Paddock Notebook: Horses to follow from Newbury, Newmarket and Sandown

DESERT CASTLE, 7f 2yo Newcomers, Newmarket, August 7

Desert Castle came with a tall reputation and didn't disappoint on debut, scoring by 3½ lengths from Sommood. Held up under Billy Loughnane, he made smooth headway to lead two furlongs out before quickening clear. He did hang left at one point, but that's a common occurrence on the July Course with inexperienced horses.

Desert Castle was a standout in the paddock beforehand, a well-made, attractive colt and as good a looker among the two year olds as I've seen all summer. He's got a smashing pedigree as well, being a son of Frankel and a brother to two smart performers in Dream Castle and With The Moonlight, who both showed their best form at a mile to a mile and a quarter.

Desert Castle's dam Sand Vixen was a speedy juvenile, winning the Flying Childers, but Desert Castle is likely to be at his best at seven furlongs or more. He holds Group 1 entries in the National Stakes and the Dewhurst, the former often a target for his stable's top two-year-old colt. Wherever he goes, Desert Castle will merit plenty of respect, even at the highest level.

ONE FOR BRUCE, 6f 2yo Novice, Newmarket, August 22

Maidens and Novices on the July Course this summer have tended to attracted smaller fields than usual, the long dry summer partly to blame. Just six lined up for this Novice, which had seen fields no smaller than nine runners in the previous five years.

Small fields can make assessing a race harder and it's possible this race, won by the favourite Great Balls O'Fire wasn't a strong race – nothing has yet run again since – but One For Bruce made plenty of appeal on looks and he showed enough to think he can improve enough to win a maiden.

A good-topped colt, One For Bruce missed the break and showed inexperience, but he was beginning to make ground when he was badly hampered well inside the final furlong. He finished third but might well have been second without the interference. He's sure to be sharper next time.

KODIAC CITY, 7f 2yo Group 3 Solario Stakes, Sandown, August 29

It was asking a lot of Kodiac City to tackle pattern company on just his second start, having won an ordinary Maiden on the all-weather at Southwell earlier in the month. He was sent off at 22/1 and managed to beat only two home in what was a slightly substandard running of the Solario anyway.

However, Kodiac City stepped up quite a bit on his debut form and he shaped better than the distances indicate. He was dropped out, keen early, and still had plenty to do under three furlongs out. When shaken up he ran green, hanging right, but he kept going in the final 150 yards. With his rider having accepted the situation, Kodiac City looked to finish with running left.

Kodiac City doesn't have any further pattern entries at the moment, which is probably a good thing. He's a well-made colt, just about the pick of the Solario field, and has the makings of a better three year old. He's a son of Kodiac, as his name might suggest, and although he started off at a mile and was over seven here, it wouldn't be a surprise if a mile was as far as he wanted to go.

QUICKEN AWAY, 1m 2yo Maiden, Newbury August 14

Quicken Away was undone by inexperience on debut, just failing to get up against a rival with a run under his belt, but he ran a race full of promise and seems sure to go one better before long. He's a colt with plenty of scope and although he's well up to getting off the mark this autumn, he probably won't come fully into his own until his three year old season.

Quicken Away made his debut in a race won the previous season by Bow Echo no less. He was sent off at short odds, even though he was green and noisy in the preliminaries. He was predictably slowly away and then ran green when first asked to pick up. Quicken Away finally began to get the idea in the final furlong and he was closing down the winner King High all the way to the line.

The Royal Lodge entry Quicken Away cost 500,000 guineas as a yearling and has a pedigree to match his looks. He's a son of Frankel, out of the Pouliches winner Precieuse. He's a brother to Gallantly, who won a maiden over an extended ten furlongs and showed form over a mile and a half. Despite his name, Quicken Away seems likely to be more about stamina than speed.

