It is a rare afternoon on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile that does not feature an impressive – and impressively expensive – pedigree among the two-year-old runners, but it is surely a while since there were three runners on a single card whose sire and dam were both multiple Group One and Classic winners.
Elarqam (3.45), the favourite for the Somerville Stakes, is the one whose breeding and price tag leap out of the page, as the son of Frankel out of the dual 1,000 Guineas winner Attraction cost 1.6m guineas at last year’s Book 1 sale at Tattersalls in Newmarket.
Mark Johnston, who trained his dam, has stepped him up after a convincing success on his racecourse debut at York this month, a six-runner race that has already produced two subsequent winners. Elarqam won with any amount in hand there, earning a quote of 33-1 for next year’s 2,000 Guineas in the process, and it will be a disappointment if he cannot take this next step up the mountain in his stride.
The field for the opening maiden includes both the debutant Midi, who is by Frankel out of the six-times Group One winner Midday, and Ghaiyyath, who cost €1.1m as a foal and is by Dubawi out of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Nightime.
This is a race to watch with an eye to the future, since Ghaiyyath showed promise when third on his debut at Doncaster but still failed to justify strong support, while Sir Michael Stoute, Midi’s trainer, wins with only one in 10 of his juveniles first time up. If there is to be an upset, Para Mio (2.00) could go well at around 16-1, having shown plenty for Seamus Durack to work on when fourth at Ascot on his debut in a race run in a useful time.
Summer Chorus (3.10) has found some more improvement since stepping up to seven furlongs and the form of her close second behind Big Tour at Chelmsford last time was boosted when the winner followed up at Yarmouth last week.
Reach High, who beat the subsequent Group One winner Harry Angel by a nose at Ascot in May 2016, is an interesting runner later on the card when he makes his first start since, though Sun Lover (5.30) may have the beating of him today.
Jupiter (6.15) has run into some useful types in his four starts to date and looks to be starting out his handicapping career on a very fair mark at Chelmsford this evening, while Johnny Cavagin (3.30) and Mac N Cheese (5.40) look best at Pontefract and Perth respectively after both cards passed inspections this morning.
Thursday’s tips
Newmarket: 2.00 Para Mio 2.35 Tadleel 3.10 Summer Chorus (nap) 3.45 Elarqam 4.20 Arch Villain 4.55 Amlad 5.30 Sun Lover 6.05 Brief Visit
Pontefract: 2.20 Ormesher 2.55 Dathanna 3.30 Johnny Cavagin 4.05 Grandad’s World 4.40 Indian Chief 5.15 Austrian School 5.50 Muatadel 6.20 Mirimar
Perth: 2.10 Calett Mad 2.45 Jet Master 3.20 Mumgos Debut 3.55 Golden Jeffrey 4.30 Fagan 5.05 Pat’s Oscar 5.40 Mac N Cheese
Chelmsford City: 5.45 Wilson 6.15 Jupiter (nb) 6.45 Glassalt 7.15 Merry Banter 7.45 Agnethe 8.15 My Girl Maisie 8.45 Entangling 9.15 Sacred Way
