Newmarket will host an eight-race Flat turf card on Friday, 9 October 2026, with the Dubai Future Champions Festival bringing together a strong programme of Group and Listed contests. Racing will begin at 1:15pm and continue through to 5:20pm, with the card featuring several important races for two-year-olds alongside valuable contests for older horses and fillies and mares. The meeting will be staged on the Rowley Mile, with the latest racecourse information indicating good to firm conditions.
The opening race at 1:15pm will be the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes, a Class 1 Group 3 contest over five furlongs for two-year-olds. The race will carry a prize fund of £75,000 and will provide an early test of speed for the juvenile field. With the short distance placing a premium on early pace and finishing strength, the Cornwallis Stakes will set the tone for an action-packed afternoon.
At 1:50pm, attention will turn to the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes, another Class 1 Group 3 contest for two-year-olds. The fillies will compete over seven furlongs for a £75,000 prize fund. The longer distance will demand a combination of speed and stamina, while the race will offer an important opportunity for promising fillies to strengthen their credentials at Group level. The field is scheduled to feature 22 runners.
The Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes will take centre stage at 2:25pm. This Class 1 Group 2 contest will be open to three-year-olds and older horses and will be run over seven furlongs. With £165,000 on offer, it will be one of the most valuable races of the afternoon. The contest will bring together experienced performers and younger horses competing for an important Group-level success.
The biggest race of the day will follow at 2:57pm with the Fillies’ Mile, a prestigious Class 1 Group 1 contest for two-year-olds over one mile. The race will carry a substantial £500,000 prize fund and will form the headline event on Friday’s card. Twelve runners are listed for the contest, which will provide a major test of juvenile quality over the Rowley Mile.
One of the leading stories heading into the Fillies’ Mile will be Forbidden Fire, trained by Andrew Balding. The unbeaten filly has won both of her starts and most recently captured the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster over seven furlongs. She will now step up to a mile for the first time, providing an intriguing test of her ability to handle the longer distance.
The Old Rowley Cup Handicap Stakes will follow at 3:30pm. This Class 2 Heritage Handicap, carrying GBBPLUS status, will be contested by three-year-olds over one mile and four furlongs. The prize fund will stand at £100,000. The extended distance will make stamina particularly important as the field tackles one of the afternoon’s longer races.
At 4:10pm, the Godolphin Under Starters Orders EBF Boadicea Stakes will provide another Class 1 highlight. This Listed contest for three-year-olds and older fillies and mares will be run over six furlongs for £70,000. Nineteen runners are scheduled to line up, making it one of the larger fields of the afternoon. The race conditions will place the emphasis on speed and consistency over the sprint distance.
The Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes will then take place at 4:45pm. This Class 1 Group 3 contest for three-year-olds and older horses will be run over one mile and two furlongs, with £95,000 available. The race will offer another opportunity for experienced fillies and mares to compete at Group level, with the extra two furlongs expected to test their ability to maintain their effort late in the contest.
The final race of the meeting will be the HKJC World Pool Handicap Stakes at 5:20pm. This Class 4 contest will be open to three-year-olds and older horses and will be run over seven furlongs. The race will carry a £30,000 prize fund and will bring the eight-race programme to a close.
With four Group races, a Listed contest and two valuable handicaps, Friday’s Newmarket meeting will provide a diverse programme from sprint races to the mile-and-a-quarter Pride Stakes and the longer Old Rowley Cup. The Fillies’ Mile will remain the centrepiece, while the Cornwallis Stakes, Oh So Sharp Stakes and Challenge Stakes will add further Group-level interest throughout the afternoon.
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