'I'm sure she has a race like this in her' - Roger Varian talks up Fooraat

Friday: 1.50 Newmarket
Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day EBF Rosemary Stakes (Listed) | 1m | 3yo+ | ITV4/RTV

You could be confused for thinking this is horseracing's equivalent of the Ryder Cup with three Godolphin-owned runners and two Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned milers dominating the top of the market.

Unlike the 2021 Ryder Cup, which begins at roughly the same time as the Rosemary, the blues have a good chance of coming out on top.

Godolphin's trio is headed by Wedding Dance, who travelled well at this track on debut before faltering inside the final furlong, eventually finishing fourth.

A July course novice victory followed before an ambitious tilt at the Group 3 Prix Six Perfections ended in a gallant second after setting the early fractions.

That race has produced mixed formlines – eventual winner See The Rose has failed to win in five subsequent starts, while third-home Coeursamba is just 1-7. However, that success came in the French 1,000 Guineas.

Wedding Dance returns from 419 days off the track and will wear a first-time hood, two factors that should make you question whether she's a good bet at around 7-2.

Dubai Love, who makes her first start after a wind operation, and Soft Whisper both make their domestic seasonal reappearances after winter campaigns in Dubai. They have plenty to prove, but Saeed bin Suroor has already struck with similar sorts this year in Real World and Big Team.

Sheikh Ahmed's yellow and black silks will be carried by recent Listed runner-up Maamora, who will attempt to become only the second five-year-old mare to win this race since the inaugural running in 1991, and Fooraat.

The latter has the strongest form courtesy of her luckless third in the Listed Lyric Stakes at York in July and will be fancied to make amends.
Race analysis by Tom Collins

Belated return of Wedding Dance

Wedding Dance steps out on a racecourse for the first time since August 2020 as she attempts to keep Charlie Appleby's fine form going in the Unibet-backed Listed Rosemary Stakes.

She was close second in a Group 3 at Deauville on her last start 419 days ago and Appleby, fresh from a high-profile treble in North America at the weekend, hopes she can pick up where she left off under William Buick.

"Wedding Dance is making a belated seasonal return but her preparation has gone well," said Appleby. "Her two-year-old form looks strong and she will be very competitive if she can run up to that level after a long layoff."

Fellow Godolphin trainer Bin Suroor is in a similar position, with two runners returning from layoffs, including UAE 1,000 Guineas winner Soft Whisper, who is back from a 181-day absence under Frankie Dettori.

"We gave Soft Whisper a long break following her exertions earlier in the year with the plan to run her in the autumn before taking her back out to Dubai," said Bin Suroor. "She looks to be in good condition and is ready to run."

Dubai Love is another running for the first time since the Dubai carnival in February and has also undergone a wind operation since her last run.

Bin Suroor added: "Dubai Love ran a couple of nice races out in Dubai at the start of the year. This looks the right trip for her and I am hoping for a good result from both fillies."

What they say

Roger Varian, trainer of Fooraat
She was unlucky at York and I think she's versatile between a mile and ten furlongs. Unfortunately, she's drawn on the wing a little bit [in stall 13] but the ground is coming back in her favour and I'm sure she has a race like this in her.

William Stone, trainer of Lalania
We're happy with her and the quicker the ground the better. It's a very stiff task in this company but I'd love her to nick a bit of black type. If she could finish third I would be delighted, but realistically I hope she runs well.

Ed Crisford, joint-trainer of Maamora
She seemed to be back to form at Longchamp last time and, while this looks a competitive race, I think she's in the right spot. The ground will be fine for her and I think she will run a nice race.

Roger Charlton, trainer of Ummalnar
She didn't come in until late spring, so we're still learning about her. She's in good order though and I'm hoping she'll run well. She's not run many times given her age but when she wins she wins impressively, particularly at Dundalk last November.
Reporting by Lewis Porteous

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