NEWMARKET FRIDAY

IT may turn into another memorable weekend for Frankie Dettori and the Italian made a good start yesterday when the Cheveley Park Stud filly Juliet Capulet, making most towards the near side, just held warm favourite Nyaleti in the Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes.

Juliet Capulet, by the prolific Dark Angel, just missed out at Group 3 level on the July Course and was allowed to start at 9/1 here – unusual for a filly trained by John Gosden and ridden by the former champion. She showed plenty of speed and went about a length clear running down into the Dip.

Nyaleti then emerged as the main threat and was rapidly closing the winner down as they neared the line but Dettori had done enough and was just starting to ease off, scoring by a head. Roger Charlton’s Gavota lost her unbeaten record but did well in third.

“I think seven furlongs is about right for her at present and I was looking for the line to come,” Dettori said. “She went well on the good to soft and she probably had more speed than some of the others.”

He probably believes that a mile would stretch Juliet Capulet and he actually won this race by injecting pace at the vital moment. The bookmakers agree with him where the Qipco 1,000 Guineas is concerned, Stan James making her a 40/1 chance to become the fifth filly to complete the Rockfel/Guineas double.