Roger Varians lightly raced six-year-old looks good value at 5-1 to take Thursdays feature race at Newmarket
This years Craven meeting has already fulfilled its primary function by highlighting live candidates for next months Classics in Qabala, the new favourite for the 1,000 Guineas, and Skardu, Wednesdays Craven Stakes winner, but the feature race on the final day could be seen as a timely reminder of how rapidly a promising three-year-old career can unwind.
Around this time last year, Mark Johnstons Elarqam was a 5-1 chance for the 2,000 Guineas and ran a fine race to finish fourth, just over two lengths behind the winner, Saxon Warrior. It looked like the ideal platform for a successful season, but from that point on, it was downhill all the way. Elarqam was the beaten favourite in all three of his subsequent starts, in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Sky Bet York Stakes and the Group Three Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury, where he set off at even money to beat five opponents and came home in fourth place.
Related: 2,000 Guineas: Craven winner Skardu fancied as bookies cool on Too Darn Hot
Newmarket 1.50 Franz Kafka 2.25 Strong Power 3.00 Almufti 3.35 Beringer (nap) 4.10 Zabeel Prince 4.45 On The Warpath (nb) 5.20 Ornate
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