Top quality Group 1 action takes place on Friday afternoon in front of the ITV Racing cameras at Newmarket and it’s the Fillies’ Mile that is the feature race at 15:35. Notable 1000 Guineas clues will be on offer in this event and our in-house tipster Steve Chambers previews the race here and picks out his 1-2-3.
DESERT FLOWER
(William Buick/Charlie Appleby)
Two impressive wins at Newmarket saw Desert Flower head into the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster as the red-hot favourite and the daughter of Night Of Thunder didn’t disappoint as she stormed to victory over Aidan O’Brien’s January. That pair are set for another titanic tussle in the Fillies’ Mile and the Charlie Appleby-trained two-year-old will be looking to repeat that victory over the Ballydoyle rival. Showing a fine turn of foot, Desert Flower is already a prominent figure in the betting for next season’s 1000 Guineas and she looks to be the one they all have to beat here.
JANUARY
(Ryan Moore/Aidan O’Brien)
Aidan O’Brien has won this race on six occasions and he will unleash a three-pronged attack, which is likely to be spearheaded by January, who was last seen being beaten by Desert Flower at Doncaster. A four-length winner of a Listed event at Tipperary prior to that defeat, January has certainly shown she can be a top class performer on her day, but whether or not she can reverse the form from Town Moor is under question.
TABITI
(Rossa Ryan/Ralph Beckett)
Fresh from Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe glory, the deadly duo of Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan will bid for more Group 1 success in the Fillies’ Mile and they will unleash Tabiti. The daughter of Kingman is unbeaten in her two starts and was last seen claim a narrow half-a-length victory in the Group 3 Dick Poole at Salisbury. That came in softish going, so she has shown she can act on a slow surface and with more improvement to come she has to be considered.
THE FIELD
Impressive when winning a Group 3 at the Curragh back in August, Dreamy will be another leading challenger for the O’Brien team and this daughter of American Pharoah will be looking to making it three wins from three starts. Ballet Slippers will complete the Ballydoyle triumvirate and she finally broke her maiden tag at the third time of asking when winning a novice event at Ascot. This is a huge step up in class, but she has the capabilities for more improvement. A two-length Conditions Stakes winner at Newbury last time out, Sir Michael Stoute’s Anna Swan is another with a 100% record that takes her chance here, while California Dreamer completes the line-up and she has it all to do on form.
VERDICT
A clash of the heavyweights with Godolphin and Coolmore doing battle in the Fillies’ Mile and while the O’Brien team have three contenders taking their chance it can be the Godolphin raider DESERT FLOWER that can frank the May Hill form with January and that pair can finish first and second again. Tabiti has shaped with real promise and looks capable of improving again and can complete the 1-2-3.
2024 Fillies’ Mile Predicted 1-2-3
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