Godolphin’s Dance Sequence heads the field for an exciting renewal of the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes, with plenty of fillies out to stamp their 1000 Guineas credentials.
The Dubawi filly ran green on her winning debut at Newmarket's July course and still appeared to have plenty to learn when landing the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes over track and trip in mid-October. A half-sister to Black Type performers Romantic Song and New Comedy, Dance Sequence is one of the leading 1000 Guineas prospects for trainer Charlie Appleby.
"Dance Sequence has done very well over the winter," Appleby said on godolphin.com.
"She has already won over the course and distance in the Oh So Sharp Stakes and looks the one to beat again."
The main market opposition will be Aidan O'Brien's exciting Matrika, who followed up her Curragh debut success with a strong second behind Porta Fortuna in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot. She bounced back to winning ways with a victory in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh and will be stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time on seasonal reappearance.
Of the remainder, True Cyan could be an exciting prospect for the Roger Varian yard, having secured a comfortable maiden win over course and distance on debut in September. A daughter of No Nay Never, the grey filly demonstrated plenty of promise – taking the lead at the furlong marker and running out a convincing one-and-a-half length victor.
"She won her maiden well on the same track last autumn, we're really on a mission to find out where we might go with her and what we might do this season," said Chris Wall, Shaikh Khalid's racing manager.
"It looks a good opportunity to do that, it's a competitive race and depending on how we run, we'll know what we're going to do in the future.
"She's wintered well, she's been training satisfactorily, we're hopeful of a positive effort and then we'll take it from there.
"If you're going to be stakes class, you'll have to be up there competing with them – and if not, we'll have to go down another route with her," Wall said.
"We'll see, we'll know a lot more after her run tomorrow but she's done everything in the right way and has been training nicely, we're hoping for a nice run."
