Exciting Juddmonte pair headline fascinating Dewhurst

Nostrum and Chaldean part of deep field for Newmarket Group One.

Juddmonte hold a strong hand in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes with Chaldean and Nostrum both striding out at Newmarket on Saturday.

In a race that could decide the champion two-year-old and often acts as a guide to the following spring’s 2000 Guineas, it is no surprise to see both youngsters feature high up on the ante-post lists for the opening Classic of next year, with Nostrum a general 8-1 chance and Chaldean a best price of 14-1.

The operation’s racing manager Barry Mahon hails a sporting decision to run the two horses against one another, and believes both are top-class three-year-olds in the making.

He said: “We have a very strong hand, it is very good of the Abdullah family to run the pair of them – I thought that was very sporting to run two good horses like that together.

Doncaster Races – Sunday September 11th
Chaldean (right), here ridden by Frankie Dettori to win the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, is one of two for owners Juddmonte in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

“They are both very good horses in their own right, and we don’t know which is the better of them.

“Both colts will stay a mile next year and their futures are ahead of them. Hopefully they can perform well on Saturday.”

Andrew Balding’s Chaldean has won three on the spin since being held on debut and has taken the Acomb at York and Champagne Stakes at Doncaster along the way, while the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Nostrum announced himself by backing up a debut success at Sandown with an ultra-professional display in the Tattersalls Stakes on the Rowley Mile last month, beating Royal Ascot winner Holloway Boy.

“I think Chaldean has that more experience and may be more streetwise, while Nostrum has shown huge ability in two starts, but does lack experience and is jumping into such a race,” Mahon continued.

“Chaldean improved a huge amount from York to Doncaster and Andrew feels he has improved again. He’s not a flash horse, even at home he’s not flashy, he just does what he has to do. He’s a very interesting runner that’s for sure.

“Nostrum is a classy horse, a big scopey horse. He’s a very big horse, a monster of a horse and next year is definitely going to be his year.

“So, whether he is mature enough physically and mentally for a test like this on Saturday we’re not sure, but the experience will stand him in good stead for when he starts off in a Guineas trial next year.”

Charlie Appleby has saddled both Pinatubo (2019) and Native Trail (2021) to win this race in recent years and this year relies on Naval Power, who is an unbeaten four from four.

“He has an exciting profile, and he won’t look out of place in the race – he’s one of the horses they have to beat,” said Appleby.

“If anything, he has surprised us this year. He’s done everything that we asked of him and in some ways things we haven’t even asked, he’s just naturally brought it to the table.

“We haven’t really asked him because if you stand him up as a pedigree and a physical (specimen), he’s very much a horse you get excited about his three-year-old career. He’s wanting to do it and like anyone with enthusiasm, you don’t hold them back, you let them go forward with it.

Pinatubo starred for Charlie Appleby in the Dewhurst
Pinatubo starred for Charlie Appleby in the Dewhurst (Tim Goode/PA)

“He’s been a horse who has improved stage by stage each run we’ve offered up to him. He has just gone there and done it and in a fashion surprised us.

“For us we started to get excited when we went to Ascot for the Pat Eddery. We were confident we would win but the style in which he did it and the way he galloped out that day, we felt it’s time to start working back from some of these autumn targets.”

Aidan O’Brien has won this five times in the last 10 years and his sole representative this time around is Aesop’s Fables, who was a good winner of the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh in August.

However, he has a small point to prove now having suffered defeat at odds-on over the same track and trip in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes last month.

Aesop's Fables bids to enhance Aidan O'Brien's fine record in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday
Aesop’s Fables bids to enhance Aidan O’Brien’s fine record in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday (Donall Farmer/PA)

He will be partnered by Ryan Moore, who knows plenty about the opposition, having ridden both Chaldean and Nostrum this season, and is well aware of the task at hand.

“I think you all know how much I rate Nostrum, and he did everything right when beating good horses here last time,” Moore told Betfair.

“I also have a lot of time for Chaldean, on whom I won the Acomb. Throw in the likes of Naval Power and, in the even in the absence of Sakheer, we look to have a very good Dewhurst.

“I suppose my colt Aesop’s Fables is on something of a recovery mission after his run in the National Stakes last time, but he clearly didn’t run badly there, and it was just a case that he didn’t quite fire as he did as when winning at the Curragh previously.

“Perhaps the expected better ground will suit him here and, if so, he is certainly not one I would be writing off just yet. Nostrum looks the right favourite, though.”

Charlie Fellowes’ Marbaan is another to falter in that Group One Curragh contest and could appreciate the return to a sounder surface at HQ, while the field is rounded off by Paul and Oliver Cole’s Richmond Stakes scorer Flying Scotsman and Brian Meehan’s twice-raced Isaac Shelby, who has not been seen since landing the Superlative Stakes in July.

“He’s in good form and working well,” said Meehan on his unbeaten contender.

“A bit of time off has done him well. He was never a horse I wanted to over-race this year anyway and this race was always the plan.”

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