Rockfel Stakes Guide 2021

Majestic Glory represents Andrew Balding who is bidding to win his first Rockfel Stakes as a trainer.

He teams up with 3 time race winner Ryan Moore, and the pair hold leading claims in the contest thanks to Majestic Glory's impressive Group 3 win last time on her first time step up to 7f on the July course.

The daughter of Frankel saw off race favourite Wild Beauty of the Charlie Appleby yard who subsequently stepped up to dominate a Grade 1 affair in Canada last time out, boosting the form of Majestic Glory's win.

She is now entitled to improve again for the step up into a Group 2 affair and can continue progressing.

It must be noted however that Andrew Baldings yard have hit a slight hiccup in the late season in terms of form , especially by his standards, with less than half of his runners running to form across the last 14 days.

Jumbly represents 2002 winner of this race, Roger Charlton, who has his yard in decent form of late with a 23% strike rate across the last 14 days.

Jumbly is 2 from 2 across both her career starts, improving from her class 4 maiden win over 6f at Leicester, to dominate over 7f next time out at Kempton in a class 3 novice by a 3.75 length winning margin.

The daughter of Gleneagles is entitled to improve again here for the step up into a Group 2 whilst Hollie Doyle, who has a 19% strike rate when teaming up with Charlton, is employed on board.

Progeny of Gleneagles are often known to appreciate softer conditions however, which may ultimately hold her should the ground remain on the faster side.

Ralph Beckett boasts a very decent 20% strike rate with his turf 2-year-olds this season and the trainer makes the eye-catching booking of Frankie Dettori on board his Rockfel Stakes entrant whom which he boasts a 44% strike rate when teaming up with.

The pairs runner is Girl On Film whose current record is 1 from 1 after a game 7f win on debut on the Newmarket July course in August.

The runner has presumably been kept in training ahead of today's Group 2 affair and has seemingly been showing the right signs at home given she went off as a well backed favourite on debut.

May just be up to winning at this level second time out.

George Boughey boasts a 21% strike rate with his turf 2-year-olds this season whilst operating at a highly touted 43% strike rate at Newmarket this season; 10 of his 14 runners at the track have finished either 1st or 2nd.

He teams up with the in-form Will Buick, who won this race in 2019, on board Oscula, one of the more exposed runners in the field having raced 7 times, winning 3 of those races, twice over 6f and most recently in France.

The daughter of Galileo Gold has shown a liking to testing conditions thanks to a 3rd placed finish in the Group 3 Albany Stakes (6f) at Ascot, before stepping up to land a soft ground affair at Deauville on her penultimate start, once more in a Group 3.

She only managed 3rd back at Deauville last time out for the step up to a Group 2, once again on soft conditions to suit and she now comes back onto home soil to have another crack at this grade.

The current faster ground conditions are likely to count against her here.

David Loughnane doesn't run many at Newmarket, just 10 runners across the last 5 seasons (won 0), so it's an interesting proposition to see him bring Hello You to the track.

Hello You, a daughter of Invincible Spirit, won on debut and subsequently stepped up to Group level, finishing 2nd on heavy ground in the Group 3 Albany (6f) before placing 3rd here at the July course on good to firm ground in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (6f).

She finished 4th last time out in the Group 3 Prestige Stakes, for her first time step up to 7f, and didn't get the clearest of runs that day being notably short of room just as Rossa Ryan became animated in the saddle.

The in-form Ryan is retained on board and she gets another crack of things over the trip although does have a step up in class to contend with.

Trainer William Stone has just 1 winner in 17 runners at Newmarket across the last 5 seasons however does hold claims fair claims this time out in the Rockfel Stakes thanks to his progressive filly, Romantic Time.

The daughter of Time Test was off the mark at the 3rd time of asking, landing a class 5 fast ground novice over 5f at Yarmouth in a 14 runner field, before subsequently landing a smooth 2.5 length nursery win next time out on handicap debut.

She was a keeping on 8th on her first time step up to Listed company at Newbury prior to delivering on her potential over the 6f trip last time out at Salisbury, readily winning a fast ground Group 3, albeit whilst looking to get the run of things down the rail.

She now steps up again, both in trip and grade, which does pose some question marks heading into this race.

Stone's runner shaped like 7f wouldn't be an issue last time out and her turn of foot shown will provide optimism of a big run.

Having said this, she has it all to prove once again.

George Boughey's second entrant is Cachet who was highly impressive on debut when winning a 6f contest at Newmarket by 5.5 lengths.

The daughter of Aclaim was subsequently stepped up into Group company, however was seemingly undone by heavy ground when finishing 5th in the Albany (6f).

She was a fair 3rd in listed company on the July course (6f) however was unable to make too much of an impression on her first time step up to 7f, finishing 3rd in listed company again, this time at Ascot.

8f was a stretch too far, particularly on softer ground, last time out in France and she now drops back to 7f to be competitive here.

On past form, she has a fair bit to find in this company.

John Gosden is a two time winner of this race, most recently in 2017, and he and Thady have a decent 22% strike rate with their turf 2yo's this season.

The pair enter Sunstrike into the Rockfel Stakes, a daughter of Dark Angel who won a class 5 maiden on her 2nd career start before stepping up to Group company to be seemingly undone by heavy ground in the Albany (6f) by finishing 8th.

She bounced back from that run and produced a particularly strong piece of form on her penultimate run, getting within a neck of subsequent Grade 1 mile winner Wild beauty on her first try at 7f at Listed level on a fast Sandown surface.

Having said this, that form was subsequently scuppered by Wild Beauty in the Sweet Solera Stakes (7f) when Sunstrike finished 4th, 4 lengths behind Wild Beauty and 5 lengths behind re-opposing rival Majestic Glory, although that run did come on ground classed as good.

She is expected to be seen in a better light now returning to ground determined as fast and we should expect her finishing position to be much closer to Majestic Glory's.

Nevertheless, she still has plenty to find in order to get on terms with that rival.

Ed Walker is 2 winners from 4 at Newmarket this season, all 4 of which placed in the first 3, and the trainer is enjoying a decent spell with his turf 2yo's this season, boasting a 24% strike rate.

The trainer enters Kawida in order to try his hand at Group 2 glory, a daughter of Sir Percy who was off the mark at the 3rd time of asking last time out, winning a soft 7f contest at Haydock.

Andrea Atzeni is in good form of late and retains the ride on board.

The runner should improve once more here and will learn a lot from the run for her first time step up into Group company.

Nonetheless, the race represents a huge hike in class and progeny statistics of Sir Percy over 7f at Newmarket don't read too well; 2 wins in 53 runs over today's C&D.

Roger Varian won this race in 2019 and he enters the affair operating at an impressive 28% strike rate across the last 14 days.

His entrant for this years race renewal, Femme Friendly, was 3rd on debut (6f) behind re-opposing rival Jumbly, and subsequently dominated a class 5 novice next time out at Windsor (6f) by a 3 length margin.

The daughter of Helmet flopped however last time out for the switch to the all-weather, seemingly outpaced as a short priced odds on fav for the contest.

She now steps up to 7f and looks likely to appreciate the longer trip and the return to fast turf.

Having said this, the race marks a huge step up in grade for the runner and progeny of Helmet have a poor record over track and trip; 2 wins in 41 runs.