'He's got a better attitude now' - can Tafreej follow in the footsteps of Group performers at Newbury?

This race has been won by several decent sorts over the years, although the last two, Whoputfiftyinyou and Mithras, were quickly shipped off to Hong Kong to race under new names.

Before them, 2019 scorer Happy Power ended up a Group 2 winner, 2017 hero Bacchus won the Wokingham a year later, and the victor in 2014, Muwaary, was fourth in the French Guineas a month later and second in the Jersey at Royal Ascot a month after that.

If there's a really good one this year it might well be favourite Tafreej, who improved with every start last season, all of them over six furlongs. He's handicapped on that form, but with the dam a sister to Oaks winner Taghrooda, he's sure to be even better at this seven furlongs and further.

The Richard Hannon stable has won three of the last eight runnings, but doesn't help matters by running three — Captain Cuddles, Hectic, and Dark Thirty.

Hectic and Dark Thirty are two of three runners in the field who won first time out as a juvenile, and two of the last seven winners of this did that. The former was highly tried in a Group race and sales company afterwards, and might not be badly treated on a mark of 87.

Topweight Caragio probably got bogged down on heavy ground in the Group 3 Horris Hill over course and distance last autumn, while Lord Uhtred represents a trainer, Charlie Hills, in cracking form, and is another who progressed really well in three starts at two.
Race analysis by Paul Kealy

What they say

Roger Teal, trainer of Caragio
We're monitoring the weather and ground because we could do with it staying dry. The ground was horrendous when he ran in the Horris Hill — really deep — and if it stays like it is I think we'll be okay, although we'd be in trouble if it deteriorated. He's going to improve as the season goes on as he's got some furnishing to do and the weather's been against most horses this year. He'll start to strengthen, but just has to fill his frame. He's got an engine and you saw that when he won at Leicester, while he still ran a solid race in the Horris Hill.

Angus Gold, racing manager to Shadwell Estate Company Ltd, owner of Tafreej
He'll hopefully improve with time and maturity. It took him a while to put his best foot forward as a two-year-old, but he's got a better attitude now — he was a bit of pest to start with. Hopefully he'll work his way upwards, but I don't know enough about him to say if he can do that if the ground is really soft. I don't think stepping up to seven furlongs will be a problem and William [Haggas] has always thought he'd be better this year.

Jack Channon, trainer of Tiriac
He likes cut in the ground, so we're not worried about conditions and he's been training well all winter. We've been umming and ahing over trip and he shows a lot of speed for a horse by Sixties Icon. He's ready to rock and roll and I think he's on a workable mark. He was impressive in his last race at Doncaster, but that was on heavy ground.
Reporting by James Burn

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