2025-04-15

Newmarket Craven Meeting Day 2 Tips

Day 2 of Newmarket’s Craven meeting takes centre stage on Wednesday afternoon with another seven-race card from HQ.

The action includes the feature race of the week, the Group 3 Craven Stakes as well as the Abernant Stakes 35 minutes earlier.

Here, we have selections and analysis for every race on Newmarket’s card including a top prospect for the season in race one.

13:50 – Newmarket - 6f Handicap

It was looking like we could be facing very soft ground earlier in the week but much of the rain in the forecast failed to materialise and the ground is good to soft.

That will really help Defence Minister who looked like a horse going places last season. He was too keen in the Middle Park Stakes over course and distance when last seen but conditions were against him that day and there should be plenty more to come from him this term given that he was a May foal.

Selection: Defence Minister

14:25 – Newmarket - 1m Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes

No form to go on here with 15 declared making their debuts and a chance taken on Bondi for a trainer that is already on the board with two winners on day one.

His trainer gets some first-time-out winners and this son of Saxon Warrior has more of a mile pedigree than his main rivals who are bred for middle distances.

Selection: Bondi

15:00 – Newmarket - 6f Blandford Bloodstock Abernant Stakes

There’s a fascinating French raider in this year’s renewal. Sajir was only beaten by roughly three lengths in the Jean Prat at Deauville last season and he looked like he retained all of his ability when winning at Chantilly on return.

Andre Fabre has a cracking record with his Newmarket raiders and this one looks overpriced.

Selection: Sajir

15:35 – Newmarket - 1m Craven Stakes

Charlie Appleby has a superb recent record in this contest, winning three of the last six renewals and he has a strong hand in this year’s race with Aomori City and Opera Ballo.

Aomori City gets the vote of stable jockey William Buick after the colt’s narrow defeat at the Breeders’ Cup last season and he was unlucky not to gain a first success at the top level that day. He shades the vote over his stablemate here.

Selection: Aomori City

16:10 – Newmarket - 7f Rossdales Maiden Fillies' Stakes

This looks well below par for a Class 2 maiden at Newmarket and Stellenbosch could be the one to take advantage.

This well-bred filly shaped with promise in both starts as a juvenile and has shown ability to handle Newmarket, albeit on the slightly less undulating July course.

Selection: Stellenbosch

16:45 – Newmarket - 1m2f EBF "Confined" Novice Stakes

A solid standard is set by Valedictory who looked really green when beaten by a neck on debut at Newmarket but there were signs the penny was really dropping late in that contest. Expect him to take a sizeable step forward from that here.

Selection: Valedictory