Racing News and Newmarket preview: John Dunlop has already claimed one Classic trial this season and can add another at Newmarket today as the three-day Craven meeting gets underway.
The feature contest is the Shadwell Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes and the Arundel trainer's Khulood is likely to take all the beating in what is a major trial for the Sagitta 1,000 Guineas.
She runs in the same Hamdan Al Maktoum colours as the Dunlop-trained Muqbil, who put himself in line for a tilt at the 2,000 Guineas when a smooth winner of the Lane's End Greenham Stakes at the weekend.
The one blot on the Storm Cat filly's record came in a conditions event at Salisbury when she was sent off an odds-on chance to follow up her impressive debut success at Ascot but pulled far too hard after being held up and finished a disappointing fifth of the six runners.
However, she showed that run to be all wrong next time in Listed company at Newmarket where she made all to slam Soldera by four lengths in a very fast time.
Whether, as a half-sister to champion sprinter Elnadim, she will get a mile in the Guineas is open to question as she is obviously blessed with plenty of speed.
But she proved on her last start that seven furlongs is no problem and she has already shown her liking for the Rowley Mile and fast ground.
Smokin Beau has been a model of consistency in recent times and ran another blinder when beaten a length into third behind Red Carpet at the Doncaster Lincoln meeting.
He demonstrated on Town Moor that he still possesses all his dash and he led the field for a long way before just being collared in the closing stages.
Nick Littmoden's six-year-old goes well at this time of year and is reportedly in top form at home.
He should be right on the premises in the NGK Spark Plugs Abernant Stakes.
Crown Counsel looks to have done well through the winter and confirmed the promise he showed in two starts last season when justifying very short odds in facile style at Folkestone earlier this month.
The Amanda Perrett-trained Machiavellian colt met two very useful types in Artistic Lad and Desert Story last term and he looks to have got in on a decent mark in the williamhill.co.uk Handicap because he is the sort who could turn out to be better than this standard in time.
Mahasi is a newcomer to watch for the Henry Cecil team in the Museum Maiden Stakes over a mile and two furlongs.
The three-year-old Woodman colt is closely related to the stable's brilliant filly Shiva and holds an entry in the Dante next month at York.
Meanwhile, Classic hopeful Trade Fair will not run in the Macau Jockey Club Craven Stakes on Thursday, Roger Charlton confirmed yesterday. The Beckhampton trainer had expressed his concerns over fast ground for his Zafonic colt, who is 8 to 1 third-favourite with Coral for the Sagitta 2,000 Guineas on May 3rd.
In a statement Charlton said: "It has been decided not to run Trade Fair in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday due to the likely fast ground and continuing dry forecast.
"He had a slightly sore shin after his work this week and it makes more sense to go straight to the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket."
