2021 Middle Park Stakes Tips - Fahey's favourite the Perfect pick at Newmarket

We've taken a look through the field for the 2021 Middle Park Stakes and picked out our best bets.

Two Group One form lines will be drawn together in this year's Middle Park Stakes. Perfect Power tops the current betting, having defeated Asymmetric and Armor in the Prix Morny at Deauville last time out.

Dr Zempf and Castle Star travel over from Ireland, having placed behind Ebro River in the Phoenix Stakes when last seen. Go Bears Go, who finished a head behind Perfect Power in the Norfolk Stakes and split the Irish raiders in the Phoenix, also features in the field.

Caturra enters Group One company for the first time, following that impressive win over Armor in the Flying Childers Stakes. Twilight Jet will be dropping back in trip, following a decent third in the Champagne Stakes.

Aidan O'Brien is the winning-most trainer of the Middle Park Stakes and he throws two into the mix. However, the fact that both HMS Endeavour and the maiden, New York City sit near the bottom of the betting tells you that the Ballydoyle runners have a lot of catching up to do.

Only two colts in the last century have won the Phoenix Stakes and the Middle Park in the same season. They were both trained by Aidan O'Brien and went off at odds-on. 

Dr Zempf, Castle Star and Go Bears Go had the perfect opportunity to pass Ebor River in that Group One. Yet, none could sustain their challenge, and Richard Hannon's charge held on to win from the front. Ebro River has since finished third in the National Stakes and looks more of a miler than a sprinter, so the fact that none of the aforementioned trio could get past him is a clear negative in my book.

The best trial for the Middle Park is the Prix Morny. Six of the last eight Prix Morny winners who went on to run at Newmarket all won, with only Unfortunately and Bad As I Wanna Be letting the team down.

PERFECT POWER ran out a worthy winner of the Prix Morny, surging from last to first under a masterful ride by Christophe Soumillon to land that prestigious Group One.

Asymmetric and Armor were both fancied that day but were well beaten in the end, and neither had any excuses. Yes, Asymmetric did beat Perfect Power at Goodwood, but Fahey's charge was blocked out on a number of occasions as he tried to mount a challenge from the rear and was still full of running as he hit the line.

Following that fantastic ride in the Morny, Soumillon travels over from France to retain his place in the saddle. He may need to work his magic again if things get sticky from stall one, but I'm not expecting the draw to cause the favourite too many issues.