Dubai: A slew of prospects could confirm themselves as stars of the future if they seize the chance to shine at this week’s Dubai Future Champions Day race meeting at Newmarket.
Among them are three exciting juveniles with Dubai connections — Estidhkaar, Secret Brief and Maftool, the latter two having been supplemented to Friday’s Group 1 £400,000 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes for a fee of £30,000 (Dh177,244).
Secret Brief is owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, while Maftool represents Godolphin, who won the seven furlong contest in 2012 with Dawn Approach.
The unbeaten Estidhkaar, already a dual Group 2 winner, bids to give Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, a third Dewhurst trophy following Alhaarth in 1995 and Mujahid in 1998.
Richard Hannon Jr, who trains the Superlative (G2) and Champagne Stakes (G2) scorer, said: “Estidhkaar has been fine since his Doncaster win and the seven furlongs of the Dewhurst should be perfect for him. The step up to a mile can wait until next year.
“We have always thought that he is one of our best two-year-olds and he has already proved that by winning two Group 2s, including once with a 3lb weight penalty.
“Good ground would be fine for him on Friday but soft would be fine as well — he loves it.”
Britain’s most prestigious juvenile contest, which in the past has been won by famous horses like Rock Of Gibraltar (2001), Grundy (1974) and Mill Reef (1970), has attracted a competitive field of 15 runners.
Estidhkaar is vying for favouritism with Group 1 winner Gleneagles, who is one of three possibles for ace Irish handler Aidan O’Brien, who won the Dewhurst 12 months ago with War Command. O’Brien has also entered the unraced pair of Cradle Mountain and Royal Navy Ship.
Dubai Future Champions Day has received a massive cash boost, with the six Group races on the card totalling more than £1 million in prize money.
The Dewhurst has gone up 14 per cent from £350,000 to £400,000, making it the most valuable Group 1 juvenile contest in Europe and further bolstering its place as Europe’s principal two-year-old contest.
The other Group 1 race on the card is the Dubai Fillies’ Mile, where Godolphin’s Lucida, winner of the Rockfel Stakes, is the favourite.
Saeed Bin Surour is two-handed with Good Place and Winters Moon, while the supplemented Agnes Stewart and Marsh Hawk are attracting a lot of attention on the exchanges.
Dubai Future Champions Day also sees the first ever Varsity Flat Horserace between student riders from Cambridge and Oxford Universities, run as the final race on the card.
Meanwhile, Future Champions Education Week, supported by Dubai, kicked off on Monday with Year 8 students at Newmarket Academy learning about the history and heritage of the venue.
