Juddmonte head to Dewhurst with potent dual threat

Juddmonte hold a strong hand in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, with Chaldean and Nostrum both striding out at Newmarket on Saturday.

In a race that could decide the champion two-year-old and often acts as a guide to the following year's 2000 Guineas, it is no surprise to see both youngsters feature high up on the ante-post lists for the opening Classic of next year, with Nostrum a general 8-1 chance and Chaldean a best price of 14-1.

The operation’s racing manager Barry Mahon hails a sporting decision to run the two horses against one another, and believes both are top-class three-year-olds in the making.

He said: "We have a very strong hand, it is very good of the Abdullah family to run the pair of them – I thought that was very sporting to run two good horses like that together.

"They are both very good horses in their own right, and we don’t know which is the better of them.

"Both colts will stay a mile next year and their futures are ahead of them. Hopefully they can perform well on Saturday."

Andrew Balding’s Chaldean has won three on the spin since being held on debut and has taken the Acomb at York and Champagne Stakes at Doncaster along the way, while the Michael Stoute-trained Nostrum announced himself by backing up a debut success at Sandown with an ultra-professional display in the Tattersalls Stakes on the Rowley Mile last month, beating Royal Ascot winner Holloway Boy.

"I think Chaldean has that more experience and may be more streetwise, while Nostrum has shown huge ability in two starts, but does lack experience and is jumping into such a race," Mahon continued.

"Chaldean improved a huge amount from York to Doncaster and Andrew feels he has improved again. He’s not a flash horse, even at home he’s not flashy, he just