria poised for Classic showdown

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Charlie Appleby is struggling to find any negatives ahead of Desert Flower’s bid for glory in the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday.

The daughter of Night Of Thunder carried all before as a juvenile, rounding off an unbeaten four-race campaign with a demolition job over the Guineas course and distance in the Fillies’ Mile.

Having blown away work watchers with a sparkling racecourse gallop at last month’s Craven meeting, Desert Flower is favourite to provide her trainer with a first victory in the first fillies’ Classic of the season and confidence in the camp appears high.

“She’s in great order, she’s done everything that’s been asked of her and has wintered well,” Appleby said at Newmarket on Thursday.

“Everyone got a chance to see her here when we galloped her. Visually she galloped very well and most importantly she came out of it in good order and came forward for it.

“She looks, on paper and what we’ve seen of her, uncomplicated. The ground looks like it’s going to be on the quick side and it doesn’t look like that should be a negative anyway.

“She’s been on the track, she’s encountered the dip and I’m sure on Sunday we might see that coming into the top of the dip she’s under the pump, but as soon as she hits the rising ground she’s away.

“If she can repeat what she did last year we’ll be very happy.”

Lake Victoria winning the Cheveley Park Stakes
Lake Victoria winning the Cheveley Park Stakes (Mike Egerton/PA)

Another top-class filly who has yet to taste defeat is Aidan O’Brien’s Lake Victoria, who won each of her five starts at two including a hat-trick of Group One wins in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Cheveley Park and at the Breeders’ Cup.

O’Brien voiced concerns over whether his Frankel filly would be ready to return at Newmarket earlier this spring, but she has won her race against time to make it to Headquarters.

“The plan with her was to go to the Curragh on Monday for the Athasi, but she came so quick in the last two weeks – she can do that,” said O’Brien.

“Obviously the plan was the Athasi, but they changed the distance from seven furlongs to a mile so we thought if she was going to run over a mile first time out we might as well do it in the Guineas.

“She’ll come forward plenty but she’s in good form, we’d certainly never had one do what she did last year, win Group Ones over six and seven furlongs and a mile.”

Red Letter in action at the Curragh
Red Letter in action at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)

The Ger Lyons-trained Red Letter was not beaten far when fourth behind Lake Victoria in the Moyglare in September and takes her on again over the Rowley Mile.

Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “She’s in good shape and training well.

“The ground is going to be a little quicker than ideal, but it’s good and safe and the track have done a great job watering.

“We’re going to get her season up and running and see how we go. She has smart form and she’s finished behind Lake Victoria in the Moyglare, who is obviously very good. We like our filly and Ger and Colin (Keane) hold her in high regard.”

Archie Watson’s Duty First was supplemented following her surprise success in the Fred Darling at Newbury, while Ralph Becket’s Chantilly Lace and Elwateen from Saeed bin Suroor’s yard both have their sights raised after winning on their respective debuts last season.

Ollie Sangster’s pair of Flight and Simmering, Jack Channon’s Fred Darling runner-up Hey Boo and and Andrew Balding’s Nell Gwyn third Remaat also feature.

Alpine Trail proving a pleasant surprise for Charlie Appleby

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Alpine Trail entered Charlie Appleby’s Derby calculations in maintaining his unbeaten record at Newmarket.

The Dubawi colt was sent off the 10-11 favourite in the hands of William Buick for the Nyetimber Newmarket Stakes and showed he is on the up by coming home strongly in the Listed event to deny and John and Thady Gosden’s Nebras by three lengths.

“He’s been improving with every start and has done nothing wrong,” said Appleby.

“At home he’s never been exciting to watch but as the lads keep saying, he’s a hard horse to get past if you’ve got one in the gallop with him. He was a big, raw Dubawi last year and he needed a bit of time. We gave him all the time he needed and he’s repaid us so far.”

Alpine Trail was handed a quote of 25-1 for the Epsom Classic by Paddy Power, but would need supplementing for the June 7 contest providing he passes his next assignment, with Appleby considering a quick return to the track at Lingfield on May 10.

“We could look at the Lingfield Derby Trial or something like that,” added Appleby.

“Do I think he’s really a Derby horse? I don’t really know because he wouldn’t jump out at home, but then you can’t fault what he’s doing on the track. He’s not in the Derby, but at any stage we can pop him in, so I think let’s get him to Lingfield and see what happens there.

“He’s done it nicely today and I think he showed there he will stay. Stepping up to a mile and a half, he might take another step forward again, but you will need to if you are going to be what we’re looking for.”

