Exciting juvenile a non-runner at Newbury due to easing ground

The going at Newbury was eased to good to soft, soft in places early this morning and showers are in the forecast ahead of this afternoon's highlight card.

3mm of rain hit the track on Friday following a wet week across the country and it is currently dry and foggy in Berkshire.

The going change has forced John Gosden's exciting juvenile Guru out of the Listed Denford Stakes (1.50). An impressive course-and-distance winner on debut, the son of Kingman was a 5-2 chance before being declared a non-runner.

Guru (left) taken out of the Denford StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

3,100,000gns yearling purchase Dhahabi is now the 9-4 favourite for the Godolphin team.

Racing at Newbury commences at 1.15 building up to the feature Group 2 Unibet Hungerford Stakes (3.35). Dream Of Dreams is the 2-1 favourite.

The other Group-race contest on the card, the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Geoffrey Freer Stakes (3.00), is a muddling race from a betting perspective. Alignak and Morando are joint favourites although there has been support for Hukum and Tritonic this morning.

Conditions are different at Newmarket on the July course, with the going described as good to firm ahead of this afternoon's eight-race card which starts at 1.00.

There are currently nine non-runners at the course, with five because of the ground.

Conditions are testing in Deauville ahead of Saturday's card. The going was described as good on Tuesday but, after 100.8mm of rain since, conditions are currently heavy in France ahead of the Prix Guillaume D'Ornano which sees Mishriff take on Victor Ludorum.

It is forecast to stay dry in Deauville today but an additional 13mm is expected to fall before Sunday's Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois.

Saturday's key meetings

Newbury
Going: good to soft, soft in places
Weather: cloudy with chance of showers later this afternoon

Non-runners

1.50: 4 Guru (going)
2.25: 8 Modern Millie (bad scope), 10 Pride of America (going)
3.00: 2 Almania (going)
4.45: 6 Ridgeway (going), 8 Fantasy Believer (lame), 14 Tahitian Prince (going)
5.20: 8 War Cross (going)
5.55: 8 Blue Medici (going), 14 Running Cloud (going)

Newmarket
Going: good to firm
Weather: overcast

Non-runners

1.00: 3 Bodroy (cast in box), 7 Top Brass (not eaten up)
2.40: 4 Black Caspian (going), 8 Blackcastle Storm (going)
3.50: 7 Baby Sham (bad scope)
4.25: 5 Song Of The Isles (going), 11 Calatrava (going)
5.00: 2 Squelch (not eaten up), 6 Point In Time (going)

Read more

One key runner for each of ITV4's seven races from Newbury and Newmarket

Red-hot Murphy on title charge with seven Newbury chances and big-race Dream

Expert analysis of the Denford Stakes as Dhababi bids to stay unbeaten

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