Clemmie can show she has few peers
Churchill’s sister ready to bolster strong Guineas claims
CLEMMIE was a rather cleverly-named filly after she met the world and at Newmarket today she can make further strides as she bids to ensure a place in racing history right up there with her brother, Churchill.
Clemmie was the wife of Winston Churchill and a life peer. Clemmie may have no peers when it comes to talent in the twoyear-old fillies division and next year’s 1,000 Guineas favourite is fancied to take today’s Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes for Aidan O’Brien.
Speaking since her last run, Ryan Moore marvelled at the Galileo filly’s improvement, especially considering her first two races saw her beaten. Though one should not go overboard about what she achieved in beating Nyaleti in a Group Two over the course and distance when last seen in mid-July, she is a strong filly and there is likely more to come.
Perhaps the main danger is Threading, Nyaleti’s stablemate. Unbeaten in two starts, the slight ease in the ground might even bring out the best in James Doyle’s mount. The Royal Lodge could see Frankel – a son of which was bought for €1.6m at the Goffs Orby yearling sale this week – enjoy another winner in the shape of Nelson. There was something of a boost for his Leopardstown form at Naas last week and the chances are Ryan Moore will go straight to the front with this likeable and handsome bay colt.
This represents a major jump forward grade-wise for Roaring Line, though John Gosden’s colt has a good deal of class.
Gordon Elliott’s pursuit of a Group One winner continues in the Middle Park, in which Beckford bids to give some indication as to what the National Stakes form amounts to. Preference here is for the experienced Unfortunately ,a Society Rock colt which has pretty much gotten better with every run for Karl Burke, who enjoyed a Naas double last Sunday.
Pity the commentator in the Betfred Cambridgeshire, which has attracted a maximum field. Unfortunately’s rider, Jim Crowley, can double up here with
Thundering Blue taken to defy a 6lb rise for a pretty comfortable win over ten furlongs at Sandown last time. He would not want the race to be tactical, but that is hardly too likely given the field size. Bye Bye Baby’s Leopardstown form suffered a bit of a knock when the winner (Lightening Quick) struggled yesterday. However, while probably not a stable star, she is taken to provide O’Brien with a winner in the Blandford Bloodstock Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, with black type a viable aim in due course. Richard Fahey’s filly,
Clubbable, remains a maiden after five starts. However, she is getting that bit closer, and can get off the mark in the nursery, having had a form boost since her last run. The final televised race is the Iliffe Media And Velvet Magazine Handicap. Highland
Colori’s career trajectory has been of the downward variety since he was not beaten especially far at Ascot last October off 101.
Under a year later, he is down to 85, and a case can certainly be made in this for the Andrew Balding runner under David Probert.