Juvenile Wichita was the star act on the opening day of the Cambridgeshire meeting at Newmarket as he pulverised the opposition in the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes (7f).

Ryan Moore asked Wichita to put the race to bed a furlong out and the response was immediate, the son of No Nay Never surging clear to score by seven lengths over Persuasion.

Day two sees a seven-race card that features two Group 2 contests. Nine runners go to post for the Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (7f) for two-year-old fillies and the Roger Varian-trained Daahyeh, second to Love in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes earlier this month, looks sure to prove popular with punters.

The Shadwell Joel Stakes (1m) appears an excellent opportunity for King Of Comedy to get back in the winner’s circle after two excellent efforts at the top level. Lady Bamford’s three-year-old was just denied by Circus Maximus in the St James’s Palace Stakes before finishing a fine fourth behind Japan in the Juddmonte International.

King Of Comedy (crimson silks) drops back to a mile after his fine fourth behind Japan in the Juddmonte International ©George Selwyn

Dundalk delights

All-weather specialist Mootasadir will bid for back-to-back wins in the Group 3 Diamond Stakes (1m2½f) at Dundalk this evening.

The Hugo Palmer-trained four-year-old has won six races, all on artificial surfaces, and gets the assistance of Colin Keane in his bid for win number seven.

Racing also takes place today at Haydock, Worcester (jumps), Newcastle (aw) and Downpatrick (jumps).

Stellar line-up for Middle Park Stakes

Three unbeaten two-year-olds will put their reputations on the line in Saturday’s Group 1 Middle Park Stakes (6f) at Newmarket, which has attracted a field of nine.

Khalid Abdullah’s Siskin already has a top-level triumph in the bag having taken the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last month, when he saw off Monarch Of Egypt, who renews rivalry with the Ger Lyons-trained colt.

Earthlight, representing Godolphin and French maestro Andre Fabre, has won all four of his starts to date and coped well with testing ground in the Darley Prix Morny at Deauville, defeating Royal Ascot heroine Raffle Prize by a neck.

Mums Tipple comes into the race with a two-from-two record. While he has yet to race at Pattern level, the manner of his 11-length victory in the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes at York suggests the son of Footstepsinthesand won’t look out of place in this company for the Richard Hannon stable.

Top-level action overseas

Moonee Valley stages the Group 1 Moir Stakes (5f) today and Nature Strip, who had been considered for Royal Ascot, will go off favourite for the combination of Chris Waller and James McDonald.

Two Grade 1 juvenile events on dirt are the highlights at Santa Anita in California. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert looks to have an excellent chance in both races, saddling filly Bast in the Chandelier Stakes (1m½f) and colt Eight Rings in the American Pharoah Stakes (1m½f).

Kementari subfertile

Darley Australia’s new stallion Kementari has been found to be subfertile after receiving his first mares at stud.

The son of Lonhro, a Group 1 winner on the track, had been priced at AUS$33,000 in his introductory term; his poor fertility was described as a “blow to Darley and the Australian breeding industry” by Alastair Pulford, Head of Sales at Darley Stallions.