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Trainer Mark Johnston boasts a strong hand among an excellent initial entry for the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes and the Dubai Fillies’ Mile.
The two Group 1 highlights of the inaugural two-day Dubai Future Champions Festival, which takes place at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse on Friday, 9th October and Saturday, 10th October.
The Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, run over seven furlongs, has attracted 82 entries while the furlong longer Dubai Fillies’ Mile has 54 engaged. Both races are worth £500,000, making them Europe’s joint richest Group 1 two-year-old events.
The Dubai Dewhurst Stakes has been won by the following year’s QIPCO 2000 Guineas hero three times in the last seven years and all the ante post favourites for next year’s 2000 Guineas are among the entries.
They include Johnston’s Coventry Stakes winner, Buratino; the horse that chased Buratino home that day, Air Force Blue; the first and second from the Group 3 Tyros Stakes, Deauville and Sanus Per Aquam; and Shalaa, who followed up his comfortable Group 2 Arqana July Stakes win at the Moet & Chandon July Festival with an even easier Group 2 success in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.
Johnston has three more Dubai Dewhurst contenders plus a pair of distaffers – Dessertoflife and Fireglow – for the Dubai Fillies’ Mile.
An intriguing Dubai Fillies’ Mile entry is Ballydoyle, named after the yard of Irish Champion Trainer Aidan O’Brien and one of 13 fillies that could bid to give him a fourth victory in this race (he has no less than 25 engaged in the Dubai Dewhurst, a race that he has also won on three previous occasions).
Ballydoyle was touched off in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot before running out the ready winner of a maiden at Newmarket’s Moet & Chandon July Festival.
Charlie Johnston, son and assistant to Mark Johnston, trainer of Buratino, Adenturous, Ode To Evening, Sixth Sense, Dessertoflife and Fireglow, said:
“Buratino is favourite for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and that is the long term plan. He goes to Ireland at the weekend for the Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh and we’re very hopeful he will run a huge race.”
“The Dewhurst is an option for the end of the season but at the moment we are keen to stick to six furlongs. We have no doubt that long term he will stay a mile and if we think he needs stepping up in trip in the autumn then the Dewhurst is definitely an option.”
“Adventurous ran a nice race at Goodwood last week. The way he ran suggested that he is crying out for seven furlongs. At the moment his form is short of Dewhurst level but we would not be surprised if he stepped up dramatically as the season progresses.”
“Ode To Evening ran a great race at Royal Ascot when fifth to Buratino in the Coventry Stakes. We have had a couple of hold ups with him but the plan is to go to the Gimcrack at York with his end of season aim being the Dubai Dewhurst.”
“Sixth Sense could also run in the Phoenix at the weekend. He needs a strong pace and seven furlongs because he stays so well. He did it well at Ascot last time out and is a very talented horse and if he makes the necessary improvement he could be a contender in the Dewhurst.
“Dessertoflife and Fireglow are two of the nicest fillies we have in the yard and both will be aimed towards the Fillies’ Mile.
“They are closely matched on their Sandown run [when first and second in the Star Stake]. Fireglow came out on top that day but had the run of the race whereas Dessertoflife didn’t.
“Both are in the german-thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket this Saturday and one of them will run.”