Four horses who will be suited by soft ground at Newbury on Friday

The going is now soft at Newbury, with conditions made challenging by the recent rainfall. With that in mind, here are four horses who should relish the testing ground on Friday.

Snafiyah

2.25: Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises British EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes, 7f

As can be the case with juveniles at this time of year, many of these come into this race having raced almost exclusively on decent ground, or even not at all.

Snafiyah is one of just two with a rating and does not conform to that statement having won twice on soft ground at Doncaster and Thirsk, and she was only narrowly beaten on her debut on it, too.

The Alice Haynes-trained filly stuck to her task admirably at Goodwood to finish third last time and looks well worth a try at seven furlongs given her dam, Erysimum, won over a mile.

Lokana, rated 3lb inferior and still a maiden, should also act on it having run creditably on good to soft twice, while she is a son of Waldgeist, who relished very soft conditions when winning the 2019 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Snafiya14:25 Newbury

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Jky: Kieran O'Neill Tnr: Alice Haynes

Innvincible Friend

3.00: Dubai Duty Free Nursery Handicap, 7f

Only two horses in this nursery have faced ground worse than good to soft, with Commander Crouch comprehensively beaten when he ran on soft going at Chester last month.

Innvincible Friend has fared much better, placing second three times, twice at Chester and at Ripon on his debut, as well as finishing a respectable sixth in a hot sales race at Naas.

He was only seventh to Zoulu Chief at York last time but that race could hardly have worked out any better with the second, third, fourth, eighth, tenth and 11th all winning since.

Innvincible Friend15:00 Newbury

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Jky: Pierre-Louis Jamin Tnr: Tom Dascombe

Blue Lemons

3.35: Haynes, Hanson & Clark Novice Stakes, 1m

This race, which has been won by the likes of Rainbow Quest, Unfuwain, King's Theatre and Nayef, doesn't tend to produce horses of that calibre these days but has still produced top-class horses like Stormy Antarctic and Yibir in the last decade.

This year's runners will have to be tenacious to deal with conditions and Blue Lemons has already proven his mettle on that front by winning on soft ground in the driving rain at Leicester on his debut.

He prevailed as a 22-1 shot there, suggesting connections did not expect much, so it may be that he was expected to improve from that performance. If he does, he should be able to put it up to Houstonn and King's Gambit here.

Despite being by the top sprinter Blue Point, also the sire of Snafiyah, he shaped as if the step up to a mile would suit him when he came with a strong late run first time out.

Blue Lemons15:35 Newbury

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Jky: Tom Marquand Tnr: Richard Hannon

Aldaary

4.10: Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes, 7f

William Haggas must have been delighted by the recent inclement weather as his talented gelding Aldaary is a confirmed mudlark.

He was only fourth to Paddington on soft ground in the Sussex Stakes last time but this will be much easier and he boasts a perfect two-from-two record on heavy going. His record on soft is also 1314.

Aldaary has an entry in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Qipco British Champions Day, which shows how highly regarded he is by connections, and an impressive victory here could see his current odds of 33-1 tumble for that prize, given it tends to take place on testing ground.