2023 Mill Reef at Newbury: assessing the key contenders for the Group 2 juvenile race

Ribchester and Harry Angel are among the Group 1 winners to feature on the Mill Reef Stakes honour roll. Here we profile the leading contenders for the Group 2 juvenile event at Newbury (3.15) on Saturday . . .

Elite Status

Trainer: Karl Burke
Form figures: 11317
Best Rating Post Rating: 104
Odds: 3-1f

A three-time winner from five starts and particularly impressive when scoring by five lengths in the National Stakes at Sandown in May.

Ease in the ground is no concern as he won the Group 3 Prix de Cabourg at Deauville on soft on his penultimate start but he needs to bounce back from a below-par run when seventh in the Prix Morny last time.

Elite Status15:15 Newbury

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Jky: Tnr: K R Burke

Lake Forest

Trainer: William Haggas
Form figures: 1241
Best Racing Post Rating: 109
Odds: 4-1

Boasts the highest Racing Post Rating on the strength of his Group 2 win in the Gimcrack at York last month.

He defied odds of 16-1 when bouncing right back to form that day and finished second to Jasour in the July Stakes at Newmarket on his other start at this level.

Forecast rain could be a concern for the son of No Nay Never given his best form is on good to firm, although he is related to three winners on very soft ground in France.

Lake Forest15:15 Newbury

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Jky: Tnr: William Haggas

Eben Shaddad

Trainers: John and Thady Gosden
Form figures: 1
Best Racing Post Rating: 88
Odds: 5-1

Impressive winner of a Newmarket novice on his sole start last month and supplemented for this race on Monday at a cost of £5,000.

A €190,000 buy at the breeze-ups, the son of Calyx was a first turf two-year-old winner for the Gosdens this season and his Dewhurst entry suggests he is well regarded.

Gosden snr won this race with Kessaar in 2018. Dhabab was the stable’s sole runner since when a beaten favourite in fourth two years ago.

Eben Shaddad15:15 Newbury

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Jky: Benoit De La Sayette Tnr: John & Thady Gosden

Mister Sketch

Trainer: Eve Johnson Houghton
Form figures: 21
Best Racing Post Rating: 94
Odds: 5-1

A recent recruit for owners Wathnan Racing after a nine-and-a-half-length win in novice company at Salisbury last month.

That effort confirmed the promise of his Newbury second on his debut and he clearly has plenty of potential, although this is the acid test as he takes a big jump in grade.

Mister Sketch15:15 Newbury

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Jky: Tnr: Eve Johnson Houghton

Seven Questions

Trainer: George Scott
Form figures: 4211132
Best Racing Post Rating: 98
Odds: 10-1

Another supplementary entry on Monday and arrives in excellent form following a head second to Starlust in the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton this month.

The son of Kodiac had been going through the ranks before his Group 3 second, winning in maiden, novice and nursery company, and he was an unlucky third in a Listed race at Ripon on his penultimate start. He continues to improve and rates an intriguing contender.

Seven Questions15:15 Newbury

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Jky: Tnr: George Scott

Verdict

Lake Forest sets the standard on his Gimcrack win but carries a penalty against some promising opposition. Preference is for Seven Questions, who ran a career-best race from a wide draw at Kempton on the back of an unlucky third at Ripon. He makes most appeal at the prices.

Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes, 3.15 Newbury, Saturday
Coral: 3 Elite Status, 4 Lake Forest, 5 Eben Shaddad, Mister Sketch, 7 Haatem, 8 Array, 10 Seven Questions, 14 Sketch, 16 bar

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