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After their well-documented quiet Royal Ascot, Godolphin look set for a good day on the Friday of Newmarket’s July Festival.

Star of the show should be STAR OF MYSTERY in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (14:25), a 6f juvenile fillies race. She has already won on the July course when winning a Listed Race by four lengths, and this looks the natural next step in her progression before a likely tilt at the Group 1 Cheveley Park back over on the Rowley Mile. After her last victory, trainer Charlie Appleby voiced the opinion that she would likely remain a sprinter based on her pedigree, but she was strong at the finish that day and a few of her relatives have stayed further, so she may yet become a plausible 1000 Guineas contender. Either way, if she is to be competitive in those races, then she should win here.

Since Royal Ascot, normal service appears to have been resumed in the Appleby camp after a well below par May and early June. One of the stable’s runners to fare better than most at Ascot was TAGABAWA , who was far too close to the pace in a furiously run King George V handicap. He is a progressive horse and is ideally drawn in the opener (13:50) to get a good tow into the race with Dayzee drawn one stall inside him. His Kempton All-Weather victory has proved particularly strong form with a couple of next-time-out winners behind him that day, and he could well make up into a Group or Listed horse.

Also in the Godolphin blue but trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, LIVE YOUR DREAM , runs in the 15:00. He was another who ended up too close to the front in strongly-run Ascot handicap, the Duke Of Edinburgh. Not only did he set a solid pace, but he actually briefly got a break on the field before the exertions took their toll. After a break of over 600 days prior to this season, it is encouraging he is taking his racing well, and he’s another to have already won over course and distance having landed this very race 12 months ago.

The feature race, the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes (15:35) looks fraught with danger from a punting perspective, with connections of Via Sistina likely to make a late call on her participation if the rain stays away. Coupled with the query as to whether Nashwa, supplemented and back in trip, is the same force this season, it looks too tricky to have a strong view. However, I will be keeping an eye on Roger Varian’s Ameynah with an eye to the future, who has her first start for over a year.

STABLE TRACKER RUNNER

One of our tracker horses, MATNOOKH  , is in action at 16:10 after ITV goes off air. He has shaped in similar fashion in two runs to date, getting a bit lost early and then finishing with running left. It is slightly disconcerting to see cheekpieces applied and stable rider Oisin Orr in action at York, but he clearly has untapped ability and hopefully can show it here.

JOCKEYS FOR COURSES

Here’s our usual list of jockeys riding at tracks on Friday where they have a good record and should have positive vibes:

  • Chester – Hayley Turner
  • Newmarket – Marco Ghiani
  • York – Connor Beasley

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

I called HAVANA PUSEY  (17:10, Ascot) on her debut at Brighton when she finished well into second. She confirmed that promise by winning at Nottingham and then has not really had the breaks when highly tried in Listed company at Sandown (hung left) and at Epsom, where again she took a while to get balanced. This track should play far more to her strengths and she looks more progressive than her older rivals.

FRIDAY SELECITONS:

TAGABAWA (13:50, Newmarket)

STAR OF MYSTERY (14:25, Newmarket)

LIVE YOUR DREAM (15:00, Newmarket)

MATNOOKH  (16:10, Newmarket)

HAVANA PUSEY  (17:10, Ascot)