The furious intensity of last weekend's European action gears down a notch with the 50th renewal of Newbury's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. the main ingredient in Saturday's hangover cure. Ten juvenile colts are declared for the £75,000 six-furlong test won in recent years by subsequent top-level luminaries Excellent Art (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), Dark Angel (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Lord Shanakill (Speightstown), Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), and Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). This year's cast features Poseidon Thoroughbred Racing's Dhabab (Ire) (No Nay Never), who drops in trip after running third over seven furlongs behind subsequent G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. hero Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the July 10 G2 Superlative S. at Newmarket. He had previously followed up a June 1 Leicester novice win with a close-up sixth in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry S. a fortnight later. Opposition to the John and Thady Gosden trainee includes the Berkshire venue's Weatherbys Super Sprint victor Gubbass (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), whose two latest starts for the Richard Hannon stable yielded a third in Goodwood's G2 Richmond S. and a fifth in Deauville's G1 Prix Morny. Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing's Fearby (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) impressed when taking down Sandown's Listed Dragon S. by five lengths in July and has since run second in the July 28 G3 Molecomb S. at Goodwood and fourth in the Aug. 20 G2 Gimcrack S. at York. “This looked the next logical target after the Gimcrack,” explained trainer Ed Bethell. “We could have gone to France, but we thought we'd stick around in England. It's going to be a competitive race, as you'd imagine for a Group 2, but he's going there in good form after a little freshen up after York and I'm really looking forward to it. I would imagine he'd be one of the more fancied runners and he's in very good order.” Fearby was two spots and 1 1/4 lengths behind G2 Richmond S. sixth Gis A Sub (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in York's Gimcrack and the Kevin Ryan charge is another leading contender renewing old acquaintances. Other nominees of note include G2 Richmond S. runner-up Khunan (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) and G3 Sirenia S. placegetters Wings of War (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Hierarchy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).
Elsewhere on the Newbury card, Shadwell's William Haggas trainee Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) returns from a gelding operation and is the star attraction in a five-runner renewal of the £70,000 G3 Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup (Arc Trial). The G1 Coronation Cup and G2 Princess of Wales's S. runner-up will be confronted by last month's G3 Rose of Lancaster S. winner Foxes Tales (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), from the in-form Andrew Balding yard. Shadwell is also represented by Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the £70,000 G3 Dubai International Airport World Trophy over an extended five furlongs.
Juvenile pattern-race action also features on Ayr's Gold Cup undercard with Ger Lyons's unbeaten Listed Curragh S. victrix Head Mistress (Ire) (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) putting her perfect record on the line against Jaber Abdullah's similarly undefeated Hala Hala Athmani (GB) (Dabirsim {Fr}) in the £40,000 G3 Firth of Clyde Fillies' S. over six furlongs. The latter, who posted an impressive 5 1/2-length tally at Carlisle last month, is a half-sister to G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup hero Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) and G1 Deutsches Derby and G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin third Royal Youmzain (Fr) (Youmzain {Ire}).
In Ireland, His Highness The Aga Khan's homebred 4-year-old filly Zawara (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) makes a swift comeback after registering a close-up fourth in last week's G3 Kilternan S. and is a leading contender for the €50,000 G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies S. over an extended nine furlongs at Gowran Park. The 16-runner contest also features G2 Kilboy Estate S. runner-up April Showers (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1 Irish 1000 Guineas eighth Sense of Style (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), last term's G3 Weld Park S. victrix Elysium (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) and 14-length juvenile maiden winner Cartouche (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) making her belated sophomore debut.
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