Briseida at Newmarket

German classic form will be put to the test today at Newmarket, when Peter Schiergen´s Briseida (Andrasch Starke) runs in the Group One Falmouth Stakes for fillies and mares over a mile at 16.10 CET, the feature race of the opening day of the July Meeting.

Briseida was an easy winner of the German 1,000 Guineas but obviously faces much tougher opposition here. The class act is the French 4yo Darjina (Alain de Royer-Dupré/ Christophe Soumillon), a genuine Group One performer, but she has had a bad journey over and any further rain (as is forecast) would be against her. The equally tough Irish filly Finsceal Beo (Jim Bolger/Kevin Manning) is another who would prefer faster going. Cheveley Park´s pair Infallible (John Gosden/ Jimmy Fortune) and Heaven Sent (Sir Michael Stoute/ Ryan Moore), both runners-up at Royal Ascot, also look dangerous, while Frankie Dettori has been booked for Mark Johnston´s Nahoodh, who looked very unlucky in the 1,000 Guineas, but has disappointed twice since.

The other big race at Newmarket today is the Group Two Cherry Hinton for 2yo fillies over 6 furlongs at 15.35. Several of the 8 runners ran at Royal Ascot, where Lucky Leigh (Darryl Holland), one of three Mick Channon entries, ran best, finishing fourth in the Queen Mary, but it would be no surprise give the fantastic stable form were Aidan O´Brien´s Heart Shaped (Johnny Murtagh), who finished well behind then, to reverse the form this time.

Betting forecast:
1.Race: Red Dune - Badweia - Sourire
2.Race: Tawaash - Victorian Bounty - Good Gorsoon
3.Race: Lucky Leigh - Heart Shaped - Art Princess
4.Race: Darjina - Heaven Sent - Infallible
5.Race: Holyrood - Combat Zone - Swindler
6.Race: Hall Hee - King O`The Gypsies - Meydan City
7.Race: Goodbye Mr Bond - Kings Point - Den`S Gift