Craven Stakes at Newmarket

Another strong card at Newmaret, where the main event is the Group Three Craven Stakes for 3yo´s over a mile at 16.45 CET, one of the most significant trials for the 2000 Guineas over this CD early next month. After his sensational start to the season, with 4 winners from 4 runners here yesterday, John Gosden is clearly the trainer in form and his Raven´s Pass (Jimmy Fortune) kooks likely to start a raging hot favourite, even though the trainer himself has tried to dampen enthusiasm by stating that his colt is very fresh and will need the race. His impressive Sandown win last September and his third place here in the Dewhurst (on unsuitably soft going) are easily the two best peices of form in the race and it will be a surprise if he is beaten, despite the trainer´s misgivings. The one to chase him home is Henry Cecil´s Twice Over (Ted Durcan), who won both his starts last year, both at this track, and has no stamina problems, having won over 10 furlongs. The same two teams, Gosden/ Fortune and Cecil/ Durcan, can dominate the Group Three Earl of Sefton Stakes over 9 furlongs for older horses with Pipedreamer ad Multidimensional respectively. Both have won 4 of their 6 career starts, but while the former´s best performance came in winning the Cambridgeshire last October over this CD, Multidimensional has good group form to his credit and should be preferred. The listed Abernant Stakes over 6 furlongs has attracted 20 runners; Aahayson (Karl Burke/ Fergus Sweeney) won nicely at Doncaster but had the run of the race from his stands draw and may not be able to confirm the form with Prime Defender (Barry and Michel Hills) and Sonny Red (Richard Hannon/ Richard Hughes) but the one to beat could be Andrew Balding´s Dark Missile (William Buick) in receipt of all the allowances.