Nightwalker expected to relish stepping up in trip for Feilden

Nightwalker will begin his three-year-old career in the hands of John and Thady Gosden in the bet365 Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on Tuesday.

The Frankel colt was previously trained by Sir Michael Stoute, for whom he won a Yarmouth maiden before placing third in the Group Three Autumn Stakes at Newmarket in October.

When Stoute retired at the end of the season, the horse, owned and bred by Juddmonte, was transferred across Newmarket to be handled by the Gosden team.

The grey now makes his seasonal debut on the Rowley Mile, where he will be ridden by Kieran Shoemark in the Listed event.

Barry Mahon, European racing manager to Juddmonte, said: “I think he had a good campaign last year for Sir Michael.

“He’s a horse we feel will stay well. We’re starting him over nine furlongs, but we’d be confident he’ll get 10 and could even stay 12 (a mile and a half).

“We’re looking forward to seeing him on track, his last couple of runs last year were nice and going up in trip, we could find a bit more improvement.”

Also prominent in the market is Charlie Appleby and Godolphin’s Masai Moon, a son of Siyouni who made one start as a two-year-old when winning a mile novice at Kempton in good style in October.

He now turns to the turf over a slightly increased trip and will be ridden by William Buick from stall eight.

Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “Masai Moon won nicely on his only juvenile start and has done very well through the winter.

“His homework has been good and racing over middle distances in time is going to suit.

“We feel he is capable of stepping up to this level, although we will be a lot wiser after the race.”

Elsewhere in the race is the Roger Varian-trained Sallaal, another horse with one run and one win to his name having taken a Yarmouth novice in October.

He is by Frankel and out of a talented mare in Nahrain, making him a half-sibling to global Group winner Benbatl and 1000 Guineas heroine Elmalka.

Charlie Johnston’s Green Storm, second in both the Zetland Stakes and the Criterium de Saint-Cloud last season, also lines up, as does Andrew Balding’s smart York maiden winner Almeric.

Richard Hannon’s King Of Cities, Karl Burke’s Last Galileo and Brian Meehan’s Law Of Design complete the field.