Mr McCartney among declared runners for Newbury's Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes

The feature race of Newbury Racecourse’s Dubai Duty Free International Weekend is set for 2:12pm on Saturday 19 September. 
Lining up among them to contest the six furlongs and increased £175,000 prize fund, run this year in honour of the late Ian Balding, will be Oli Rix’s Mr Macartney.
It has been a memorable first season for Rix, who only took out his licence last year, and Mr Macartney has been an early flag-bearer. 
The gelding got the yard off the mark on turf when winning a £30,000 two-year-old contest at Leicester in April, before running well in defeat when finishing seventh in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and sixth in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.
Rix said: “Mr Macartney, he's been a fantastic horse for us this year. He's really put us on the map early on. 
"Winning a two-year-old race in April, a valuable 2-year-old race at that and went from strength to strength through the season running huge race in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot finished seventh running home really strong. 
"We also had a really good run at Glorious Goodwood with him in the Richmond, fast finishing six was beaten a couple of necks for fourth.”
The son of Ubettabelieveit has been gelded since that Goodwood run, a decision that saw connections bypass the Gimcrack at York in order to have him ready for Newbury. 
Rix said: “When he pulled up at Goodwood, we decided there and then to miss the Gimcrack at York, which gave us time to geld him and get him ready for the Mill Reef. He has always been a gentleman to ride, but he can be quite colty on the ground, and we just thought it might concentrate his mind a little more on his races.
“I think he has improved, he’s come forward with every run each time. He was a bit on and off the bridle at Goodwood and I just think since we’ve gelded him, he’ll just travel a bit stronger.
"His last strong gallop was the best he's ever done on all our data and just visually and the best feel he’s given Ray Dawson."
He added: “The going should be perfect and the track will suit him well. Newbury is a lovely track and there are no real idiosyncrasies to it. It would be fantastic to win the Mill Reef, such a historic race, in my first season, and it would be huge for the owners, who backed me from the very beginning.”
Mr Macartney faces a strong opponent in Arapaho Gold, who tops the weights on 9st 6lb. Unbeaten in four starts for Michael Dods, the gelding returns to Newbury on the back of victory in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York, having earlier landed the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury.
Adaay of Scarlett also brings strong form for trainer Hugo Palmer, having taken the runner up spot on three occasions at Group 2 level in the Coventry Stakes, July Stakes and Richmond Stakes. 
Nabati chased home Arapaho Gold in the Rose Bowl before winning at Newmarket and could give Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, successful in the race 12 months ago with Words Of Truth, another strong chance.
Andrew Balding, son of the man in whose honour the race is run, is represented by Juddmonte’s filly Jolivette, third in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York last time out. Cut A Dash (Richard Hannon), Matteo (Kevin Ryan) and Revels (K. R. Burke) complete the field.
For more details and tickets, people can visit newburyracecourse.co.uk or call 01635 40015.
 

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