The feature race at Newbury on Friday is the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup (4.10pm) – a race that’s been won by some big names in recent years, including:
- Aclaim (2016)
- Tabarrak (2017 + 2019)
- Glorious Journey (2020)
- Sacred (2022)
With eight runners declared, one of the key contenders is William Haggas’ Aldaary, who drops into Listed company for the first time this season, having last been seen finishing 4th behind Paddington in the G1 Sussex Stakes. With his trainers excellent recent record in the race (won three of the last eight renewals), he could be tough to beat. Other runners to note include his stablemate Al Mubhir, and Ralph Beckett’s Biggles, who bolted up on his sole previous visit to the Berkshire course.
GG editor Jake Russell previews this years race, identifying the key trends for the race, before running through the runners and giving his expert verdict on who he expects to win.
Last year’s renewal saw Sacred run out an easy winner for William Haggas, giving him a third victory in the race from the last eight renewals:
Last 10 Winners of the race
- 2022 – Sacred (Tom Marquand/William Haggas)
- 2021 – Silent Escape (Oisin Murphy/Saeed Bin Suroor)
- 2020 – Glorious Journey (James Doyle/Charlie Appleby)
- 2019 – Tabarrak (Jim Crowley/Richard Hannon)
- 2018 – Mankib (Jim Crowley/William Haggas)
- 2017 – Tabarrak (Jim Crowley/Richard Hannon)
- 2016 – Aclaim (Jamie Spencer/Martyn Meade)
- 2015 – Hathal (Frankie Dettori/William Haggas)
- 2014 – Lady Lara (Luke Morris/Timothy Jarvis)
- 2013 – Tawhid (Silvestre De Sousa/Saeed Bin Suroor)
Runner-By-Runner Guide
1. Aldaary
(William Haggas/Jim Crowley)
Where better to start then the combination of Jim Crowley and William Haggas, with both jockey and trainer having won this race three times out of the last 10 (Two of Jim Crowley’s winners were for Richard Hannon). Aldaary is the highest rated in the field and runs off level weights with most of these, so on ratings and figures should probably be landing this contest.
A six time winner out of just 13 runs, he has been a little disappointing this season, but has been mixing it in Group company, therefore this drop down in class will be a huge help. The predicted good to soft ground over the 7 furlongs should suit him nicely, which makes him the one to beat for me.
2. Al Mubhir
(William Haggas/Tom Marquand)
The second of two runners for William Haggas, Tom Marquand is booked to ride this runner, the jockey who won the contest last year on Sacred for the Haggas team. This horse was sent off favourite for the Lincoln earlier on in the season, well supported in the market coming off the back of a 169 day break, so vibes from his homework suggested he is better than a handicapper. Although he won the King Richard III Cup Handicap at Leicester earlier on in the season, he hasn’t won since, but has been contesting in some decent contests.
The softer the conditions the better, but I just feel this 7 furlong trip may not suit as much as the mile, and on ratings he does need to improve a little given they run off the same weights. But the Haggas team wouldn’t pitch him up against another horse from the yard for no reason, and Tom Marquand is having a very good season, so he can’t be ruled out.
3. Biggles
(Ralph Beckett/Rob Hornby)
Ralph Beckett has had a very productive season, with the majority of his horses running well. Biggles had an initial rating of 72, but now holds a rating of 105, so he has improved tremendously. A winner of the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket just three starts ago, which was a solid performance that now means he has to apply his trade in black type races. That included a run in the Group 2 Betfred Park Stakes last time out, just six days before this race. The quick turnaround could be a slight downfall, but he seems to take to his racing well, judging by the fact he has ran quite a bit in a short space of a few months.
He needs to put in by far a career best to win this, but the fact he was pitched into Group 2 company last time shows what connections think of him. This step down in class will suit and conditions won’t be an issue. With Rob Hornby booked he is an interesting runner in this contest.
4. Popmaster
(Ed Walker/Ross Coakley)
Ed Walker’s horse is another one who will appreciate the potentially softer conditions, and having been running well in these big field, competitive handicaps, he is yet to test himself in a black type contest. I always thought he was a proper 6 furlong horse, but his last two runs have been 2nd place efforts over 7 furlongs, on ground varying from good to firm to good to soft, so conditions will not be an issue for him.
