Mill Reef lowdown as Leicester tribute act aims to live up to their shock title

3.25 Newbury
Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (Group 2) | 6f, 2yo | ITV/RTV

Ante-post punters will have their eyes on the 2,000 Guineas and Commonwealth Cup markets before and after this year's Mill Reef is run.

The six-furlong contest has proved a terrific stepping stone for some top-notch sprinters in recent years, so the Royal Ascot Group 1 demands first look, but we might have a Classic contender on our hands in favourite Fivethousandtoone.

The Andrew Balding-trained son of Frankel out of a Dark Angel mare is nicely bred and that mixture of speed and stamina should make him effective over a mile next season.

Hyped before making his debut at Windsor in August, Fivethousandtoone showed the customary inexperience and greenness you tend to expect from Balding's newcomers, but hit the line powerfully to finish a good three-quarter-length second to the reopposing Bahrain Pride.

However, he looked a completely different beast when we last saw him at Newcastle. He broke professionally, made the running and quickened clear from an admittedly weak field to win hard on the bridle by four lengths. It could have been ten if he was asked for maximum effort.

The time was far quicker than what was posted in division one of that novice event and the return to turf is a positive, albeit he is unproven on quick ground. Fivethousandtoone looks a typical top-class, backend two-year-old.

There might be a number of those lining up here, and although many would fancy him to overturn his debut form with the aforementioned Bahrain Pride, that colt is not overlooked.

Rhythm Master: third in the Prix Morny last timeCredit: John Grossick

He enters the race unbeaten after backing up his first-time-up success by winning a Listed contest at Ripon. Bahrain Pride is a high-class juvenile who boasts a three-figure rating, but his races have come on soft ground and the quick conditions would be a worry.

The best form on show comes courtesy of Rhythm Master, who finished a credible third of nine behind Campanelle in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville last month. Plenty went wrong for him that day and he bumped into a real superstar, so he looks the solid option in the field.

Line Of Departure and Cairn Gorm have each racked up three wins in their short careers but may be outclassed against these late-season types, while each-way punters might look at the unexposed Alkumait, who represents leading connections and beat a talented rival last time at Goodwood.
Race analysis by Tom Collins

'We have a high opinion of him'

If Leicester City's 2015-16 Premier League title success was wholly unexpected, the horse named in honour of the magnitude of the triumph carries considerably more confidence.

The smartly named Fivethousandtoone, Leicester's pre-season championship odds, lines up at Newbury having scored stylishly at Newcastle last time for owners King Power Racing.

Leicester City: Foxes shocked the world in the 2015-16 Premier League seasonCredit: Michael Regan

Alastair Donald, its racing manager, said: "We have a high opinion of him and he's bred to be good as well. He was slowly away on his debut at Windsor and not quite there physically and mentally, so we'd be relatively confident about turning the form around with Bahrain Star.

"He had a few fancied horses behind him when he won so well at Newcastle last time and I think we've got a good gauge of him against [stablemate] Mystery Smiles, who was placed in the Gimcrack and the Sirenia. Hopefully the dreams will still be there after the race."

What they say

Marcus Tregoning, trainer of Alkumait
He won't mind the ground if it's on the quicker side and although it's a big step up from last time we need to test him and see. He looks like a nice two-year-old and I think he'll go well.

Ed Crisford, joint-trainer of Bahrain Pride
He's a progressive type but will need to be as this is a step up from a Listed race and it looks a hot contest. He's won on easy ground until now but we expect him to handle a quicker surface.

Jack Channon, assistant to Mick Channon, trainer of Cairn Gorm
He's in great form and has been training well since his last run at Deauville. He lost the race in the stalls that day, but we have put a line through it and are still confident he's a high-class horse. We're confident of a big run.

Devilwala finds extra to win on his debut at HaydockCredit: John Grossick

Rossa Ryan, rider of Devilwala
He ran a great race when he was second in the Gimcrack last time and he's come out of the race really well. His work has been really good and you'd like to think he's got a good chance of running very well again.

Clive Cox, trainer of First Edition
It's a big step up after winning very impressively at Sandown. He's always given us a good feel and it's a good chance to run on some decent ground at this time of year.

Roger Varian, trainer of Line Of Departure
We're backing him up only nine days after winning at Doncaster but he's got a great constitution. He's very much a fast-ground horse so I was keen to get him out before the weather breaks. This is a different type of race to Doncaster and it will tell us where we are with him.

Richard Fahey, trainer of Rhythm Master
He's got plenty of ability and we went straight to a Group 1 last time, which shows you what we think of him. He got upset before the race in France, which isn't really like him. Hopefully he can run well again.

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