Newmarket Tuesday

IT was a 1-2 for Charlie Appleby in the Listed Feilden Stakes over nine furlongs, as the 9/2 chance Highland Avenue (James Doyle) got the better of Secret Protector (William Buick) by a length and a quarter.

The son of Dubawi had won twice on Kempton’s Polytrack earlier in the year, and is a robust sort with a fluid action.

He’s clearly well suited by fast ground, and has the speed to drop back to the mile of the Guineas for all he will need to improve markedly on this bare form.

Both his dam, Lumiere, and granddam Screen Star were brilliant juveniles who didn’t meet lofty expectations at three, so it remains to be seen whether Highland Avenue continues to progress as expected.

Secret Protector ran well in second but couldn’t match his stable-companion’s mid-race pace, and is clearly not a Guineas contender, but the way he stayed on suggests that the son of War Front will find 10 furlongs well within his compass, and he has a Dante entry, which would seem a more realistic route to take.

Roger Varian’s 2/1 favourite Royal Champion was six lengths behind the runner-up in third, but shaped better than the result having weakened late after travelling strongly. This run looked needed, and he is better judged on what he does next time.

He’s out of Dubawi’s full-sister Emirates Queen, so ought to stay at least this far, and remains an interesting prospect. Arturo Toscanini, representing Aidan O’Brien, looked a nice prospect when winning in the mud at the Curragh on debut, but – fitted with a tongue tie – ran too bad to be true here, and clearly had an issue.

The Feilden was the only blacktype contest on a low-key opening day, but the best performance from a three-year-old may well have come in the conditions event, which saw the beautifully bred Mutasaabeq (Charlie Hills/Jim Crowley) win by a wide margin despite being easy to back.

Out of 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes heroine Ghanaati, from the phenomenal Height of Fashion tail-line, Mutasaabeq looked a chip off the old block despite signs of greenness, making almost every yard and quickening clear of the useful Noble Dynasty to record a six-length success at a generous SP of 7/2.

Mutasaabeq was considered too immature to enter in the Guineas when that race closed, even though he’d made a winning debut over seven furlongs here in October. That race came on heavy ground, and it’s therefore encouraging he could do whet he did here on a contrasting surface.

He’s still rather raw, and it’s probably the right move to skip the first classic, but he does appeal as a horse who could be out of the top drawer.

Connections do have the prospect of supplementing him for the Guineas, and how he comes out of this race is likely to determine it.

Arecibo (Robert Cowell/Oisin Murphy) had become something of a standing joke in certain circles when trained by David O’Meara, the gelding constantly catching the eye in big-field handicaps, but finding a way to get beaten while giving the impression to his backers that he was worth one more go.

Some thought Tom Morley was foolhardy to pay 50,000 gns for him at the sales, but the formerly frustrating character clicked on his first start for new connections, and was able to be eased close home after getting to the front comfortably.

He looked a lot less quirky here than he did last season, and may well have a big prize in him over the minimum trip.