The “Win and You’re In” action gets underway Friday at Newmarket, with the seven-furlong Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel, which will award automatic starting berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and is followed by Saturday’s 1-mile G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge, with a berth into the Breeders’ Juvenile Turf up for grabs.
The Rockfel drew a dozen 2-year-old fillies, with Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s DAAHYEH (GB) trading as a stiff favorite among European punters. The daughter of Bated Breath (GB) was second in another “Win and You’re In” for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, The Curragh’s G1 Moyglare Stud Sept.15, and is 2-for-4 lifetime for trainer Roger Varian.
The Coolmore conglomerate of Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, and Derrick Smith and trainer Aidan O’Brien have a pair entered, with BLISSFUL (IRE) being the most fancied off her win in the listed Ingabelle at Leopardstown Sept. 14, while maiden winner TANGO (IRE) is also entered. CLOAK OF SPIRITS (IRE), FESTIVAL DAY (GB), SOUL SEACH (IRE), and UNDER THE STARS (IRE) are all being supported at under 10-1, while ALABAMA WHITMAN (GB), ALASH ORDA (GB), HOT TOUCH (GB), and VIVIDLY (GB) are also entered for the “Win and You’re In” Shadwell Rockfel.
The Royal Lodge has 16 entered, but it’s Qatar Racing Limited’s KOMEKO as the decided favorite off his second-place finish in the G3 Solario at Sandown Aug. 31. The son of Kitten’s Joy won on debut at Sandown in July for trainer Andrew Balding and was just a nose behind odds-on favorite Positive (GB) while facing winners for the first time in the Solario.
Coolmore and O’Brien could start as many as eight, with ARMORY (IRE) attracting the most support off his win in The Futurity (G2) at The Curragh in August and most recently his second to potential superstar and likely champion Pinatubo (IRE) in the Vincent O’Brien National (G1) Sept. 15 at The Curragh, while ARTHUR’S KINGDOM (IRE), IBERIA (IRE), INNISFREE (IRE), LOUISIANA (IRE), PERSIA (IRE), ROYAL DORNOCH (IRE), and YEAR OF THE TIGER (IRE) are also entered for Europe’s most prolific trainer. HIGHLAND CHIEF (IRE) and MILITARY MARCH (GB) are both garnering upset support, while PERSUASION (IRE), PLYEDRIVER (GB), ROPEY GUEST (GB), SOUND OF CANNONS (GB), and SURF DANCER (IRE) are also entered for the “Win and You’re In” Juddmonte Royal Lodge.
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