Somerville graduates all set to chase £100,000 pot at Newmarket on Saturday

Possibly aided by the very welcome rain on Thursday morning, though sales races generally keep their end up when it comes to field sizes, there are 18 set to go to post for the inaugural £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

The six-furlong contest at the July course is open to all two-year-old graduates of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, which this year takes place on September 6.

One of the leading fancies will be the Archie Watson-trained Eddie’s Boy. Owned by Middleham Park Racing, he was purchased by the owners and Blandford Bloodstock for 45,000gns from Bearstone Stud at the Somerville Sale.

A dual winner this season, the son of Havana Grey made all to land the Weatherbys Super Sprint in decisive fashion at Newbury last month. He went on to finish a creditable fourth in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood, before placing fifth in a Listed contest at Deauville last time out. Hollie Doyle rides.

Trainer Eve Johnston Houghton has enjoyed plenty of success with Somerville Sale purchases, led by last year’s Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner Chipotle. She saddles Boy Browning on Saturday.

Purchased for 15,000gns by Highflyer Bloodstock and Henry Ponsonby’s Shefford Bloodstock from Barton Stud, the son of Brazen Beau was an impressive four-and-a-half-length winner of a novice stakes at Windsor last time out.

One of the leading fillies in the contest is Liberation Bay. Trained by Ed Dunlop and owned by Paul Turner, Liberation Bay was purchased for 15,000gns by JD Moore from Barton Stud and is now a dual winner.

Dunlop said: “She’s a model of consistency and ran another great race at Leicester last time out. This will be a step up in grade but she seems in good form. It’s a great initiative by Tattersalls to put on this race and hopefully we can find another horse like her at the upcoming Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale.”

Another notable filly in the race is Miss Jungle Cat. A winner at Musselburgh and York, the daughter of Jungle Cat drops down in trip and returns to the course after finishing runner-up in a seven-furlongs fillies’ nursery last time out.

Frankie Dettori teams up with Hugo Palmer and partners the Dandy Boys-owned Self Praise. Purchased for 37,000gns by SackvilleDonald from Rathbarry Stud, the two-year-old colt won impressively at Chester last month, beating Kessaar Power by a length and a quarter.

Richard Hannon will saddle three in the race – Tessa, Starmas and Go Senator Go, with stable jockey Sean Levey taking the ride on the last-named.

Other notable horses in the race include Daytona Lady, trained by Sean Woods, and the Ed Walker-trained Amichi, who are both winners this season.

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