Among the list of health benefits of rosemary is that it ‘helps in regulating bowel movements’, which possibly explains why the ITV programme Rosemary & Thyme, a series about gardening detectives from the mid-2000s, had more in common with well-rotted manure than anything else.
Anyway, the Rosemary Stakes at 13:50 kicks off Friday’s TV action from Newmarket and the vote goes to Amabilis, who got back on the up in no uncertain terms when winning in style at Ascot earlier this month, and it’s likely we haven’t seen the best of her yet. Muffri’ha won twice at the track last autumn and is much respected on her return from a break, whilst Lincoln Rocks and Tisbutadream also enter calculations.
Amabilis is named after the moth orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) and it looks worth keeping with the flower-theme for the Princess Royal Nayef Stakes at 14:25. Fleur Forsythe elicited cries of “didn’t she do well” when producing a career-best in a listed race at York last time, winning decisively by over two lengths. One of two Girlz n the Hood in the lineup, she can see off the likes of Mori, who is better than she showed trailing in over seven lengths behind the selection last time. Elbereth, who, is twice as old as eight of her nine rivals, looks the best of the rest.
Ever since Michael Fish put punters away with the Great Storm in 1987, there’s been a distrust of weather forecasts, however there is rain around Newmarket this weekend.
As a result, it could pay to side with Nyaleti in the Rockfel Stakes at 15:00. She posted her best effort yet when landing a Group 3 on easy ground at Ascot in the summer, has performed well since, and the absence of ante-post favourite September makes her job much easier. Lightening Quick looks an exciting prospect and is much respected, whilst the Aidan O’Brien ‘supersub’ Butterscotch and the unexposed Gavota also come into the reckoning.
It’s not long until November, the month where millions of men grow facial fuzz which, albeit for charity, must have the likes of David Seaman, Bruce Grobbelaar and Neville Southall shaking their heads in despair. From what we can remember, Sir Michael Stoute has never grown a soup strainer, however he does train Mustashry, a horse who has created a deep impression in winning his last two starts and is clearly thriving at present. He may not have stopped progressing yet and is taken to land an open-looking renewal of the Joel Stakes at 15:35.
The unexposed three-year-olds Beat The Bank and Sir John Lavery have plenty to recommend them and are feared most, whilst Zonderland, who has finished second in each of the last two Celebration Miles at Goodwood, also has to enter calculations.
Gallop over to the latest racing odds on PaddyPower.com