Queen Catrine seeks breakthrough in Nell Gwyn
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Trainer Charlie Hills faces another big day on Wednesday -- just 72 hours after helping raise thousands of pounds for Racing Welfare by running the London Marathon -- as one of his crack three-year-old fillies, Queen Catrine, will be in action at Newmarket. The One Thousand Guineas entrant will be part of a huge 15-strong field for the Group 3, £65,000 Nell Gwyn Stakes. "We are very pleased with Queen Catrine and she is very forward in her coat although she may find seven furlongs a bit on the sharp side," Hills said. The daughter of Acclamation was wonderfully consistent last season when she placed in the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Margaret and Lowther before finishing third in the Marcel Boussac despite coming into season on race day. "We obviously want to win a Group race with her and she does try very hard," Hills said. "We always thought that she would make up into a better three-year-old. She is entered in all three versions of the Guineas -- in England, Ireland and France -- and we will just have to see how she gets on in the Nell Gwyn before we decide where she goes next.
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"Her jockeys have always felt that she would be better with some juice in the
ground but I am sure that the ground on Wednesday will be beautiful. I would
imagine that there will be a lovely covering of grass."
The Nell Gwyn is a proven trial for May 4's One Thousand Guineas. Last year's
runner-up, Sky Lantern, went on to land the classic while the race has provided
a placed horse in the One Thousand Guineas in each of the previous three years.
Wednesday is the first of 39 racedays at Newmarket in 2014, and this top
quality eight-race card promises to get the season off to a flying start with no
less than 23 horses running who still hold engagements in either the One
Thousand or the Two Thousand Guineas.
In the six-runner European Free Handicap, the unbeaten duo of Shifting Power
and Mushir will put their Two Thousand Guineas credentials on the line against
the likes of Miracle of Medinah and Parbold, while seven of the 10 combatants in
the Feilden Stakes hold Two Thousand Guineas entries including the Irish raider,
Obliterator.
Ger Lyons will find out if he has a classic contender on his hands in
Obliterator. The Qatar Racing-owned colt was an impressive winner of a Curragh
maiden on his only start as a juvenile in September and is a half-brother to the
reigning Irish One Thousand Guineas heroine Just the Judge.
Mark Johnston's Somewhat brings the highest official rating to the contest by
virtue of finishing second in two Group 2 races last season, although he
finished down the field in the Racing Post Trophy. Saeed bin Suroor's True Story
was second to subsequent Breeders' Cup winner Outstrip on debut before easily
winning his second start back at Newmarket and rates a nice prospect.
The afternoon's most valuable event, the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions
Three-Year-Old Sprint, has attracted a high class field of 13 featuring the Two
Thousand Guineas hope, Naadirr. Trained by Marco Botti, Naadirr looked to be a
smart improver after a win at Kempton last time out in November.
Also among those declared is Godolphin's Wedding Ring, winner of the £100,000
Tattersalls Millions Fillies' Median Auction Stakes in September and the
£300,000 Tattersalls Millions Two-Year-Old Fillies' Trophy in October.
"Wedding Ring has been training well on her return from Dubai," trainer
Charlie Appleby commented. "We are pleased with her progress and confident that
dropping back to six furlongs will suit. She should run a competitive race."
Another prominent runner is Toofi, winner of the £100,000 Tattersalls
Millions Median Auction Trophy in September last year.
"He is training very well, and looking at the ratings he must have a chance
on Wednesday," trainer Roger Varian offered. "He is in good condition and we
will be expecting a bold run. He is a sharp horse and with the prize money
involved it looked like an obvious race to start the season with having
qualified for it last year."
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