Black-Type Analysis: Opera Ballo Eyeing Joel Target, as Middle Park and Cheveley Park Each Boast Nine Runners

[Wandering Eyes]

Friday, Newmarket, post time: 15:00, THE BOYLE SPORTS DAILY RACING REWARDS JOEL STAKES-G2, £125,000, 3yo/up, 8fT

Field: Flight Plan (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Prague (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Victory Dance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Detain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Snow Master (GB) (Ardad {Ire}), Zeus Olympios (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}).

TDN Analysis: With only one blot on his copybook, Godolphin's Opera Ballo remains an exciting prospect at this trip and beyond and the Listed Heron Stakes and Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes winner will be a warm order to continue his trajectory here. He faces another unexposed three-year-old in the unbeaten G3 Superior Mile winner Zeus Olympios, with the pair some way ahead of the rest in terms of x-factor if not ratings. [Tom Frary].

Friday, Newmarket, post time: 14:25, THE BOYLE SPORTS HOME OF EARLY PAYOUT ROCKFEL STAKES-G2, £100,000, 2yo, f, 7fT

Field: Awaken (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Ice Sovereigns (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), Mandarin Spirit (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Moon Target (GB) (Cracksman {GB}), Nandita (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Samra Green (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Sukanya (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), The Prettiest Star (GB) (Starman {GB}), Touleen (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Zanthos (Fr) (Sioux Nation).

TDN Analysis: The way that Shadwell's exciting Touleen dealt with fellow TDN Rising Star Zanthos at Leicester suggests she heads the pecking order here, with the pair dominating the market. David Ward's homebred The Prettiest Star is one of a clutch of maiden and novice winners adding the kind of intrigue you would expect of a Guineas pointer and she looked a smart prospect at Nottingham on debut. Having won her first two starts in the manner of a genuine Classic prospect and finished a close second to the subsequent Moyglare winner in the Prestige, Moon Target couldn't have been more disappointing in the May Hill and it is interesting that Sir Mark Prescott has her out again so soon fitted with cheekpieces for the first time. [Tom Frary].

Friday, Newmarket, post time: 13:50, THE PRINCESS ROYAL STAKES-G3, £85,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT

Field: Ambiente Amigo (GB) (Postponed {Ire}), Chorus (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Jane Temple (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), Karmology (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), Miss Justice (GB) (Justify), Favorite Memory (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Little Dorrit (GB) (Camelot {GB}), Revoir (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Silent Love (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Spirited Style (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Understudy (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

TDN Analysis: As in the Joel, the three-year-olds look the ones to focus on here with William Buick opting for the Listed Aphrodite Stakes winner Spirited Style over the Listed Chalice Stakes winner Silent Love. The former has not been seen finishing down the field in the Preis der Diana and the stable jockey is obviously keen to dismiss that. Of the older brigade, Miss Justice has the most appeal and the Listed Upavon Stakes scorer could be a typical improver for the Gosdens now that she has found the winning groove. [Tom Frary].

Saturday, Newmarket, post time: 15:00, THE TATTERSALLS MIDDLE PARK STAKES-G1, £291,580, 2yo, c, 6fT

Field: Brussels (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Coppull (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), First Approach (Ire) (No Nay Never), Five Ways (GB) (Kameko), Havana Hurricane (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}), Hilitany (GB) (Ubettabelieveit (Ire), Kansas (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), The Publican's Son (Beau Liam), Wise Approach (Ire) Mehmas {Ire}).

TDN Analysis: Gstaad's absence has taken something away from this Middle Park, where Godolphin's Morny third Wise Approach sets the standard as he bids to emulate his half-brother Perfect Power who took this in 2021. The Richmond winner Coppull was too free in that Deauville feature, so expect a more measured ride but he has questions to answer now. Still a maiden, The Publican's Son is the second favourite in the betting having finished runner-up on his sole start to Mission Central in the Round Tower but he has improvement to find to trouble the market-leader along with the impressive Windsor novice winner Hilitany and Sirenia scorer Five Ways. [Tom Frary].

Saturday, Newmarket, post time: 14:25, THE TATTERSALLS SCEPTRE SESSIONS CHEVELEY PARK STAKES-G1, £275,000, 2yo, f, 6fT

Field: American Queen (Ire) (Havana Grey {GB}), Anthelia (Ire) (Supremacy {Ire}), Beautify (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Fitzella (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Golden Palace (GB) (Palace Pier {GB}), Havana Anna (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), Orion's Belt (Ire) (Starman {GB}), Royal Fixation (GB) (Palace Pier {GB}), True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never).

TDN Analysis: Good luck to anybody who can guess who comes out on top from the Lowther winner Royal Fixation, the Queen Mary and Railway winner and Phoenix Stakes runner-up True Love and the Airlie Stud Stakes winner and Moyglare runner-up Beautify. That isn't even accounting for the Lowther runner-up America Queen, who was probably still a work in progress at York, and the Princess Margaret winner Fitzella and even the ultra-game Dick Poole scorer Anthelia whose innate toughness will take her far. In all probability, Beautify will be the one given how she dealt with her genuine top-drawer peers Venetian Sun and Composing last time despite finding Precise too strong. Last year's winner Lake Victoria came from that seven-furlong contest and history could repeat. [Tom Frary].

Saturday, Newmarket, post time: 13:50, THE TATTERSALLS ONLINE ROYAL LODGE STAKES-G2, £133,750, 2yo, c/g, 8fT

Field: Action (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Ancient Egypt (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Bow Echo (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Daytona (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Humidity (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), Lord Britain (GB) (Universal {Ire}), Pacific Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Tailgunner Joe (Knicks Go).

TDN Analysis: TDN Rising Star Bow Echo will be a warm order for this Classic pointer, given how he went through the Ascendant at Haydock last time, but there is the small matter of Ballydoyle's Action laying in wait and that half-brother to Lambourn can surely only get better with time and experience. Other TDN Rising Stars are Godolphin's Pacific Avenue, who has something to prove after his Solario fourth and will need his run timed much better here, and Amo's unbeaten Ancient Egypt who gives all the right vibes despite lacking experience. Ballydoyle have won this with second-strings in the past and Daytona can be written off by nobody. [Tom Frary].

Saturday, Curragh, post time: 14:35, QATAR RACING & EQUESTRIAN CLUB BERESFORD STAKES-G2, €72,000, 2yo, 8fT

Field: Al Haarith (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Geryon (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Hawk Mountain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Port Of Spain (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), Shaihaan (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}).

TDN Analysis: This is another contest almost dominated by the O'Briens, with the outlier being Geryon who shades favouritism having been second in the Futurity here last month. For those thinking Derby 2026, the performances of Ballydoyle's maiden winners Hawk Mountain and Port Of Spain will come under close scrutiny with the former the first-string having dominated over course and distance last month. [Tom Frary].

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