Friday's G3 Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp S. at Newmarket will offer clues as to next year's 1000 Guineas at the track and Khalid Abdullah's Gavota (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) is one of the most intriguing after her latest third in the G2 Rockfel S. over this course and distance on Sept. 29. The homebred had the re-opposing Hikmaa (Ire) (Roderic O'Connor {Ire}) just behind her in fourth there, with one of Ballydoyle's representatives Butterscotch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in fifth. “I think she was a little unfortunate in the Rockfel a fortnight ago,” Juddmonte's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented. “Just when she needed to get out when the pace quickened, she was a little squeezed. Then she lost her action a bit in the dip before running on really strongly. When she met the rising ground she really lengthened, which was very promising, and we think she should run well again.”
Alongside Butterscotch from Rosegreen is the Dundalk maiden scorer I Can Fly (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), whose four-length success over this trip was visually impressive on Sept. 29 and is the pick of Ryan Moore.
Also of interest is Dark Rose Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who was a head second to Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G2 May Hill S. over a mile at Doncaster last time on Sept. 14. Trainer Simon Crisford said, “She's very well and we've been very happy with her preparation for this race. She's just a very straightforward filly–a delight to train–and I've been very pleased with her. As she wasn't in the Fillies' Mile originally, we were never really looking at that. She's dropping down a furlong from the May Hill, but I wouldn't have thought that would trouble her in the slightest.”
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