Kessaar can grind out win in Mill Reef
“Swift as a bird I flew down many a course. Princes, Lords, Commoners all sang my praise.
“In victory or defeat I played my part. Remember me, all men who love the horse, If hearts and spirits flag in after days; though small, I gave my all. I gave my heart.”
Those fine words, which are inscribed at the statue of the great Mill Reef at the National Stud at Newmarket, were read out in a speech by his breeder Paul Mellon at the 1970 Gimcrack Dinner. An absolute superstar in the early ’70s, Mill Reef won the Derby, the King George VI and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe amongst other top races, and has the honour of having a race named after him, with the Mill Reef Stakes replacing the Crookham in 1972.
I wasn’t even born back then, so perhaps can’t appreciate him as much as some of our older readers might, although the wonder of YouTube gives my generation some idea of his talent, and it’s well worth looking back over some of his famous wins.
Having waxed lyrical about the champion, which died in 1986, I’d love to seamlessly move on to today’s edition of the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes (2.55 Newbury) with a confident bet on a really talented two-year-old.
But the truth is, I’m finding the 2018 renewal quite difficult to figure out, with True Mason, Shine So Bright, Kessaar and The Irish Rover all making my shortlist.
Or perhaps I should call it a longlist.
He’s got more to come, and it’s interesting to see he has a Group One Middle Park Stakes entry for next week
True Mason is improving and ran well in a French Group One last time, while Shine So Bright has placed at this level in his last two races.
Shine So Bright finished ahead of The Irish Rover in the Gimcrack at York, and the latter may find it hard to reverse the form. But I’m going to try get off the fence and a tentative vote goes to Kessaar, which is trading at 9/2 at the time of writing.
John Gosden’s colt got off the mark on the third time of asking when landing a minor event at Windsor in July, but he simply looked out of sorts when subsequently well beaten in a Listed event at Ripon in August.
He put that flop behind him when taking a Group Three on the all-weather at Kempton earlier this month, suggesting he’s got more to come, and it’s interesting to see he has a Group One Middle Park Stakes entry for next week.
Frankie Dettori takes the reins and the Italian can make it a double, having won this race last year on board James Garfield. My biggest wager of the day will be at Catterick, where Napanook looks a cracking bet around 2/1 in the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes (1.50).
He’s yet to win a race in four attempts, but it’s only a matter of time and this looks like a relatively straightforward contest with only a couple of horses having a realistic chance here.
A reasonably good fourth in a six-furlong maiden at Goodwood last time, Brian Meehan’s colt appeared to run out of gas in the final furlong, so the step back down to the minimum distance should give him a boost.
He should have enough to see off Fognini which appears to be going well based purely on results – but that horse is perhaps flattered somewhat as his success came in fairly weak events.
For something at a bigger price, consider backing Take Cover around 7/1 in the Group Three Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at Newbury (3.30).
Last year’s winner is now 11, but he’s still putting in some big races at the top level, and is not quite in decline just yet.