Fever pitch tension is building towards Saturday’s fabulous card at Newmarket, with the £100,000 Shadwell Joel Stakes, in which unexposed, King Of Comedy, is about to set the world on fire.
A son of Kingman, he is dropping distance and levels, hoping to reignite for the first time since May.
Trainer, John Gosden, is looking for his second win in the Joel Stakes, having been a good fourth to Japan in the Judmonte International at York, last month.
“King Of Comedy was a little keen at York, which is something he’s not done before, and it didn’t help him finish off his race,” said Gosden. “He was a bit pinned in that day so hopefully a strongly-run mile on nice ground should play to his strengths.”
Sir Michael Stoute is leader in this contest, with four prior strikes to his name. Globetrotter, Benbatl, is another runner dropping down in class and trip as he kicks off his 2019 campaign for Saeed Bin Suroor, after a 335-day break.
The five-year-old will make his first appearance since finishing a fine second in the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last October, when he went down by two lengths to Winx.
Happy Power leads a trio of outsiders, together with Pogo, and, Anna Nerium.
Andre Fabre has sent only three runners to Britain this season, but has plenty to shout about at Newmarket, running an unbeaten juvenile, Earthlight, in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes.
Owned by Godolphin, Earthlight landed the Group 1 Prix Morny, so, form is looking stable.
The French trainer also dispatches Tropbeau, bidding for an impressive four-timer in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes.
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Oisin Murphy had his 1,000th ride of the season earlier this week and can ship Mums Tipple to the front of Middle Park Stakes.
He also has Good Birthday in the Cambridgeshire, where there are 32 rivals., and, Kameko, to bond a treble, in the Royal Lodge Stakes.
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