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Aomori City will get his campaign under way and test any Classic aspirations in the bet365 Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday.
The Oasis Dream colt acquitted himself well as a juvenile, winning on debut and in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood alongside placed runs in the July Stakes, National Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
The latter run saw him beaten only three-quarters of a length on his mile debut, and he returns to the same trip on the Rowley Mile as he gets his three-year-old career started in the hands of William Buick.
“Aomori City is a rock-solid horse who put up some very creditable efforts as a juvenile. He wintered out in Dubai and goes into this in great shape – he looks well and everyone is very pleased with him,” Appleby said.
“He proved his consistency last season and brings a good level of form into the race.”
Appleby also runs Opera Ballo, who brings forward an unbeaten record having won two all-weather contests over the winter by significant margins. James Doyle takes the mount on the son of Ghaiyyath.
Appleby told the Godolphin website: “Opera Ballo is two from two, although he needs to answer a few questions in deeper company now. He is an exciting individual, but needs to prove himself at this level.”
Buick, who as retained rider to Godolphin had the pick of Aomori City and Opera Ballo, said: “It was a really difficult decision and to make those choices is a privilege in itself.
“It’s a trial obviously and we’ll learn plenty, especially with Opera Ballo who to date has only run at Kempton.
“Aomori City has got some solid form, he was only narrowly beaten by Henri Matisse in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He’s a solid horse in his own right and probably wants fast ground.
“We’ll see, it’s going to be interesting. We’re all going to learn plenty.”
Another horse who caught the eye as a juvenile is James Owen’s Wimbledon Hawkeye, who won the Royal Lodge over course and distance in the autumn and collected other notable pieces of form including a second-placed Acomb run behind The Lion In Winter, with the Appleby-trained Ruling Court behind him in third.
“He’s in great form, he looks like he’s really strengthened up a lot,” Owen said.
“His work has been strong but he’s still going to come on for the run, it’s going to be a nice prep race.
“This will pave the way for whatever comes next for him, whether that be the Guineas or the Dante.”
Andrew Balding runs Qatar Racing’s New Century, who took the Summer Stakes at Woodbine last term and was fourth when two lengths behind the winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
“He’s really coming together at home and we’re really hopeful for his season ahead,” the in-form trainer said.
“New Century is a top-level winner already and a very smart horse and I wouldn’t be able to split him and (Greenham winner) Jonquil on their work at home to be honest, they are similar.
“However, I would say New Century is probably likely to stay further and will want further than a mile in time.”
Elsewhere is John and Thady Gosden’s Field Of Gold, winner of the Solario Stakes last year and fourth in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
Ralph Beckett’s Matauri Bay, second in the Solario, also lines up, as does Hugo Palmer’s The Waco Kid, Karl Burke’s The Watcher and Raphael Freire’s Benevento.
