The smile said it all. Charlie Appleby, still fresh from morning gallops, leaned across the Godolphin string and admitted he has “plenty of confidence” in Wise Approach ahead of Saturday’s Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. The Mehmas colt, already a Listed winner and Group 1-placed, will carry his trainer’s hopes of a third victory in the historic sprint.
The Group 1 feature, worth £275,000, drew 11 entries after Andrew Balding’s Sirenia Stakes winner Five Ways was added to the line-up. Appleby, who won this same contest in 2014 with Charming Thought and again last year with Shadow Of Light, believes Wise Approach has the right blend of toughness and experience.
Appleby’s faith in Wise Approach
After a decisive Rose Bowl win at Newbury and a strong third in last month’s Prix Morny at Deauville, Wise Approach has proven he belongs at the highest level. Appleby knows the colt has already taught him plenty.
“For one of ours he has been busy enough,” the trainer reflected. “He was a Royal Ascot horse from the start, and he showed us there what sort of ability he has. We’ve learnt a lot with each run, from Ascot to Newbury to Deauville, and he keeps stepping forward. If we get the sound surface he needs, I’d be very hopeful.”
Ground conditions remain Appleby’s one concern. “If there’s ease in the ground, that would be a question mark. But he has come out of his last race well and the Deauville form has held up.”
The challengers in the Middle Park
Standing in Wise Approach’s way is a formidable cast, including Aidan O’Brien’s trio Brussels, First Approach, and Gstaad, along with Balding’s Five Ways. Joseph O’Brien sends The Publican’s Son from Ireland, while Clive Cox’s Coppull and Eve Johnson Houghton’s Havana Hurricane add further spice.
For Appleby, the colt’s ringcraft could be decisive. Unlike his stable’s past Middle Park winners, both lightly raced, Wise Approach has already had five starts. Appleby sees that as an asset, not a drawback.
Hughes “buzzing” for America Queen in Cheveley Park
If Appleby cuts a confident figure, Richard Hughes is positively fizzing. His unbeaten filly America Queen lines up in the Cheveley Park Stakes, also over six furlongs. After a dazzling 12-length debut at Haydock, she was narrowly denied in the Lowther by Royal Fixation.
“I’m buzzing about her,” Hughes admitted. “She was green at York and still nearly won. She’s improved again, and I think she’ll be right there at Newmarket. She’ll handle the track, no problem.”
The Cheveley Park has drawn 11 entries, with O’Brien again well represented through Beautify and True Love. But Hughes is convinced his filly, owned by Jaber Abdullah, can bridge the gap.
Cambridgeshire hopes for Treble Tee
The third centrepiece of the festival, the £175,000 Cambridgeshire, brings a wide-open handicap with 38 still standing. Among them is Treble Tee, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, whose stop-start season has been turned around since gelding. A sharp Doncaster success has reignited hopes.
“He’s finally doing what we thought he could do,” Ed Crisford said. “To win a Cambridgeshire, you often have to be a Group horse. If he can do that, it opens the door to bigger things.”
Anticipation builds at Newmarket
Three big races, one festival weekend — and the Rowley Mile ready to host some of the most exciting two-year-olds and handicappers of the season. With Wise Approach in the Middle Park, America Queen in the Cheveley Park, and Treble Tee in the Cambridgeshire, the stage is set for a sparkling renewal of the Cambridgeshire Festival at Newmarket.
Read more festival racing coverage at RaceBuzz.
