Appleby targets Newmarket prizes

Godolphin’s trainer Charlie Appleby is set to make a strong challenge on the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes and the Dubai Fillies’ Mile.

The Newmarket handler is responsible for 13 of a combined initial entry of 134 horses for the two races which are the Group One highlights of Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Festival.

The Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, run over seven furlongs of Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse on Saturday, October 8, has attracted 85 entries while the furlong longer Dubai Fillies’ Mile, run 24 hours earlier, has 49 engaged.

Both races are worth £500,000, making them Europe’s richest Group 1 two-year-old events.

“We always like to finish off the season with our best juveniles at the Dubai Future Champions Festival,” Appleby said.

“It’s great experience of a course where they will hopefully be reappearing the following spring and if you are competitive at the Festival it lines you up perfectly for a Classic campaign.”

The Dubai Dewhurst Stakes has been won by the following year’s QIPCO 2000 Guineas hero twice in the last six years. All the ante post favourites for next year’s 2000 Guineas are among the entries, including the top three in the market, the Aidan O’Brien-trained trio of Caravaggio, Churchill and War Decree.

Caravaggio is unbeaten in four career starts, including last Sunday’s Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, while Churchill has landed both the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 3 Tyros Stakes and War Decree won last month’s Group 2 …

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