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Group Three Nell Gwyn (G3)
Fastest Time: 1:23:24 (Osaila, 2015)
Notable Previous Winners: Speciosa (2006), Cachet (2022)
Last Year's Winner: Cachet (William Buick/George Boughey)
Favourite Strike Rate: 40% from last 10 renewals
Fifteen declarations provide the Nell Gwyn (G3) with its largest field since 2014 as Newmarket's Rowley Mile plays host to some key early season Classic clues.
Charlie Appleby's Fairy Cross sets the standard with an official rating of 104 as she looks to provide the yard with a second success in the race following Soliloquy's victory in 2008. The daughter of Dubawi is likely to be ridden prominently and should give a bold sight after being no match for the impressive Mawj in a Meydan conditions race over a mile in February.
Newmarket-based yards have won the last six renewals and they make up eight of the fifteen-strong field.
George Boughey's stable star Cachet became the first filly to complete the Nell Gwyn and 1000 Guineas double since Speciosa (2006) last season. This year, the trainer arrives double-handed with Believing and Queen Olly. Highclere Thoroughbred Racing will be hoping Believing can emulate Cachet's victory in the race, stepping up to 7f for the first time.
Queen Olly may be the pick of the pair on her first start for a new yard, having finished ahead of Believing (third) when runner-up in the Bosra Sham (L) here for David Loughnane in October. AMO Racing has made an impressive start to the 2023 season, and she looks to be the choice of newly retained rider Kevin Stott as connections also saddle promising course and distance debut winner Mammas Girl.
Five horses will bid to win this on their second start following successful debuts, an achievement that hasn't been accomplished since Daban was victorious for John Gosden in 2017.
Clarehaven Stables look to hold a strong hand once more as they saddle two unbeaten fillies in the shape of Coppice and Inner Space. Both made triumphant debuts at Kempton (as did Daban in 2016) with the former scoring over 7f and the latter over a mile.
Coppice, a full-sister to the stable's Group Three winner Calyx, quickened up impressively to beat a subsequent winner by one-and-three-quarter-lengths at Kempton and is seemingly the pick of Frankie Dettori. The Italian-born star has won the Nell Gwyn seven times including four successive occasions between 2014 and 2017.
The William Haggas-trained Girl Racer looked like an exciting prospect when landing a 7f Wolverhampton novice stakes event on debut by three-and-three-quarter-lengths. Clive Cox will be hoping Karsavina, who scored over course and distance on debut, can provide him with a first success in the race.
Irish-based trainers are yet to win the race since it was established in 1961.
Jessie Harrington will be hoping last season's Oh So Sharp Stakes (G3) third, Small Oasis, is capable of putting that record straight but needs to put a disappointing stable debut in The Radley Stakes (L) at Newbury behind her.