In the opening Darley EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, Hollie Doyle got the better of her husband Tom Marquand as Zgharta saw off Pearla.

Andrew Balding’s daughter of Ghaiyyath saw the form of her previous track second to Charlie Appleby’s Victory Queen franked earlier in the week and as such was sent off the 13-8 favourite stepping up in trip.

However, despite opening her account, she could now revert to a mile for a possible Royal Ascot tilt.

“I’m relieved she’s a winner but she probably didn’t quite see out the trip as well as we thought, so we will have to consider coming back in trip,” said Balding.

“I thought she would stay it well but Hollie felt she was running on fumes a bit the last half-furlong.

“I think her class and experience got her through it and time will tell, but I would expect there were some nice fillies in the race and it wasn’t a bad effort considering.

“We could possibly look at the Sandringham at Royal Ascot, but I’ll have to discuss it with Imad (Al Sagar, owner) and see how she feels. We’ll see how we go, but I think a stiff mile is what we will be looking at now.”

Balding had further success on the card when Miss Information (3-1) claimed the Betfred “Nifty 50” Handicap in the hands of Oisin Murphy.

The trainer added: “We were happy with the way she came on since her first run of the season and she did it well and is a lovely filly.

“She’s still in the handicap system so we might look at the Victoria Cup at Ascot if it doesn’t come to soon. Something like the Bunbury Cup could also work well for her as she likes it at Newmarket.”

Meanwhile, Marquand did eventually find the scoresheet when Ed Walker’s Fort George (100-30) was another to get off the mark on the day in the Betfred “The Classic Bookmaker” Handicap.

“Gelding helped him and we try to buy horses with a bit of future in them and he’s a lovely horse going the right way who has probably done his job today,” said Alex Cole, racing manager to owner Fitri Hay.

“We were very disappointed when he got beat at Newcastle (in his final start at two) but in hindsight it served its purpose and he got a nice mark and won this race well.

“Ed Walker has done a fantastic job and hopefully there is more to come. If it isn’t broke, we’ll not try to fix it so we could stay at a mile.”

French Guineas the target for Craven runner-up Aomori City

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Aomori City is likely to head for the French 2000 Guineas having finished third in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket.

The Vintage Stakes winner, who went on to run well at the highest level in France and America late in the season, was beaten almost four lengths by the impressive Field Of Gold.

Trainer Charlie Appleby told Racing TV: “I was delighted with Aomori City. Will (Buick) said he just lost his back end coming out of the gate, as the plan was to go forward given the experience he’s got and we felt he was fit enough to do that.

“Will said he just sat in the gate, missed the kick which left him in the position he was in and the race developed on the stands side as it has all week and they didn’t go a great gallop.

“He ended up having a nice race going forward, I was pleased and I’d say we’ll probably end up looking at something like the French Guineas with him. He’ll go there with experience, the mile there won’t hinder him and hopefully on a sound surface he’d have a live shot.”

In the same race the previously unbeaten Opera Ballo lost all chance by racing keenly in the early stages.

“Opera Ballo, of course you are disappointed when a horse is two from two and they meet with their first defeat,” Appleby said.

“I had to say to the team this morning, everyone got excited as he was following the Notable Speech route but he didn’t because he didn’t take the third run and he didn’t have that for a reason, he wasn’t mentally and physically ready to go again.

“We gave him a bit longer, we thought this was an opportunity to throw him not completely in at the deep end in a nice race and we saw all the rawness and greenness, he flew the lids, the plan was to get in behind horses but unfortunately James (Doyle) had no choice but to take the pain.

“All credit to the horse, he showed the potential I think he’s got because he kept galloping and after what he did early he could quite easily have dropped away at the two-pole.”

Military Code has Appleby thinking of Royal Ascot

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Charlie Appleby put a mixed start to the season behind him by registering his second double of the Craven meeting with Military Code and Indian Spring in the opening two contests on Thursday.

The Godolphin trainer has seen the likes of Mountain Breeze, Al Qudra, Verse Of Love, Aomori City and Opera Ballet beaten in trials in recent days, although he did leave his home track on Tuesday with a brace.

And Military Code, a homebred colt by Wootton Bassett, has him thinking of Royal Ascot after winning the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at 6-1 in just a five-runner race.

Appleby said: “We came here with a bit of confidence, but then he went on the drift in the market – probably related to the kind of week we’ve had. He’d done some nice work and as a physical you can’t fault him.

