Hafit’s the confident shout for Newbury

Hafit is a confident pick to start his season with victory in the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup British EBF Conditions Stakes at Newbury.

He hails from the Charlie Appleby yard that again has an embarrassment of riches in the three-year-old department and, while not top of the tree at Moulton Paddocks, he is clearly a nice horse at home as he went off favourite for all three of his juvenile engagements.

He won the first of those at Newmarket and was odds-on to follow up at Haydock.

But unfortunately for his supporters, he had the misfortune to bump into Triple Time, who was heading for the 2000 Guineas until meeting with a setback.

The Dubawi colt then went back to the Newmarket course for the Group Three Zetland Stakes, where he was edged out by stablemate Goldspur and the Joseph O'Brientrained Unconquerable, both of whom went on to acquit themselves well in a Group One in France.

That is pretty strong form and William Buick takes the ride in preference to Walk Of Stars.

Merveillo is a fascinating runner in the Compton Beauchamp Estates Ltd Silver Bar Handicap.

The four-year-old is new to the Jonjo O'Neill yard, having previously been trained in France by Christophe Ferland.

He has also been gelded since his last start, which was rather noteworthy as he was third - admittedly beaten 12 lengths - to the smart Manobo in a Listed race at Saint-Cloud in September.

Bought since then to run in the JP McManus colours, he will presumably go jumping at some stage but he can also make an impact on his British bow.

Connections of Dubai Station will have been wondering how he did not get his head in front last year, as he ended his campaign with a run of seconds - four of them, to be exact.

The final one of those was when splitting the classy pair of Danzeno and Brando at Beverley.

He reappears in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap and while his consistency means he is never going to get a lot of respite from the handicapper, it is equally true that he is more than capable off this mark which is in fact 2lb lower than when last getting his head in front.

Koy Koy can make a successful handicap debut in the Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises Handicap.

The Andrew Balding-trained colt showed ability on his first two starts last year and put that experience to good use on his final run at Newbury, where he made all to justify odds-on favouritism by six and a half lengths.

He could well have a bit more to offer, judged on that.