Another year at Newmarket Racecourses drew to a close on Saturday 2nd November when Pressure’s On came home in front in the concluding German G1 Racecourses Thank World Pool Handicap. Appropriately that winner was trained in Newmarket, rounding off a season that has seen horses trained in the town excelling on both the Rowley Mile and the July Course.
Back in May at the QIPCO Guineas Festival both of the opening Classics, the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, went to Newmarket-trained horses.
The QIPCO 2000 Guineas saw Godolphin’s Notable Speech come out on top to hand trainer Charlie Appleby his second success in the contest in three years while it was a first win in the race for jockey William Buick. The son of Dubawi went on to prove himself among the very best of his generation with a victory against all-aged opposition in the Group One Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and ending the year with a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar, USA.
Popular Brazilian-born rider Silvestre de Sousa, three times champion jockey in Britain, gained a well-deserved first Classic success when partnering Elmkala to a 28-1 triumph for Newmarket handler Roger Varian in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas. It was Varian’s third British Classic victory. If there was an unlucky filly in the 1000 Guineas it was Tamfana, trained by Sussex-based Frenchman David Menusier, who was denied a clear run when finishing fourth. She did gain some compensation however when returning to the Rowley Mile in the autumn to land the Group One Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes.
Given the local success in the two Classics, it was very encouraging to note that this year’s Guineas Festival saw an increased attendance across the three days of 29,016 with the Saturday crowd of 15,752 being the highest recorded since the pandemic. There will be a new backer of both Guineas in 2025, with Betfred taking over to add to its sponsorship of the other three Classics – the Derby, Oaks and St Leger.
It was a similar story at the flagship meeting on the July Course, when 14,167 racegoers were present on the final day of The July Festival to witness Mill Stream, trained in Newmarket by Jane Chapple-Hyam, take the honours in Europe’s premier sprint – the My Pension Expert July Cup. It was that man William Buick in the saddle again. The July Cup Day attendance was the highest seen since the pandemic as was that on the opening day of The July Festival, Ladies Day, when the 13,440 present saw the admirably tough and consistent Irish-trained filly Porta Fortuna come out on top in the Group One Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes.
The Godolphin combination of trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick were again to the fore in two of the Group One autumn highlights on the Rowley Mile with Shadow Of Light becoming only the third horse in history to land both the six-furlong Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes and the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes over a furlong further. The Betfred 2000 Guineas will be his first target in 2025.
Appleby and Buick gained yet more Group One glory with Desert Flower in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile while the Group One Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes went to Lake Victoria. Unbeaten now in five starts with Group One victories in Ireland, the UK and USA, the Aidan O’Brien-trained daughter of Frankel is already a warm favourite for the 2025 Betfred 1000 Guineas.
Away from the racing, the Music Nights throughout the summer on the July Course proved as popular as ever with dual BRIT award winner Becky Hill performing before a sell-out crowd of 20,540.
Tickets for all of Newmarket’s 2025 fixtures are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/newmarket/events-tickets