“We’ve got a little group of two-year-olds we like and hopefully they’ll all come along together. We’d hoped he’d be an Ascot-type of horse and he’s still on track.

“We’ll let the dust settle, we might look at the National Stakes which would be over five (furlongs) again, but we’ve potentially got another couple of two-year-olds so we’ll see where they are as well – standing here you’d probably say six will be his trip, the Coventry.”

Indian Springs showed a smart turn of foot
Indian Springs showed a smart turn of foot (Joe Giddens/PA)

In the following Alex Scott Maiden Stakes, Indian Springs built on his promising sole run from last year.

Another homebred, the son of Too Darn Hot is related to the useful sprinter Lazuli but was up against other colts who had shown plenty of ability in their short careers.

One of those, Nakeeb, was always handy, while Mishriff’s brother Kaleido was the one William Buick chose to follow on the 2-1 favourite.

Indian Springs showed a very smart turn of foot on entering the dip and quickened up to win by two and a half lengths from Nakeeb, with Kaleido keeping on nicely in third.

Buick told Racing TV: “He did that really nicely, he’d only had the one run at Kempton at the back end of last year so that was really pleasing.

“I think he’ll improve in every way, I think he’ll get a mile in time. He’s bred to be quite speedy, but I loved the way he did it today, he relaxed and finished off strongly.

Appleby happy with Shadow Of Light’s ‘faultless’ preparation for 2000 Guineas

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Shadow Of Light is firmly on course for the Betfred 2000 Guineas, with trainer Charlie Appleby feeling confident he can make the step up to a mile.

Winner of four of his five juvenile starts, Shadow Of Light completed a quickfire Group One double in the autumn, winning the six-furlong Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket before returning to the track just two weeks later to land the seven-furlong Dewhurst.

The Lope De Vega colt will head to the May 3 Classic as a 7-1 chance with the big-race sponsor and continued his “faultless” preparation with a racecourse gallop on Wednesday.

William Buick with Shadow Of Light after victory in the Dewhurst
William Buick with Shadow Of Light after victory in the Dewhurst (Mike Egerton for The Jockey Club)

Appleby said: “I’m pleased with that work, he’s done very well physically and looks great. It’s all systems go towards the Guineas.

“His preparation has gone faultlessly. It was always the plan to come here, he was never in line to come for a trial.

“We’re stepping up to the mile and that’s the question mark of course, but you couldn’t be worried about that from what we saw in the Dewhurst. It was very testing ground and you have to bear in mind he’d won the Middle Park two weeks earlier.

“There is a question mark going up to the mile, but we have a lot of confidence from what we saw on Dewhurst day and what we’re seeing as a physical that he’ll see the mile out.

“If he does stay great, it will open up options for the summer, and if he doesn’t he’ll be dropping back for a Commonwealth Cup, it’s quite simple in that respect.”

Notable Speech winning last year's 2000 Guineas
Notable Speech winning last year’s 2000 Guineas (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

Appleby has won two of the last three renewals of the 2000 Guineas, with Coroebus triumphing in 2022 and Notable Speech landing the race 12 months ago and the Godolphin trainer feels Shadow Of Light is a different prospect to either of those two contenders.

He said: “Notable Speech came in as an all-weather horse who turned all the corners from the new year onwards and Coroebus was an Autumn Stakes winner who just needed more time physically.

“This horse is a half-brother to a champion two-year-old (Earthlight) and ended up being champion two-year-old himself, so he is pacier and naturally a more athletic horse. In the mornings everything is that bit more simple for him, whereas Notable Speech and Coroebus were slower burners.

“On the flip side, those two had done it at a decent level at a mile, whereas this fella hasn’t and until you’ve been there and done it, no matter how clever we all think we are, you’re not really going to know.”

Appleby has multiple 2000 Guineas options, including impressive Meydan Listed scorer Ruling Court who also worked at Newmarket.

The Justify colt is already proven at a mile and while he is viewed as a potential Derby horse, an outing in the first Classic of the year is not out of the question.

Appleby said: “We planned originally to go to Sandown (for the Classic Trial on April 25) with him and after the work this morning we’ll decipher our plan on what we’re going to do.

“He’s in the Guineas mix for sure, as well as Sandown, and the Guineas is one of the best Derby trials anyway – we’ve seen the Derby winner come from it many a time.

“The Guineas might be a race we look towards as a trial for the Derby. I was very pleased with what I saw out there this morning from him and obviously he’s come here today off the back of a run in Meydan, which visually was very impressive and he’s come out of it very well.

