THE first two days of Newmarket’s Craven meeting served up some fine action, including clues for the Guineas.

Qabala is favourite for the 1000 following her authoritative win in the Nell Gwyn Stakes on Tuesday, but I am not entirely convinced, while acknowledging that she has done well to win two out of two to date.

Her overall time was 1.09s slower than Shine So Bright’s in winning the European Free Handicap (carrying 3lb more) earlier on the card, and she clawed back only 0.24s from the three-furlong marker.

Shine So Bright is a smart performer, who gets a 114 timefigure raised to 115 on sectionals, but Qabala will have to run to that sort of level in a couple of weeks’ time and is on 107 at the most after her own sectionals have been factored in. There was nothing behind her in the Nell Gwyn that you would fancy to turn the tables.

Kick On may prove best at a mile of 10 furlongs and ran a solid 111 timefigure in going quite hard from the front (98.8% finishing speed) and holding on in the Feilden Stakes.

Chasing Dreams posted a decidedly useful figure of 101 for a two-year-old filly making her debut when taking a maiden later on Tuesday.

Skardu’s win in the Craven Stakes on Wednesday might have amounted to more than it first appeared, with the first six in a bit of a bunch and fourth-placed Royal Marine getting no sort of a run.

The race was well-run, despite some pulling hard, and the overall time was a lot quicker than the Wood Ditton Stakes (in which UAE Jewel got a 95 timefigure upgraded to 102) and the concluding handicap. I have Skardu on 115 (117 after sectionals), which is very decent for a horse with only two runs to his name.

Momkin (115) and Set Piece (111), who were rather surprise packages in filling the places, are worth at least one chance to confirm this form.

The leaders went too fast in the Abernant Stakes, but the shock winner Keystroke ran very close to perfect efficiency, pouncing late to record a 112 timefigure. Runner-up Yafta comes out narrowly top on sectionals (113 figure) and met trouble in running into the bargain.