Race Time: 2.50pm Meeting: Newmarket Day: Saturday 3rd October Distance: 7f
Full Race Name: £500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2yo Trophy Class Two
At the risk of sounding repetitive this doesn’t look the strongest ever field for a race with half a million pounds in prize money, and we are beginning to think there is some kind of boycott going on that keeps the top owners and trainers from wanting to win good money, or is that just a silly conspiracy theory. Waterloo Bridge is by far the most interesting entry with the Aiden O’Brien colt the best horse in the field by some margin, but with all his victories over five furlongs and not the seven he would face today. He has actually tried six furlongs a couple of times without success which as to be a worry yet on breeding (by Zoffany out of a Dr Fong mare), he really ought to get home, and with so much money on offer, who could blame them for trying their luck.
With the amicable Hugo Palmer having his best ever season by some margin already, who is to say he cannot add to earlier successes this afternoon via Gifted Master whose two wins from four starts sandwich places behind top class horses in Log Out Island and Buratino. His last run saw a comfortable three length win from Quick N Quirky in a Newcastle novice event but hopefully that was little more than a confidence booster as he steps back up in class a little in the hunt for first prize. Yet to try seven furlongs, we have to take it on trust that he will stay the trip and he was staying on strongly last time out, but you never know until they try it and the odds need to reflect that before we would even consider getting involved.
Our search for a bang in form contender leads us to Zhui Feng who represents Sussex trainer Amanda Perrett and has won his last two races at Kempton and then at Newmarket, though both over six furlongs. The son of Invincible Spirit ran on well last time out in a valuable sales race so is in the right company today, and is in the form of his young life at present, and if he stays he has an excellent chance if any of the main principles fluff their lines.
Interestingly, William Haggas will allow maiden Bedrock to take his chance this afternoon amid reports of some pretty decent Newmarket gallops that suggest he has a race or two in him when conditions suit. A son of Fastnet Rock, he badly needed the race first time out at Newbury when sent off at 16/1 before finishing fourth to Christchurch when running on strongly over the six furlongs, and with a furlong more to travel here and that race under his belt, expect a much improved effort.
To round things off, John Gosden has won the race twice in the seven-year history of the race though where he can get the speed from with likely runner East Indies will be interesting. Last seen at Kempton in a Class Four maiden, he hackled up by seven lengths that day but over a mile and a quarter so stamina is clearly his strong point – can they really get him to race competitively dropped back a long way to seven today, or is he in the race just to ensure something runs in the Godolphin colours we wonder?