Appleby set to be double-handed in Craven Stakes

Aidan O’Brien also has two challengers for key Newmarket trial.

Charlie Appleby has the chance to enhance his stellar record in the bet365 Craven Stakes with both Naval Power and Mysterious Night featuring among the 15 entries for the Newmarket contest.

The Moulton Paddocks handler has won three of the last four runnings of the one-mile Group Three which serves as a key trial for the Qipco 2000 Guineas back at the Rowley Mile on May 6.

The name of Appleby’s stable jockey William Buick appears alongside Naval Power who won his first four outings in imperious fashion before blotting his copybook in the Dewhurst at the end of his two-year-old campaign.

He was last seen notching a taking victory in the Jumeirah Classic in Dubai, while stablemate Mysterious Night has also tasted success overseas – winning at both Deauville and Woodbine during his juvenile campaign.

Remarkably Aidan O’Brien has never won the Craven Stakes and the Ballydoyle handler could be represented by Cairo and Paddington as he looks to change that, while Indestructible was trained in Ireland by Michael O’Callaghan last year but is now in the care of Karl Burke attempting to build on his placed efforts behind Guineas hope Chaldean.

Andrew Balding’s The Foxes brings course and distance form to the table having won the Royal Lodge last September and the form of that contest was given a boost when the runner-up, Dubai Mile, claimed Group One honours at Saint-Cloud.

The Foxes (left) ridden by jockey David Probert on their way to winning the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket
The Foxes (left) ridden by jockey David Probert on their way to winning the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)

Simon and Ed Crisford’s unbeaten Knight landed the Horris Hill in heavy ground on his second start and could have the chance to confirm Newbury form over Ralph Beckett’s runner-up Grey’s Monument and Clive Cox’s Ancestral Land, who was a bronze medallist in Berkshire.

John and Thady Gosden’s Mostabshir and James Ferguson’s Canberra Legend both have one run and one victory to their name but did their winning in impressive style, while Roger Teal has always held Dancing Magic in high regard and he has plenty of experience in useful company to his name.

Finn’s Charm (Charlie Johnston), Mr Mistoffelees (Hughie Morrison) and Wiltshire (Freddie and Martyn Meade) are the other possible runners.

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