“We would look at him as a Derby horse, but from we feel he could be competitive in a Guineas as well. He’s the sort of horse where if he finished third or fourth in a Guineas, you’d be delighted and thinking he’s ready to step up (in trip).

“He could go to Sandown and without sounding too bullish he’d probably take a lot of beating, but you wouldn’t learn as much as you would out there in a Guineas.”

Charlie Appleby impressed with racecourse gallop from Desert Flower

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Charlie Appleby declared himself impressed after seeing his Betfred 1000 Guineas favourite Desert Flower put through her paces in a racecourse gallop at Newmarket on Wednesday morning.

The Night Of Thunder filly is the 11-8 favourite with the sponsor for Classic glory on May 4 after winning each of her four juvenile runs, culminating in Group One glory in the Fillies’ Mile last October.

Back on the Rowley Mile for her morning work, Desert Flower came home clear of her galloping companion, with Appleby enthusiastic about her Guineas chance.

He said: “She’s done great, she’s had a great winter and a few people have asked me whether she’s been in Dubai as she has a great skin on her.

“Physically she’s done very well, she’s a very powerful filly and you couldn’t not be impressed by her this morning.

“Those good horses can go on any ground, she’s shown that versatility and hopefully we get a clear run.

“She’s a funny filly in that if you were betting on her in running, from the three to the two furlong pole you’d be getting a little bit twitchy because she’s a big filly and takes a little bit of organising, but once she organises herself and finds that stride and that rhythm she sees it out.

“Before the Fillies’ Mile I thought she might just lose herself in the dip and she did, but once she hits the rising ground she’s away. She did it that day and I feel she’s done it again today.

“When you’ve got those unbeaten fillies they’re always exciting and she’s a Group One-winning filly.”

Desert Flower was joined in the racecourse action by Appleby’s 2000 Guineas entries Shadow Of Light and Ruling Court, along with the four-year-old Notable Speech.

The Dubawi colt won five of his seven starts last year, making the leap to Group One glory in the Guineas before adding further top-level success in the Sussex Stakes.

He disappointed on soft ground in the Prix du Moulin but finished his year with a fine third back on quicker conditions in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, with Appleby looking towards the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, although the going would have to be suitable if he is to reappear next month.

The Godolphin trainer said: “I’m delighted with him, he looks great and I’m very pleased.

“I wasn’t going to bring him up here, but I just thought that ground was here and it was an opportunity for him to have an enjoyable day out.

“We’re looking towards the Lockinge with him, but he is ground dependent. We went to Longchamp pretty confident he wasn’t going to handle it, but until you’ve ran on it you don’t know and if they don’t turn up on that ground, you can at least put a line through it going forward.

“We were hopeful we were going to keep in training as a four-year-old and we know now not to waste a run by running him on slow ground.

“The race we’re working back from is the Queen Anne, all being well. I think he learnt plenty in America and that’s the sort of race I’ll hopefully be trying to work back from again – a swansong round Del Mar, he’ll enjoy that.”

Appleby pair flying the Godolphin flag in fascinating renewal of Craven

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Aomori City will get his campaign under way and test any Classic aspirations in the bet365 Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday.

The Oasis Dream colt acquitted himself well as a juvenile, winning on debut and in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood alongside placed runs in the July Stakes, National Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

The latter run saw him beaten only three-quarters of a length on his mile debut, and he returns to the same trip on the Rowley Mile as he gets his three-year-old career started in the hands of William Buick.

“Aomori City is a rock-solid horse who put up some very creditable efforts as a juvenile. He wintered out in Dubai and goes into this in great shape – he looks well and everyone is very pleased with him,” Appleby said.

“He proved his consistency last season and brings a good level of form into the race.”

Appleby also runs Opera Ballo, who brings forward an unbeaten record having won two all-weather contests over the winter by significant margins. James Doyle takes the mount on the son of Ghaiyyath.

Appleby told the Godolphin website: “Opera Ballo is two from two, although he needs to answer a few questions in deeper company now. He is an exciting individual, but needs to prove himself at this level.”

Buick, who as retained rider to Godolphin had the pick of Aomori City and Opera Ballo, said: “It was a really difficult decision and to make those choices is a privilege in itself.

“It’s a trial obviously and we’ll learn plenty, especially with Opera Ballo who to date has only run at Kempton.

“Aomori City has got some solid form, he was only narrowly beaten by Henri Matisse in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He’s a solid horse in his own right and probably wants fast ground.

“We’ll see, it’s going to be interesting. We’re all going to learn plenty.”

