Fabre fires twin assault on Dahlia Stakes

French trainer bids for third win in Newmarket Group Two.

Andre Fabre is double-handed in the Howden Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday with Life In Motion and Hidden Dimples both bidding for Group Two honours.

The master trainer has won the nine-furlong contest twice before, with Esoterique in 2014 and Usherette two years later.

Like Usherette, Life In Motion is owned by Godolphin and has won four of her last five outings, progressing nicely with each run.

Hidden Dimples, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore with Mickael Barzalona on Life In Motion, finished third behind her stablemate last time out in a Listed race at ParisLongchamp – but Fabre expects the distance between the pair to be narrowed on this occasion.

“It looks an interesting race for both of them. They both ran in a Listed race at Longchamp last time out, which Life In Motion won,” said Fabre.

“They are two nice mares. Hidden Dimples spent the winter at the farm, so she needed the race much more than the other one. She’s a solid mare.

“They should both run well. Life In Motion did well at three and that has continued. She did not have an injury last summer, there were just no suitable races for her and then I brought her back in the autumn to win twice.”

With The Moonlight last ran in America
With The Moonlight last ran in America (Tim Goode/PA)

Charlie Appleby’s With The Moonlight, last seen finishing second in a Grade One in America will also sport the Godolphin blue.

Roger Varian’s Al Husn is unbeaten but this represents a major step up in class. She is owned by Shadwell, who also run the John and Thady Gosden-trained Shaara.

Ralph Beckett’s Prosperous Voyage, second in the 1000 Guineas last season and winner of the Falmouth, also runs with Astral Beau, Random Harvest and Via Sistina completing the line up.

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