2.55 Newmarket, handicap, 1m 6f

A stayers’ handicap is next up on the card here and Nicky Henderson’s Goblet Of Fire has been well backed all day, down to around 9-2 from an opening 8-1 this morning. Saffie Osborne takes the reins on the six-year-old, who finished a close second in a hot race at Goodwood last summer and is likely to improve for his comeback run on the all-weather at Kempton in April. Many Men remains the narrow favourite, however, and he too should improve for a recent pipe-opener in a Listed contest, while Dramatic Star, second in the Old Borough Cup last summer, and Subsequent, who won the Mallard at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting on his latest start, are among other live contenders.

SELECTION: MANY MEN.

1,000 Guineas contender: My Highness

The fourth-favourite for today’s Classic merits considerable respect from punters if only because she is trained by the incomparable Andre Fabre. If the French maestro believes she is up to the task, a big run is almost certainly in the offing, even though she has a few pounds to find with the market leaders on her form to date. A daughter of Ghaiyyath, she won a Group Two at Deauville in August on her final start at two, and returned to action with a second-place finish behind a “grosse surprise” winner in the Prix Imprudence, generally the best of the early-season French Classic trials, in early April.

The first two came miles clear of the third-home Survie there, but Falakeyah set such a strong gallop that this was very much set up for a closer and Sean Levey was the one to benefit having given Jancis a very patient ride. Cathedral also deserves plenty of credit for keeping on for second having kept close tabs on Falakeyah from the off.

A level break, and then Falakeyah pulls her way to the lead … Cathedral settled just behind … Survie is last after a slow start …. Saffie Osborne has Falakeyah settled on the lead, still leads by a length at halfway … now Cathedral starts to lay down a challenge and Falakeyah begins to struggle … Falakeyah drops away quickly, Cathedral is now clear with just over a furlong to run … here comes Jancis now from the pack to challenge, she’s getting the measure of Cathedral … Jancis gets up to win at 18-1.

Off and running in the Dahlia Stakes …!

The runners are arriving at the start before the Dahlia Stakes, and more money is coming for Falakeyah, down to 11-4 from 100-30. Cathedral and Survie are 9-2 shots and it is 7-1 bar the three.

1,000 Guineas contender: True Love

The second string in the Aidan O’Brien team according to the betting and jockey bookings, but plenty of those have come home in front in Classics down the years – including Mother Earth, O’Brien’s most recent winner of this race – and True Love fully deserves her place in today’s field on her Group One-winning juvenile form in the Cheveley Park Stakes at this track in September.

True Love went on to run down the field when favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf, but her chance was effectively scuppered by a slow start at the famously tight Del Mar and she was back to winning form when reappearing in the Group Three Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown last month.

2.20 Newmarket, Dahlia Stakes, Group Two, 1m 1f

Three non-runners for the second race on the card but still one of the biggest fields for this race this century and a wide-open market headed by Owen Burrows’s Falakeyah. She bolted up in the Pretty Polly Stakes here last season and while her two subsequent starts as a three-year-old were well below that level, she has been well backed to return to winning form today. Survie, third in a Group One in Saudi Arabia in February, and Cathedral, in the purple colours of the Amo Racing operation, are next in the list, and Cathedral arguably has the best single piece of recent form having finished a close fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in November.

SELECTION: CATHEDRAL

1,000 Guineas contender: Venetian Sun

The (current) second-favourite for today’s Classic was, like Precise, a Group One winner as a juvenile, though in her case it was in a six-furlong event, the Prix Morny at Deauville last August.

Karl Burke’s filly beat Gstaad in a head-bobbing finish, and that form looks a fair bit better after Aidan O’Brien’s colt finished second behind Bow Echo in the 2,000 Guineas here yesterday. Venetian Sun rounded off her two-year-old season in September, finishing two-and-a-half lengths behind Precise in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, and while that bare form gives her something to find with the favourite, she did not get much luck in running.

Burke has been pleased with Venetian Sun’s preparation and the stage looks set for a big run from the daughter of the hugely promising young stallion, Starman.

Silvestre de Sousa did not see another rival there, and Jennifer Jane stayed on like a filly who will get the extra two furlongs in the Oaks. However, at present she does not have an entry in the Epsom Classic, so it will take a supplementary to get her into the race if Charlie Johnston, her trainer, can persuade her owner it is worth the punt.

Off and running in the Pretty Polly Stakes … !

Jennifer Jane leads, from Brigid’s Well, Sacred Ground and Esna held up …

Order unchanged with half a mile to run, Jennifer Jane building a lead in fact … Brigid’s Well under a drive but not making much impression … Jennifer Jane three clear two furlongs out, she powers in and out of the Dip and then goes further clear all the way to the line, an impressive winner.

Plenty of late money for Brigid’s Well, down to 7-2, while Esna is out to 4-1 and Sacred Ground has also eased to 15-8.

The runners are going to post for the Pretty Polly Stakes, and Sacred Ground is a solid 6-4 favourite with Esna next in on 100-30 and Brigid’s Well, the mount of Oisin Murphy, at 9-2.

1,000 Guineas contender: Precise

Aidan O’Brien’s first-string has been the favourite for today’s Classic since winning the Fillies’ Mile here in October, when she finished three-and-a-quarter lengths clear of the field.

It looks like rock-solid form, but her preparation for today’s race has not been smooth and she “missed a bit of time” a few weeks ago according to O’Brien after a minor setback. That is clearly not ideal but her proven form at track and trip, and a career record with just a sole defeat, on her racecourse debut, will be more than enough to persuade many punters to swing behind her.

1.45 Newmarket, Pretty Polly Stakes, Listed, 1m 2f

Just six runners now for the opener on 1,000 Guineas day after the well-fancied Lilt was taken out this morning, and three – Esna, Brigid’s Well and Sacred Ground – have an entry in the Oaks at Epsom next month. The best piece of form coming into the race is Esna’s close fourth in the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp last October, but Sacred Ground ran a fine race too on her final start as a juvenile – and showed that she acts at this track – as she finished second in a well-run Listed race over a mile. Brigid’s Well also has a pedigree that suggests she will build significantly on her two-year-old form this season but the money has been for Sacred Ground so far today and I’m going with John & Thady Gosden’s filly to improve past her main market rival.

SELECTION: SACRED GROUND.