Newmarket season starts today

for many race fans, the flat season only begins properly with Newmarket´s Craven Meeting and today´s card - almost exclusively races for 3yos -fills the bill perfectly. We cannot promise that there will any classic winners running today, but there are certainly plenty of likely runners in the classics and almost bound to be some star performers later in the season.

Today´s main feature is the Nell Gwyn Stakes for 3yo fillies over 7 furlongs at 17.05 CET and most of the 8 runners hold a 1000 Guineas entry. Osaila (Richard Hannon/ Frankie Dettori) is the highest-rated, having won a group race last year before running third at the Breeders Cup, but the two most interesting runners are Beautiful Romance (Saeed bin Suroor/ James Doyle) and Lady Correspondent (John Gosden/ Ryan Moore), both winners of their only start last season and expected to make a big Impact this year.

Gosden fields a strong team today and will certainly be expected to take the Free Handicap at 16.30 with Faydhan (Paiul Hanagan), also winner of his only start in 2014 and currently second favourite for the 2,000 Guineas. The Tattersal.ls sprint over 6 furlongs at 15.55 has also attracted a strong field, for all that it is restricted sales race, and Aidan O´Brien sends a runner over from Ireland , The Warrior (Ryan Moore). He has already scored this season, having won a maiden on heavy ground at the Curragh´s opening day, but this looks much tougher and we like Encore d´Or (Ralph Beckett/ Ricjhard Kingscote), a half-brother to multiple Group One winning sprinter Equiano.

Gosden runs another once-only-raced winner at 17.40, Golden Horn (Dettori) and this one could also win, although the Queen´s Peacock (Hannon/ Hughes) is also regarded as a live Derby prospect, while Festive Fair (Charlie Appleby/ William Buick) and Disegno (Sir Michael Stoute/ Moore) are also possibles in what looks the most competitive race of the day. A good performance from Golden Horn would also point to the chances of Storm The Stars (William Haggas/ Hughes) in the following maiden race over 10 furlongs as the two of them fought out a great finish at Nottingham in October.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Hakam - Akeed Champion - Acaster Malbis
2. Race: Swirral Edge - Gifted Master - Haughmond
3. Race: The Warrior - Heartbreak Hero - Sulaalaat
4. Race: Home Of The Brave - Jungle Cat - Glenalmond
5. Race: Osaila - Beautiful Romance - Muraaqaba
6. Race: Festive Fare - Golden Horn - Peacock
7. Race: Storm The Stars - Joseph Jefferson - Global Force
8. Race: Spiriting - Properus - Salt Island