He is now operating off a mark of 100, which he does struggle to win at, but his last two performances have shown he still has that spark in him. However, I feel he would have to put in a career best to land a Listed race of this nature, with a few higher up in the ratings than him.
5. Rodaballo
(G Arizkorreto Elosegui/Jamie Spencer)
Now obviously I’m not going to claim to be a Spanish racing expert, but this Spanish raider has some excellent winning form in his early days back in his native country, which includes a Group 2 win in Germany back in September 2021. This horse has somewhat become a bit of a globetrotter in recent times, running in Meydan and the UK for his last two runs. A 6th out of 9 runners at Ascot in July, only beaten by just over 2 lengths, before going on to be pitched into Group 2 company at Newbury last time when running in the Hungerford Stakes, which he did find a little to hot to handle.
I feel his best form comes on better ground conditions, although there is some softer ground form in there, the way he ran in softer conditions last time suggests the better ground surface the better he runs.
6. The Wizard Of Eye
(J S Moore/David Egan)
The horse that has become a bit of a flag bearer for the Stan Moore stable, he was a runner in the 2000 Guineas in 2022 won by Coroebus where he finished 11th out of 15 runners only beaten by just under 10 lengths. He has since been mixing it up in some good races, and although he hasn’t looked like winning he has been running with huge credit. Those promising runs include a four length 6th in the Summer Mile at Goodwood and a four length 5th in the Shergar Cup Mile last time out.
He was once rated 109 at his highest peak, and was a winner off of 102 in a decent Handicap contest at Kempton in November of last year. Now rated a pound below since his last win, he has it all to do on current form, and does run very keen during his races, but this big field and slightly softer conditions might bring a little more improvement out of him. That being said, he really does probably need to improve to win this.
7. Streets Of Gold
(Eve Johnson Houghton/Charles Bishop)
A horse that was a real nice 2YO and looked to be a nice prospect for the seasons ahead for connections. A winner of all of his five runs as a 2YO, including wins in two very valuable sales stakes races at The Curragh and York respectively, earned him a mark of 103 heading into his 3yo campaign. He hasn’t won since that 2yo season, running on 5 different occasions, having had a wind and gelding operations. That might show he has had a few little niggles at home, and ultimately he might not have trained on from 2 to 3.
The run in the Listed JenningsBet Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket was a little more like it, finishing 5th of 9 runners, beaten by 3 lengths. That was his first run since the gelding operation, so he might come on for that run, in what looks a similar contest to last time. Eve Johnson Houghton also knows how to get these horses back to form who have slightly lost their way, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all should we see him take another little step in the right direction and run well in this contest, with conditions and trip very much in his favour.
8. American Kestrel
(David Menuisier/Kieran Shoemark)
The lowest rated runner in the field, and the only filly in the contest, therefore she does get a little bit of weight off the boys, and the one thing that will very much play in her favour is the softer conditions. She was a winner in heavy going as a 2YO for her previous trainer Richard Hannon, however she hasn’t got her head in front since then, and that was back in 2021.
She has changed trainers a few times in her career and did run well in a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud back in September last year, just being denied by a neck. She has since run a shade disappointingly in her races and on ratings would have a fair bit to do to against the boys. But, as mentioned, the softer the ground gets, the better for the daughter of Starspangledbanner.
Big-Race Verdict
I think realistically this should be a penalty kick for the top rated Aldaary, for a jockey and trainer combination who have won the race three times each out of the last 10 renewals. He has been operating at a higher level than this all season long, and this drop in class will very much suit him. It would be a disappointment to not see him get his head in front for the first time since his Spring Trophy Stakes win at Haydock last May.
Streets Of Gold is quite an interesting runner on his 2nd start since a gelding operation, so that might bring a little more improvement out of him, and he was quite a talented 2YO winning five out of his five races, which included some valuable contests. Eve Johnson Houghton is excellent at getting her horses to win or run well in these types of races when they have looked to have lost their way recently, she is the perfect trainer to get him back firing again and win his first race as a 3yo.
SELECTION: Aldaary – To Win (5/4 William Hill) & Streets Of Gold – EW (17/2 William Hill)
*odds correct at time of posting – 3pm Wednesday 20th September*
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