They´re off at Newmarket!

For serious fans of flat racing, the season starts today with the first Newmarket meeting of 2008. The Craven meeting, now only 2 days instead of 3 as previously, is especially notable for its classic trials. Indeed 6 of today´s 7 races are restricted to 3yo´s, while the other is a race for 2yo´s. Most important event is the Group Three Nell Gwyn Stakes over 7 furlongs for 3yo fillies at 16.45 CET, an important trial for the 1,000 Guineas. John Gosden´s Infallible (Jimmy Fortune) looks the one to beat here; she won her only start last year over this CD, and although this is quite a step up in class, she created a very favourable impression and is prominent in the betting for the 1,000 Guineas.

Nijoom Dubai (Mick Channon/ Darryll Holland), not seen out since winning at 50-1 at Royal Ascot, and Spinning Lucy (Barry and Michael Hills), who won a listed race here in November, could be the main dangers. The grandly-named European Free Handicap over 7 furlongs at 16.10 used to be a good guide to the 2,000 Guineas, but that is no longer the case and today´s field looks sub-standard. Peter Chapple-Hyam sets a puzzle by saddling 3 runners all with top jockeys - top-weight Spirit of Sharjah (Johnny Murtagh), Fat Boy (Frankie Dettori) and Brave Prospector (Jimmy Fortune). Howeve the two to concentrate on could be the lightly-raced pair Stimulation Hughie Morrison/ Steve Drowne) and Exclamation (Brian Meehan/ Jamie Spencer). The Feilden Stakes over 9 furlongs at 17.20 could be more of a Derby trial, and two likely classic candidates are in the field - Gestüt Ammerland´s Kandahar Run (Henry Cecil/ Ted Durcan) and Aidan O´Brien´s Poet (Johnny Murtagh), already a winner this season. It is also quite possible that the maiden races will throw up some smart performers, but with so many unknown factors today is a day for watching rathe than punting.