SILENT FORCE, 7f 2yo Novice, Newbury August 15

Not much went right for Silent Force on his debut in a valuable seven-furlong Maiden at Newbury, and he did really well in the circumstances to take third behind Gambling Man, who had the benefit of a previous run. Silent Force looks sure to win a similar event before long.

The problems started from the stalls, Silent Force taking a bump. That rather lit him up and he took a while to settle. Then as he began to make ground he had to weave his way through. He'd got on the heels of the leaders two furlongs out but then ran green when shaken up.

Silent Force is a tall colt with scope, just the sort to make a better three year old. He's well related, the fifth foal out of his dam October Queen, the first four all having shown form well above average. October Queen herself was unraced but she's a sister to the Moyglare Stud and Coronation Stakes winner Rizeena. Silent Force doesn't have any fancy entries, but he's a useful colt in the making.

TAWAKAL, 6f 2yo Novice, Newmarket, August 7

There was a lop-sided market for the small-field novice, with the two previous winners in the line-up sent off at 5/2-on and 9/4. The favourite Nabati was taking a drop in grade, having been runner-up in a Listed race at Newbury after his debut win, while second-in Tawakal was bidding to follow up a debut success at Nottingham.

On Timeform ratings, Nabati had 16 lb in hand, but the race proved much more closely fought than that would suggest. Tawakal made the running and looked to have the favourite in trouble after he kicked for home with two furlongs to run. His advantage began to be whittled away inside the final furlong, but he wasn't worn down until near the finish.

Although beaten, Tawakal showed marked improvement from first to second start. He is a real powerhouse to look at and although there are mixed signals in his pedigree, he seems likely to be best kept to six and seven furlongs for the time being. Tawakal has been declared for the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton on Saturday, drawn 1, which could mean he takes a lot of catching if ridden as he was at Newmarket.

UPDATES

Maltese Cross put himself firmly in the reckoning for the Arc de Triomphe with his win under a penalty in the Great Voltigeur at York. The runner-up Pierre Bonnard ran a perfectly satisfactory St Leger trial, with the step up in distance at Doncaster sure to be of benefit. Galiyan finished fifth of six, flying a bit high at this level.

Senorita Bonita is another with leading claims for one of the big races in the autumn. She's now a short-priced favourite for the Cheveley Park after her impressive four-length victory in the Prix Morny. Forty Years On is another filly going places. She made light of a mark of 96 in a handicap at Goodwood and will now head for the Sceptre Stakes at the St Leger meeting.

There have been a few short-priced victories for two year olds featured in this column, none shorter than Etienne who was returned at 25/1-on when scoring at bath. Spirited Gesture followed up a debut win by landing a novice at Newcastle at 6/1-on. Meanwhile, Al Wathba made amends for a defeat at 11/2-on when winning at 7/4-on late last month.

Quite a few from the column made an appearance at York. God Given Talent was an unlucky-in-running fourth in a competitive nursery on his first start for William Haggas. He looks sure to be placed to advantage before long. A place ahead of him was The Dancing Pirate, who contrived to throw the race away after looking all over the winner. He has the ability to win races but his application is not the best and a gelding operation must be on the cards.

The Bookkeeper was a creditable sixth at long odds in the big sales race, while Night Raider ran respectably when filling the same position in the Nunthorpe. Among those who performed less well were Johanna Walsh in the Yorkshire Oaks, the disappointing Revival Power, who doesn't look to have trained on, King of Earth, who failed to cope with a rise in grade and Valedictory, who turned in a lacklustre effort on a first try at two miles.

Better efforts came from Into The Sky (ran as if needing the run when fourth in a six-furlong Group 3 at Deauville), Harry Knows (good third in a Listed event at Ripon) and Sorrengail and Coat of Red who both ran well when placed in a conditions race at Newbury. Takaaful stepped up on her debut effort when third in a better race at Chester. So Regal was a creditable fifth in the Atalanta last weekend.

Finally, Nola Soul had his first outing since the Chesham, finishing fourth in the Futurity, running creditably but leaving the impression he'll benefit from a step up in trip.

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