Another horse who caught the eye as a juvenile is James Owen’s Wimbledon Hawkeye, who won the Royal Lodge over course and distance in the autumn and collected other notable pieces of form including a second-placed Acomb run behind The Lion In Winter, with the Appleby-trained Ruling Court behind him in third.

“He’s in great form, he looks like he’s really strengthened up a lot,” Owen said.

“His work has been strong but he’s still going to come on for the run, it’s going to be a nice prep race.

“This will pave the way for whatever comes next for him, whether that be the Guineas or the Dante.”

Andrew Balding runs Qatar Racing’s New Century, who took the Summer Stakes at Woodbine last term and was fourth when two lengths behind the winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

“He’s really coming together at home and we’re really hopeful for his season ahead,” the in-form trainer said.

“New Century is a top-level winner already and a very smart horse and I wouldn’t be able to split him and (Greenham winner) Jonquil on their work at home to be honest, they are similar.

“However, I would say New Century is probably likely to stay further and will want further than a mile in time.”

Elsewhere is John and Thady Gosden’s Field Of Gold, winner of the Solario Stakes last year and fourth in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Ralph Beckett’s Matauri Bay, second in the Solario, also lines up, as does Hugo Palmer’s The Waco Kid, Karl Burke’s The Watcher and Raphael Freire’s Benevento.

Victory Queen up and running with stylish HQ verdict

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Victory Queen made the perfect start to her racing career when upholding family honour in the bet365 British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.

A half-sister to 2000 Guineas and Royal Ascot hero Coroebus, Charlie Appleby’s daughter of Kingman was sent off at 100-30 for her debut at the scene of one of her sibling’s finest hours.

And she delivered a performance that suggests she could be a smart performer in her own right, as having moved into contention, she scooted clear of what on paper read as a smart collection of rivals.

Andrew Balding’s 9-4 favourite Zgharta did close the gap in the closing stages to half a length under Hollie Doyle, but paid the price for being outpaced at a time when William Buick was moving stylishly forwards on Victory Queen.

Appleby’s assistant Alex Merriam said: “It’s her first and run and she was learning on the job a bit, but she’s done it all quite smoothly.

“She was up against a few more experienced horses and on this ground especially I think it’s an advantage if you’d had a run, so hopefully she’ll improve for it.

“Speaking to Charlie there I think we’ll probably find another novice for her and just creep away and see how we go, nothing too exciting yet.

“William seems happy enough with her and I think we’re happy to stick to a mile for the time being.”

Appleby, Buick and Godolphin then doubled up on the day as Treasure Fleet took the Each Way Extra At bet365 Handicap by a length and a half as the 9-4 favourite.

Crisford team keen on Arabian Dusk’s Nell Gwyn chance

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Ed Crisford expects Arabian Dusk to be “bang there in the mix, if not winning” when she makes her seasonal debut in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket.

The Havana Grey filly arguably sets the standard on juvenile form, having claimed Group Two honours in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on the July Course last summer before rounding off her campaign with a third-place finish behind Lake Victoria in the Cheveley Park Stakes in September.

She will step up to seven furlongs for the first time in Tuesday’s 1000 Guineas trial, but connections have no concerns about a lack of stamina.

Crisford, who trains Arabian Dusk in partnership with his father Simon, said: “She’s done very well over the winter, we’re extremely happy with her. She was winning Group Twos and being placed in Cheveley Parks last year, so she brings very good form into the race.

“At this time of year, you never quite know with fillies that have only had one run and are coming through the ranks, but if she turns up as she left off last season, she should be bang there in the mix, if not winning.

“Last year, you could have stepped her up in trip, to be honest. It looks like seven furlongs should be well within her reach.

“She’s shown all the right signs from two to three and I think we’ll learn a lot in terms of where we are with trip and everything – this is what these trials are there for.”

Verse Of Love (left, blue silks) was in a class of her own on debut
Verse Of Love (left, blue silks) was in a class of her own on debut (Mike Egerton/PA)

Charlie Appleby trains the red-hot favourite for the Betfred 1000 Guineas in the unbeaten Desert Flower and bids to strengthen his Classic hand with Verse Of Love, who makes her first appearance since bolting up by five lengths on her course and distance debut in the autumn.

Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “Verse Of Love was impressive over this course and trip at the end of last season. I’m not sure there was great strength in depth to that race, but you couldn’t have been happier with the manner in which she won.

“We had intended to run her out in Dubai but she met with a minor setback, so we missed that engagement. She has done well since and we know that she handles Newmarket.

