Mill Reef Stakes 2010

2.30 Newbury
Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2YO only)
Winner £37,468

Pick: Libranno (win)

Formosina: Made very good start with third behind Strong Suit and followed easy Doncaster maiden victory with hard-fought win in Railway Stakes at Curragh; Race probably came too soon when he was last of 6 last time but this is no easier.

Libranno: Looked useful when winning what turned out to be an excellent maiden on the Newmarket July Course and has gone onto win July and Richmond Stakes, making all in gutsy fashion on both occasions; Not up to task set in the Morny, but that was a good Group 1 and still sets standard here on fair terms; One to beat.

Crown Prosecutor: Form of his maiden win over 6f Goodwood has been franked time and time again and took another step forward when landing conditions event (form been boosted by runner-up since) only to have everything go wrong in Vintage Stakes, getting pushed around and shuffled back at the top of the hill and then weakening out of things; Second in Gimcrack was a good run last time and should be bang there.

Desert Law: Came in for a lot of support before promising AW debut last month; Can be expected to step up considerably but form of that race nothing special and this is a huge step up in class.

Mayson: Won Hamilton maiden in June and has shown some very useful form since, coming fourth to Zebdeee in Molecomb Stakes and then only just getting touched off in a listed contest last time; This is much harder though.

Temple Meads: Justified good support on debut at Newmarket on 1000 Guineas day when running away with decent 5f maiden and ran out a decisive and impressive winner of Super Sprint afterwards; Stepped up for the Gimcrack but ran freely and emptied out in last furlong, suggesting stamina may be his Achilles heel.

The Paddyman: Bumped into a good one first time out in Lord Of The Stars (seventh in Molecomb Stakes) but different horse next time out when he won by an unextended 8 lengths; Ran a brave race in the Richmond last time but well held by Libranno on that meeting.

VERDICT: For all that LIBRANNO may have flopped pretty badly last time, this will be easier than the Morny for him despite the competitive field and he’ll be hard to beat on the form he showed to beat The Paddyman on these terms at Goodwood. Crown Prosecutor and Formosina are 2 worthy contenders, while Temple Meads is yet to prove he stay 6f.