Mawj headlines three-strong challenge for G1 1,000 Guineas

Dubai World Cup Carnival graduates Mawj, Dream Of Love and Fairy Cross bid for Classic glory in the G1 1,000 Guineas on day three of Newmarket’s Guineas Festival, Sunday, 7 May.

All three ran in Meydan’s new turf series for three-year-old fillies, with Mawj having scored by a short-head over Dream Of Love in the seven-furlong Jumeirah Fillies Classic before comprehensively beating Fairy Cross in the mile Jumeirah Fillies Guineas.

Mawj proved herself to be one of the UK’s leading juveniles last season, winning the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes on Newmarket’s July Course and taking third in the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes on the Rowley Mile.

The half-sister to Poule d’Essai des Poulains victor and dual Breeders’ Cup hero Modern Games is trained by Saeed bin Suroor, whose two previous winners of the 1,000 Guineas, Cape Verdi and Kazzia, also wintered in Dubai before striking in the Newmarket Classic.

Both of Dream Of Love’s two-year-old appearances were on the Rowley Mile, with the Charlie Appleby-trained Shamardal filly following up a debut win with a third in the Listed Montrose Stakes – a race won by Godolphin’s other 1,000 Guineas scorer Blue Bunting.

Stable-mate Fairy Cross progressed through a juvenile campaign that culminated with an all-the-way victory in the G3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood. The daughter of Dubawi ran a good race in the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket’s Craven Meeting, when she filled the runner-up spot behind Mammas Girl.

Saeed bin Suroor said: “Mawj is doing well. She enjoyed an unbeaten winter in Dubai, winning on soft ground over seven furlongs before showing she stayed a mile in the Jumeirah Fillies Guineas. A mile at Newmarket will be no problem, but she is obviously taking on better fillies here. She was a G2 winner last year and I feel she is improving all the time.”

Charlie Appleby said: “Dream Of Love won’t mind any juice in the ground and returning to a mile is going to suit. Her preparation has gone very well and I am looking forward to seeing her run. Fairy Cross came out of the Nell Gwyn in good order. You could possibly question whether she will see out the mile but she deserves her place in the field and won’t look out of place. She wouldn’t want it too soft.”

With The Moonlight was an emphatic winner of the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes for Charlie Appleby on this card 12 months ago and the full-sister to Dream Castle returns for the G2 Dahlia Stakes.

Following last season’s win, With The Moonlight went on to take the G3 Saratoga Oaks before completing a G2 double in this season’s Cape Verdi and Balanchine at Meydan. The Frankel filly finished a clear second to In Italian on her most recent outing in Keeneland’s G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes.

Life In Motion goes into the G2 Dahlia Stakes in a rich vein of form, with last season’s G2 Prix de Sandringham runner-up having completed a hat-trick of Listed wins for Andre Fabre with a head verdict at Longchamp last month.

Charlie Appleby said: “With The Moonlight came back from Keeneland in great order and is a rock-solid filly. Nine furlongs is a perfect distance for her and she should be a big player, even with her penalty, providing the ground doesn’t get too testing.”

Newcastle maiden winner Joyful Act, a daughter of Blue Bunting, and Queen Of Fairies, who made an exciting debut at Southwell in December, will be hoping to emulate With The Moonlight with victory in this year’s Pretty Polly Stakes.

Charlie Appleby said: “Joyful Act and Queen Of Fairies are two unexposed fillies. Joyful Act obviously has a lovely pedigree and should be seen at her best over middle distances. She goes into this in good order on the back of a win at Newcastle. Queen Of Fairies pleased us when winning on her only start at Southwell and has done very well since. We are very much open-minded as to where both might end up later in the season, so this will hopefully give an idea.”

Adayar’s intended comeback last week was scuppered due to the abandonment of Sandown Park’s meeting but the G1 Derby and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes hero lines up in the rescheduled G3 Gordon Richards Stakes.

Last season's G1 Champion Stakes runner-up is joined by Highland Avenue, who won the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket in 2021 but was restricted to just two starts at Meydan last year.

Charlie Appleby said: “We are very much working back from the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes with Adayar but he goes into this in great shape. He is relaxed on most ground, providing it’s not bottomless, and he looks the one to beat.

“Highland Avenue has some decent course experience under his belt, having won the Feilden Stakes as a three-year-old.”