“It’s a trial, and we will know a lot more about her future afterwards, but we are very pleased with what we have seen so far at home.”

The William Haggas-trained Nardra is another filly who has her sights raised following a facile introductory win at Haydock, while Celestial Orbit won her final two juvenile starts including a decisive Listed success in Sandown’s Star Stakes in July.

Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon is looking forward to seeing Zanzoun step up in class
Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon is looking forward to seeing Zanzoun step up in class (Mike Egerton/PA)

John and Thady Gosden’s Zanzoun has a lot to find on official figures, but the daughter of Dubawi confirmed the promise of two placed efforts with a runaway victory on the all-weather at Southwell in November and optimism is high ahead of her return.

Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “She’s on course and I think John and Thady both said after she won that they’d start her off in the Nell Gwyn this year.

“She’s a nice filly. I think a few things maybe didn’t go her way in a couple of races last year, but she won well on her third run and she’s a filly we like.

“We’re looking forward to seeing her run in a trial and seeing if she’s up to that standard.”

Aomori City leads strong Craven hand for Charlie Appleby

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Aomori City and Opera Ballo are two of four entries for Charlie Appleby in the bet365 Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday.

The Moulton Paddocks handler has saddled three of the last six winners of the 2000 Guineas trial, with the success of subsequent Derby hero Masar in 2018 followed by victories for Master Of The Seas (2021) and Native Trail (2022), both of whom went on to finish second in the Guineas a few weeks later.

Aomori City will bring top-class juvenile form to the table if taking his chance in this year’s Craven Stakes, with a Group Two triumph in Goodwood’s Vintage Stakes followed by two sound efforts in defeat at Group One level in the National Stakes in Ireland and in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Opera Ballo on the other hand has yet to race on grass, but could hardly have been more impressive in winning his first two starts at Kempton, minor races won by stablemate Notable Speech on his way to Guineas glory last season.

Appleby’s Craven team is completed by Al Qudra, who was last seen winning in Qatar but is declared to run on Saturday at Newbury, and Anno Domini, who won his first two outings before finishing fifth in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in the autumn.

The highest-rated horse in the potential field is James Owen’s Royal Lodge winner and Futurity Trophy third Wimbledon Hawkeye, while Andrew Balding could run New Century, who beat Al Qudra in a Grade One in Canada last year before placing fourth at the Breeders’ Cup.

The Juddmonte silks are set to be carried by Field Of Gold, who landed the Solario Stakes at Sandown last summer for John and Thady Gosden and then finished fourth in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp.

Field Of Gold winning at Newmarket
Field Of Gold winning at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)

Juddmonte’s European racing manager, Barry Mahon, said: “That (Craven) is the likely plan, although it is ground dependent as we wouldn’t want to run in a trial on very fast ground.

“I’m told there is a bit of rain forecast for Tuesday/Wednesday next week so we’ll watch and see how that develops, but at the minute he’s on course for the Craven.”

The Ralph Beckett-trained Matauri Bay was second to Field Of Gold in the Solario and could take him on once more on what will be his first competitive appearance since disappointing in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in October.

“It was well-documented he had a troubled passage to France and some issues with the French authorities at Calais, so we have just put a line through that,” said Alex Elliott, racing adviser to Matauri Bay’s part-owners Valmont.

“He looked a good colt on his first two starts last year, so hopefully can get him back on an upwards curve and we’re looking forward to a good year with him.”

Aidan O’Brien’s sole entry is Officer, with Group Three winner The Waco Kid (Hugo Palmer) and the unbeaten pair of The Watcher (Karl Burke) and Tuscan Hills (Raphael Freire) also featuring among 15 entries in total.

Ancient Truth ruled out of Guineas bid following setback

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Godolphin’s Superlative Stakes winner Ancient Truth has met with a setback which will rule him out of the Betfred 2000 Guineas.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Dubawi colt beat Seagulls Eleven and Wimbledon Hawkeye in the Newmarket Group Two, with both placed horses going on to frank the form.

He then lined up in the Dewhurst on his final outing and put up a huge performance to be beaten by only a couple of necks in the generation defining race by stablemate Shadow Of Light and Aidan O’Brien’s Expanded.

Ancient Truth had been as low as 7-1 for the opening Classic on May 3, but he will now miss the race.

In an update posted on X, Godolphin said: “Ancient Truth will no longer be aimed at the 2000 Guineas due to a setback. He will be kept under veterinary supervision and a plan will be made for him for later in the season.”