Confirmed runners and riders for Saturday's Dewhurst - plus an early tip

Unbeaten juvenile stars Native Trail and Straight Answer will do battle in Saturday's Darley Dewhurst Stakes (2.55) at Newmarket, but last weekend's Longchamp hero Angel Bleu will miss the race after not featuring among a final field of eight.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Native Trail will bid to enhance his claims as the leading juvenile in Europe this season following three impressive victories, most recently when powering to a Group 1 success in the National Stakes at the Curragh last month.

The son of Oasis Dream will attempt to take his perfect record to four in the 7f Group 1 with William Buick, who has been on board for all of his starts, in the saddle once more.

Native Trail will face a formidable opponent in Straight Answer, who was supplemented for the race at a cost of £32,000 earlier in the week following his demolition job in a Fairyhouse Listed race last time. Colin Keane will ride the Ger Lyons-trained colt.

Dewhurst Stakes card and betting

The Roger Varian-trained Bayside Boy will also step up to Group 1 level for the first time, having won the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster's St Leger meeting in decisive fashion from the highly regarded Reach For The Moon.

Coventry Stakes hero Berkshire Shadow and the Dave Loughnane-trained Go Bears Go also feature in a high-class running of the Dewhurst.

The son of Kodi Bear has not won since landing the Railway Stakes at the Curragh in June, but has since ran with great credit in the Phoenix Stakes and Middle Park, and Loughnane thinks he could outrun his odds on his first try over 7f.

He said: "He's in great order, we felt the step up in trip will suit him, but Native Trail will be really hard to beat and Ger's horse [Straight Answer] looks really good too.

"At his current odds he's underestimated. He's only been beaten a length in each of those Group 1s and he's one of the most consistent horses in training. If he handles the trip, who knows what'll happen."

One star who will miss the contest is the Ralph Beckett-trained Angel Bleu – winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day last Sunday – despite the trainer suggesting the possibility of a quick reappearance.

Strong side for Mullins as he bids for another Cesarewitch

A maximum field of 34 has been declared for the Together For Racing International Cesarewitch (3.35), with Willie Mullins saddling six as he aims to win the marathon contest for the fourth consecutive year.

His string is headed by the well-backed M C Muldoon, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore, while last year's heroine Great White Shark will bid to become only the second multiple winner of the race following Aaim To Prosper's victories in 2010 and 2012.

Great White Shark (grey): bids for back-to-back wins in the CesarewitchCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory, Whiskey Sour, Foveros and Micro Manage complete the Mullins team, while leading ante-post fancies Buzz and Calling The Wind have also been declared, as well as 2018 winner Withhold.

The two reserves for the 2m2f heritage handicap are the Neil Mulholland-trained Vis A Vis and rank outsider Aleatoric.

Also on Newmarket's card, Coroebus, who was astonishingly denied victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes over course and distance two weeks ago, bids to get back to winning ways in the Autumn Stakes (2.20), as does fellow Godolphin-owned and 2.1 million guineas purchase Hafit in the Zetland Stakes (1.45).

Dewhurst Stakes runners and riders

1. Bayside Boy David Egan
2. Berkshire ShadowOisin Murphy
3. DhababFrankie Dettori
4. Dubawi LegendJames Doyle
5. GlounthauneJockeytbc
6.Go Bears GoRossa Ryan
7.Native TrailWilliam Buick
8.Straight AnswerColin Keane

Pedigree punting: Dewhurst verdict and prediction

1 Go Bears Go
2 Native Trail
3 Dubawi Legend

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin’s 2021 campaign could yet be topped off by Native Trail’s attempt at Dewhurst success, following on from an impressive win in the National Stakes at the Curragh.

The son of Oasis Dream hails from a wonderful Juddmonte family with plenty of precocity and speed to boot, being out of Needleleaf, an unraced full-sister to Haydock Sprint Cup scorer African Rose (the dam of Fair Eva) and Helleborine, herself the dam of Coventry Stakes winner Calyx. Needleleaf in turn was picked up for just 60,000gns at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

Despite his speedy pedigree, Native Trail – a graduate of Tattersalls Book 1 and the Craven Breeze-Up Sale – has won all three starts over seven furlongs, and at the Curragh scampered three and a half lengths clear of the previously unbeaten Point Lonsdale.

The supplemented Straight Answer is another by a speed-oriented sire in Kodiac, although he is in turn out of a stakes-placed half-sister to two Group winners over a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half.

Juddmonte’s homebred colt caught the eye with a straightforward Listed success at Fairyhouse over six furlongs last time, but it is also worth noting his half-sister won over a mile and three furlongs. His sire, while predominantly noted for his lightning-quick juveniles, has also produced older talent such as Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution and German 2,000 Guineas scorer Fox Champion.

Bayside Boy attempts to cap a fine week for Ballylinch Stud’s second-season sire New Bay, who was responsible for Sun Chariot Stakes heroine Saffron Beach, following a narrow win in the Champagne Stakes last time.

Bred by Ballylinch and a 200,000gns buy from Tattersalls Book 2, the colt is a half-brother to a multiple Group winner over distances ranging from 1m1f-1m2½f in Forest Ranger, while shaping as though a mile should be within his comfort zone next year.

Go Bears Go: in the mix for the DewhurstCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

New Bay, a Juddmonte-bred son of Dubawi and from the family of Irish Oaks heroine Wemyss Bight, was a high-class performer from a mile to a mile and a half, with a win in the Prix du Jockey Club supplemented by placings in the French 2,000 Guineas and Arc.

His leading progeny have thrived over trips from seven to nine furlongs, and there is every chance of further improvement from his lightly raced son.

Dubawi Legend, who is, as his name strongly suggests, by Darley’s flagship sire, is a half-brother to a mile and a half Listed winner in Golden Pass, a daughter of Golden Horn who was also second in the Park Hill Stakes over a mile and six furlongs. Being out of a UAE 1,000 Guineas winner in Raven’s Pass mare Lovely Pass, and from a family that includes several pattern-class milers, stamina should not pose an issue.

Coventry Stakes winner Berkshire Shadow was just denied by Lagardere winner Angel Bleu in the Vintage Stakes and could yet provide Dark Angel with a juvenile Group 1 double.

Out of a mile-winning half-sister to mile and a half scorer Bohemian Dance, the Cheveley Park Stud-bred Berkshire Shadow comes from a family that includes dual Yorkshire Oaks heroine Islington.

Go Bears Go, third in the Phoenix Stakes and fourth to Perfect Power in the Middle Park, could be suited by the step up to seven furlongs given he is by a Celebration Mile winner and Dewhurst second in Kodi Bear and out of a mile-winning Giant’s Causeway half-sister to Prix de l’Opera heroine Nahrain.

A tough and consistent performer for Amo Racing and David Loughnane, he should not be underestimated on pedigree or performance and could rate good value.
Kitty Trice, Racing Post bloodstock reporter

This content was first published in Kitty Trice's Pedigree Punting column in Wednesday's Racing Post Weekender. Read more from Kitty and star Weekender contributors such as leading tipsters Tom Segal and Paul Kealy and exclusive columnist Ed Walker every week

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