Zeus Olympios soaring to new heights with latest Newmarket romp

With a white blaze on his chestnut face and four white feet, Zeus Olympios is a striking sight simply walking around the paddock, and all the more so when he hits full speed and quickens several lengths clear of his field, as he did in the closing stages of the Joel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

Karl Burke’s colt came into the Group Two contest having won all three of his previous starts by a combined total of eight-and-a-half lengths. The market, though, preferred the chance of Charlie Appleby’s Opera Ballo, the winner of four from five, and it appeared to be a sensible choice in the early stages as William Buick settled Opera Ballo off the pace while Zeus Olympios pulled hard for his head in mid-division.

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Buick was ideally positioned to advance and get first run on his field and hit the front going into the Dip, but Clifford Lee and Zeus Olympios were soon chasing him down and they left Opera Ballo standing half a furlong out, powering two-and-a-quarter clear for a fourth straight success.

Zeus Olympios’s refusal to settle in the first quarter-mile made his eventual style of victory all the more impressive and he seems certain to step up into Group One company for the first time on his next trip to the track.

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That, though, may not be for another eight months, unless Burke and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, Zeus Olympios’s owner, decide to supplement the three-year-old for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day, where the owner already has a leading contender in Rosallion.

“I wouldn’t say he’s taken us by surprise, we’ve always thought he was a lovely horse,” Burke said, “but he was such a weak horse as well. He arrived to us from Roger Varian’s as a bit of a shell and then he got a bit of injury, but so often when those immature two-year-olds get injuries, as long as they’re not major, it’s a blessing in disguise as you have to lock them up and all they do is grow and strengthen.

“I think he has to be a very good horse for the favourite to get first run on us today and for us to then come and cut him down. I’ve always said he’s very much a horse for next year and I’m sure next season we’ll start by aiming at the Lockinge [at Newbury in May] and go from there.”

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In the Group Two Rockfel Stakes, Zanthos made all the running against the stands’ rail under Oisin Murphy and emphatically reversed her previous form with Touleen, the 11-10 favourite.

The win qualified Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly for a start in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on 31 October but she is more likely to be put away for the winter ahead of a three-year-old debut in a 1,000 Guineas trial in the spring.

“The sensible thing is probably to bring her back for a Fred Darling or a Nell Gwyn in the spring and see where we go from there,” Ed Crisford said. “We always felt she would stay a mile, the riders at home felt she would stay a mile and Oisin feels she could stay a mile.”

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Fifth Column can seal Gosden record

The 24-runner turnout for the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket on Saturday is one of the smallest fields in the near 200-year history of the first leg of the Autumn Double, but it is still a daunting prospect for punters with at least a fair case to be made for all but two or three.

Older horses have won the last five runnings but that stat also looks under threat with two three-year-olds, Treble Tee and Fifth Column (3.40), heading the market overnight.

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Both arrive with highly progressive profiles but the style of Fifth Column’s last-gasp win at York last month suggests that this step up to nine furlongs will see further improvement, and he is worth backing at around 7-1 to give John Gosden a record-extending sixth Cambridgeshire success.

Newmarket 1.50 A fascinating renewal of the Royal Lodge Stakes, with six of the eight runners priced up in single figures, and a potentially significant moment for the Amo Racing operation as the Group One-entered Ancient Egypt puts his unbeaten record on the line. The 1.1m gns son of Frankel looked an ideal type for this race when winning a Goodwood maiden in August in a notably strong time and arrives with a similar profile to Bow Echo, the 2-1 favourite, so odds of around 8-1 for Charlie Johnston’s colt look generous, not least as the stable has sent out three winners of this race since 2008.

Haydock 2.05 All but a couple of these sprint handicappers have something to recommend them but Blue Storm, last year’s winner off a 1lb lower mark, could have a little more scope for improvement than most after a belated seasonal debut here three weeks ago.

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Newmarket 2.25 Aidan O’Brien has a strong hand with two recent Group One runners-up in Beautify and True Love, but Royal Fixation looked well worth a try at this level when sweeping from almost last to first in less than a furlong in the Lowther at York last time. Palace Pier has already made a promising start to his stud career and Ed Walker’s filly could be a first Group One winner for her sire.

Ripon 1.40 Here Forever 2.15 Zooter 2.50 Vince L’Amour 3.25 Another Baar (nap) 4.00 Hurstwood 4.40 Aequitas 5.15 Sawgrass

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Newmarket 1.50 Ancient Egypt 2.25 Royal Fixation 3.00 Wise Approach 3.40 Fifth Column (nb) 4.15 Queen Tamara 4.45 Act Of Kindness 5.20 Zabeel Flower 5.55 Dance In The Storm

Haydock 2.05 Blue Storm 2.40 Woven 3.15 First Ambition 3.50 Lost Boys 4.25 Nada Two 5.00 Jungle Knight 5.35 Steel Tiger

Market Rasen 3.30 Settle Down Jill 4.05 Summerleaze 4.35 Lord 5.10 El Rio 5.45 Saligo Bay 6.15 Queens Wish

Southwell 4.19 Havin A Flyer 4.50 Siouxpersonic 5.25 Abando 6.00 Spirit Lead Me 6.30 One More Dream 7.00 Jesse Luc 7.30 Nelson Gay 8.00 Division Day 8.30 Inquisition

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Newmarket 3.00 Wise Approach made an eye-catching move into the lead in the Group One Prix Morny last time only to be run out of it close home. He looks sure to continue his progress here and can emulate his half-brother, Perfect Power, the Middle Park winner in 2021.

Haydock 3.15 Though clearly not the easiest horse to keep sound, First Ambition has shown plenty of ability on his two visits to the track so far and knuckled down well to win by a nose at Southwell last time. The switch to turf is a slight question mark but the time of his latest success suggests that an opening mark of 91 is not unduly severe.