Interesting racing overnight at Newmarket with a couple of Classic key lead up stakes races for three year-olds and the winners were both first time stakes-winners, one from the family of Sydney autumn carnival staying star Alalcance and the other a homebred Dubawi filly for Juddmonte.
The Group III Nell Gwyn Stakes (7f) for the fillies was won by the John and Thady Gosden trained filly Zanzoun, who broke her maiden last November at Southwell at her third start and has obviously gone to a better level this year.
The daughter of Dubawi scored by a length and three-quarters for Kieren Shoemark and is entered for the French 1000 guineas.
“She was not overraced last year so has come here a relatively fresh filly. She won her maiden at the end of the season and we wanted to come here rather than a handicap and it's paid off,” said John Gosden.
“She's got some bold black type now, which is important, and hopefully there is more to come. There is a significant filly not running here today [Newmarket 1,000 Guineas favourite Desert Flower] so we'll go to Paris and she can come to Newmarket.”
Dubawi is closing in on his 300th SW and Zanzoun is his 297th and she is the first foal of Frankel stakes-winner Franconia, a half-sister to Group I winner Winsili and stakes-winner Backcountry from the family of Group I winning stayers Meteor Storm, Polish Summer and Ice Breeze.
She is the second SW by Dubawi from a daughter of Frankel with eight winners from 11 starters so far bred this way.
The Listed Feilden Stakes (1m1f) went the way of Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades Stud homebred colt Almeric, who started favourite and won by a length for Oisin Murphy.
A maiden winner at his second start at York last year, the Andrew Balding trained Almeric has Derby aspirations after winning this assignment by a length, but in the direction of France.
“Almeric s a smart horse. He's not in the Derby (Epsom), but he's in the French Derby and a host of others. I think the plan would be to go to the Dante before a crack at the Prix du Jockey Club,” said Andrew Balding.
Almeric is the sixth stakes-winner for Lanwades Stud’s Group I winning Deep Impact stallion Study of Man, who scored his Group I win in the Prix du Jockey Club. He is a half-brother to Group III winner Alla Speranza and stakes-winner Altesse being the third stakes-winner among 10 winners from super producing stakes-winner Alvarita.
It’s the same Alouette family that has produced countless G1 winners such as Arc winner Alpinista and also also produced Alalcance albeit a different branch as you can see in the tabulated pedigree below.
