The 2025 edition of the Newmarket Craven Meeting kicked off last Tuesday afternoon, with the seven-race card featuring a trio of events rated at Listed level or above.
The Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes topped the bill for the older horses, but much of the attention focussed on the three-year-old events of the Feilden Stakes and Nell Gwyn Stakes. Often used as stepping stones to the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, would the 2025 editions produce a legitimate Classic contender?
Zanzoun Zooms Past Nell Gwyn Rivals
Having landed her sole juvenile start by a resounding five lengths over this course and distance, Charlie Appleby’s Verse Of Love was the choice of the market in the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes. If not Verse Of Love, perhaps Arabian Dusk would be the one. Hailing from the Simon & Ed Crisford operation, a mark of 108 made this daughter of Havana Grey the highest-rated runner in the field.
In the end, Verse Of Love performed way below expectations to finish a well-beaten seventh, whilst Arabian Dusk faded into fourth – one spot ahead of the well-backed William Haggas runner Nardra.
Top spot was claimed by the John & Thady Gosden representative Zanzoun. Sporting the famous Juddmonte silks and going for a trainer with five previous wins in the race, this daughter of Dubawi looked the part on paper. However, arriving at Newmarket with a rating of only 83, she appeared more likely to tackle a handicap than this Group 3 affair.
The decision to allow Zanzoun to take her chance in pattern company paid off in spades. Always travelling well, she made her move 2f from home, hit the front at the 1f pole, and pulled away for a 1¾l verdict over the battling runner-up Celestial Orbit.
Zanzoun wouldn’t look out of place in the 1000 Guineas on this evidence. However, it appears that France and a tilt at the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches is her ultimate destination. Referring to current 1000 Guineas favourite Desert Flower, John Gosden outlined Zanzoun’s likely target when stating:
“There is a significant filly not running here today, so we’ll go to Paris, and she can come to Newmarket.”
Valentine Waltz was the most recent filly to complete the Nell Gwyn Stakes/Poule d’Essai des Pouliches double when heading to France from the yard of – none other than – John Gosden. We fancy there is every chance he can pull it off again.
Almeric too Strong in Feilden Stakes
Just over an hour before the Nell Gwyn Stakes, the three-year-old colts locked horns over 1m1f in the Feilden Stakes. Won by talents such as Golden Horn, Zoffany, and Intello in recent years, the 2025 field included several intriguing contenders.
Sired by Frankel and out of the Group 1 winning mare Nahrain, the Roger Varian-trained Sallaal topped the early betting lists. However, consistent support throughout the morning saw Sallaal replaced at the head of the market by Andrew Balding’s Almeric. Other notables included Kempton winner Masai Moon and the aptly named Last Galileo, who is indeed (one of) the last runners sired by the great Galileo.
✅ Almeric fends off King Of Cities in the £55,000 Listed @bet365 Feilden Stakes at HQ pic.twitter.com/Bp9AUngT1y
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 15, 2025
It looked a very competitive race on paper, but only two were involved in the finish. With the Charlie Johnston runner Green Storm having set a fierce gallop in the soft conditions, Sallal, Masai Moon, and Last Galileo were running on empty inside the final furlong. Not so Almeric and King Of Cities, who embarked on a prolonged head-to-head duel. Almeric ultimately came out on top to score by a length, with a 7½l gap back to the third.
Having bagged a four-timer at Newbury the previous Saturday afternoon, this win continued Andrew Balding’s excellent start to the season. Reflecting on the prospects of his first-ever Feilden Stakes winner, the Kingsclere handler stated:
“Almeric is a smart horse. He’s not in the Derby, but he’s in the French Derby and a host of others. I think the plan would be to go to the Dante before a crack at the Prix du Jockey Club.”
Balding has two Dante successes but has yet to land the Prix du Jockey Club. Could Almeric become the first horse to complete the Feilden Stakes/Prix du Jockey Club double since Intello in 2013? Sired by 2018 Prix du Jockey club champ Study Of Man, he makes plenty of appeal on pedigree and his form at the track certainly looks the parts too.
