Saturday tips: Ross Millar has three fancies on Newmarket's undercard

The 2021/22 Jumps season officially ended just two weeks ago, but we have already reached the first Classics of the Flat season!

A selection of star three-year-olds will scamper down the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas on Saturday, but there are plenty of other contests to get your teeth stuck into and horse racing writer Ross Millar has provided his selections on the undercard.

1.15 Newmarket, 6f Listed Kilvington Stakes

After creating a striking impression on her racecourse debut at Goodwood last May, Flotus then produced a trio of underwhelming efforts in Group and Listed company.

This led me to believe that the soft ground that she encountered first time up was essential to her being able to perform, but she proved that theory to be all wrong with a hugely impressive good ground victory at Ripon in August.

A change of riding tactics saw her make all the running to stunningly good effect, and she proved that performance was no fluke by putting up a career-best display in the Group 1 Cheveley Park on her final start. She made a bold bid that day, only to be caught in the last 100 yards by Tenebrism, the favourite for Sunday’s Qipco 1,000 Guineas.

Bought for 1,000,000gns in the interim, Flotus returns in this Listed event and gets ideal conditions - as the only three-year-old filly in the race she receives a substantial 11lb allowance from the remainder of the field, all of whom are mares. 

She is a stone clear on official ratings and looks unlikely to get much competition for the lead. Talabaat, who makes her debut for Archie Watson, has previously made all when in France, but she has often over-raced and finished her races poorly so it would be no surprise if she is ridden with more restraint in the early stages.

Selection: Flotus @ 1.84

2.25 Newmarket, 1m1f Suffolk Handicap

As someone who likes to find a selection at a decent price, it’s always heartening to find a race where you have good reason to oppose those at the front of the market.

By the end of the season Dhahabi might have shown himself to be the best of these, but he arrives here off the back of a 567-day layoff and his pedigree - he’s a half-brother to 2015 Derby winner Golden Horn - would suggest that a longer trip might be more suitable.

Also to the front of the market is the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained Fast Medicine. Unlike the aforementioned Dhahabi, we can be sure that he’s in good form as he arrives here fresh from a facile win at Nottingham a fortnight ago. However, that success came off a mark of just 79 and he’s now 11lb higher in the handicap.

Cap Francais has to put a couple of poor all-weather runs behind him, but he has now slipped to an attractive mark - 2lb below when last successful - and ran with credit in better company at Meydan in the early part of last year.

He left Ed Walker to join Ian Williams after his Dubai exploits and wasn’t seen until October, when he took fourth off a mark of 98 at Newbury. That run came on soft ground and he’s most certainly better on quicker conditions. I fancy him to go well at a big price.

Selection: Cap Francais @ 27

4.15 Newmarket 1m4f Handicap

Matchless has certainly proved value for the £20,000 he cost connections when they bought him from Coolmore last autumn. He failed to show much on the all-weather through the winter, but has looked highly progressive in two victories since getting back on the turf this spring.

A 4lb rise in the weights will demand more, but he saw the trip out well on both occasions and is a full-brother to Delphi, who won a Group 3 over 1m6f. I expect him to improve for this step up in trip.    

Selection: Matchless @ 4

Recommended bets

Flotus (1.15 Newmarket) @ 1.84
Cap Francais (2.25 Newmarket) @ 27
Matchless (4.15 Newmarket) @ 4