From Newcastle to Santa Anita: feast of top action lights up fantastic Friday

Friday. The golden child of the weekdays. The superhero of the working week. The welcome wagon to the weekend. And, for one week only, the home of horseracing heaven.

This is no ordinary Friday. This is the Friday when the 36th Breeders’ Cup begins. This is the Friday when you will see Samcro over fences for the first time and when Newcastle will welcome a Group 1 on its all-weather track for the first time. This is a Friday like we have never known.

It is a day that allows us to gaze into the future. For just the second time in Breeders’ Cup history, all five juvenile races will be run on the same day. It is Future Stars Friday.

No stable in the world has more future stars in the filly department than Jessica Harrington.

She has farmed the two-year-old contests for females this year and Albigna, the brilliant Prix Marcel Boussac winner on Arc day, bids to give the 72-year-old trainer her first Breeders' Cup victory in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (10.12).

The presence of Roger Varian's Albany Stakes winner Daahyeh will not make that feat easy.

Coventry winner Arizona had Pinatubo petrified at one stage when chasing him home in the Dewhurst and he will try to sign off the season with success in the Juvenile Turf (8.52) under Ryan Moore.

Arizona (right) finished second to Pinatubo in the Dewhurst StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

There are also future stars on show at Newcastle. Doncaster's loss was certainly Tyneside's gain as the Tapeta track hosts the final Group 1 of the domestic campaign, the Vertem Futurity Trophy (6.00).

It was supposed to be a penalty kick for Ballydoyle last Saturday, with only Kameko standing in their way, but the rescheduled race has attracted a dozen runners this time and among them is Kinross.

Trained by Ralph Beckett, the Kingman colt barely broke sweat when winning his debut by eight lengths at Newmarket and the runner-up has won since so Mogul will have to be as good as the hype suggests to hand Aidan O'Brien a tenth success.

Away from the floodlights, we are sure to be dazzled in daylight at Down Royal. Samcro starts his reputation-restoring mission in the beginners’ chase (2.55) under Keith Donoghue for the first time, while last season's Triumph Hurdle runner-up Coeur Sublime lines up in the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle (1.45).

And do not forget there are a pair of Listed races down for decision at Wetherby. This is a Friday for every type of horseracing fan to enjoy. There is something for everyone, no matter what your taste.

Juvenile gems out to emulate the greats

From Unbridled’s Song and Uncle Mo, to Street Sense and Nyquist, some of America's most prized possessions were successful at the Breeders' Cup as two-year-olds and there are any number of potential superstars on show at Santa Anita for Future Stars Friday.

Songbird rose to stardom and locked down her two-year-old filly Eclipse Award by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Street Sense and Nyquist swiped the Juvenile on their way to future Kentucky Derby glory, while Lady Eli proved her mettle in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Tango: represents Aidan O'Brien at the Breeders' CupCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Aidan O'Brien's begins his Breeders' Cup challenge with a team of five on Friday night. Mendelssohn did the business for Ballydoyle in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2017 and perhaps his best chance of a winner rests on the broad shoulders of Arizona. He also runs Fort Myers in that race.

The master trainer also runs two in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (10.12) with Etoile and Tango, while his challenge is completed by King Neptune in the Juvenile Turf Sprint (8.12), a race Simon Crisford and Frankie Dettori will fancy their chances of winning with A'Ali.

O'Brien's record in Breeders' Cup juvenile races (2016-2018)

Juvenile Turf Sprint
2018: So Perfect (3rd), Sergei Prokofiev (8th)
2017: Declarationofpeace (WON)

Juvenile
2018: U S Navy Flag (10th)

Juvenile Fillies Turf
2018: Just Wonderful (4th)
2017: September (3rd), Happily (14th)
2016: Roly Poly (9th), Hydrangea (14th)

Juvenile Turf
2018: Anthony Van Dyck (9th)
2017: Mendelssohn (WON)
2016: Lancaster Bomber (2nd), Intelligence Cross (9th)

Unknown territory

The Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy will be run for the first time at Newcastle and none of the 12 runners have run on the all-weather.

Between them, they have competed 42 times but each of those efforts came on grass. The Tapeta surface at Newcastle will be unknown territory for the entire field.

When the race was run at its usual home of Doncaster it was a terrific race for punters with eight winning favourites in the last decade, most recently Qipco 2,000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia.

Samcro following a very familiar path

It is a real statement of intent by Gordon Elliott to run Samcro in the Advanced NI Scaffolding Beginners Chase at Down Royal as the trainer has farmed the race in recent years.

Elliott has won the last three runnings and it was the springboard for Delta Work's brilliant campaign last season. He went on to win three Grade 1s and was third to Topofthegame in the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Delta Work: began his chasing career at Down RoyalCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

A Toi Phil won it in 2016 and Tombstone was successful the following year. All three were trained by Elliott, owned by Gigginstown and sent off as short-price favourites.

Samcro ticks all those boxes too and there will be long faces at Cullentra House if the ante-post favourite for the JLT Novices' Chase does not make a successful start to his chasing career.

Sam stars on wonderful Wetherby card

It would be foolish to forget about Wetherby, where Sam Spinner stars on the opening day of their two-day Charlie Hall meeting.

The Grade 1-winning hurdler puts his unbeaten record over fences on the line in the Best Jumps Action On Racing TV Novices' Chase (1.55) and in-running punters should be wise to his running style.

The seven-year-old looked in deep trouble leaving the back straight at Wetherby on his chasing debut last month, touching a high of 20-1 on the exchanges, but surged home to score a shade cosily under Joe Colliver. That experience should stand him in good stead and he has an extra four and a half furlongs to run this time too.

The Listed Weatherbys Hamilton Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle (2.30) sees expensive French purchase Crealion make his first start for Tom George, while an ultra-competitive field of eight face the starter for the Listed bet365 Handicap chase (3.05), including the loveable Splash Of Ginge.

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