Paddock Notes and horses to follow from Greenham and Craven meetings

CAJOLE – 7f 3yo fillies newcomers, Newbury, 11/04/25

The Cheveley Park colours were carried by two runners in the Bridget Maiden, Consecrated, who won the race, making all and scoring by three lengths, and Cajole, who made late progress to take fourth. Consecrated is clearly highly promising – she was well on top at the line – but there are grounds for thinking Cajole has the greater potential to improve.

Cajole, a sturdy filly, looked to be carrying condition beforehand and she clearly wasn't fully clued up either. Having started slowly, she needed to be switched to try and make ground after halfway, the penny finally dropping fully in the final furlong.

As might be expected, Cajole has a superb pedigree. She's a Dubawi half-sister to two useful performers by Frankel, out of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Persuasive. Persuasive herself is half-sister to another Champions day Group 1 winner, Creative Force, who won the Sprint. Cajole will stay a mile, probably a bit further. She looks sure to win races with this considerate introduction under her belt.

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CROWN OF OAKS – 1m 3yo maiden, Newbury, 12/04/24

With the mile races run on the Round Course at Newbury, there was a smaller field than usual for the maiden won by Point Of Contact. A safety limit of 14 (the race too valuable to divide) reduced by two non-runners, meant just a dozen went to post. But it still led to plenty of problems in running, the field bunched near the stand rail after coming across in the straight, with the favourite Crown Of Oaks the main victim.

Crown of Oaks, who has done well over the winter, travelled strongly but had nowhere to go for much of the final three furlongs. When he finally got a gap, he was bumped and then ran green. Crown of Oaks, as on his promising debut in the autumn, finished with running left, taking third place but clearly still with plenty more to offer.

Crown of Oaks' trainer William Haggas had won this race with My Prospero and Economics in the last two years, and it's not out of the question that Crown of Oaks has the ability to make an impact at a much higher level as well.

GRAND GREY – 6f 3yo+ Group 3, Newmarket, 13/04/25

Grand Grey ran a race full of promise in the Abernant Stakes on his British debut, stepping up a fair bit on his form in France and Italy on his first start for Kevin Ryan. He looks well up to winning a good race or two this year.

On his toes beforehand, Grand Grey took time to settle in a race that wasn't run at a flat-out gallop. He was still last-but-one coming into the final furlong before picking up well for pressure to take second behind Sajir. The winner had the benefit of a recent run (he looked really well) and was better positioned than Grand Grey, the way things unfolded, so Grand Grey would be no forlorn hope to turn the tables were the pair to meet again.

Grand Grey is in the 1895 Duke of York next month, and that seems an obvious next step. He won over seven furlongs on debut, but after being beaten at that trip in listed company on his second start, he's raced over shorter trips on all starts since. He's a son of the strong speed influence Havana Grey and the way he went at Newmarket would support the view that he's a sprinter pure and simple.

KENNETH – 1m3f 3yo maiden, Newbury, 12/04/25

Kenneth may have been a beaten favourite on debut, but there was plenty to like about his initial effort. He didn't settle in the early stages and showed greenness when asked to pick up in the straight, but he found full stride in the final furlong and took second in the last 80 yards or so. Kenneth didn't have much chance of catching the winner Furthur, but that one already had two runs under his belt and was better positioned the way the race developed.

Looking at Kenneth, one could see why he might not have run at two – he's a tall colt still to fully fill his frame – and he's from a family where time and distance are key. His half-brothers Lionel and Gregory stay at least 1¾m, while his dam Gretchen won the Park Hill. She is a half-sister to the Irish St Leger winner Duncan and Doncaster Cup winner Samuel.

Coincidentally, both Lionel and Samuel finished third, one place worse than Kenneth, in the same Newbury maiden. What's more, they both had a previous outing under their belt. All in all, there's plenty about Kenneth that's positive and a maiden followed by a step up in grade looks well within his compass.

MORE THUNDER, VANTHEMAN – 6f 4yo+ handicap, Newmarket, 15/04/25

The form of the six-furlong handicap which opened the three-day Craven meeting looks well worth following, and two in particular to take from the race are the winner More Thunder and fifth-placed Vantheman.

More Thunder hadn't previously run over short of nine furlongs in five starts for Sir Michael Stoute, but he has speed on the dam's side of his pedigree and he looked completely at home over a much shorter trip on his first start of the year. He'll look well in under a penalty in the race over course and distance at the Guineas meeting. Given he's totally unexposed as a sprinter/miler, races like the Wokingham and Bunbury Cup will surely be on the agenda into the summer.

Vantheman also has more to offer this year, physically the type to do better again as a four year old. He looked to be carrying condition on his first start since October and his effort petered out late on. He'd shaped well to that point and a good sprint handicap or two will surely come his way.

SWEET LORD – 5f 2yo maiden, Newbury, 11/04/25

Sweet Lord was the best type in the field for what is often one of the better early-season two-year-old maidens. He was sent off at just 7/2 as well, suggesting he'd been showing plenty at home for his trainer Ralph Beckett. Unfortunately, the performance didn't match the expectation – he had little idea and finished nearer last than first.

Sweet Lord was a first British runner for the Poulains and Lagadere winner Victor Ludorum, a son of Shamardal, who is unlikely to be a source of speed pure and simple. The dam's side of Sweet Lord's pedigree doesn't suggest he'll be a sprinter in the longer term either.

So, with encouragement from his physique and pedigree, as well as the market, and being in good hands, there seems plenty of grounds for giving Sweet Lord another chance, particularly once he's able to race over further than five furlongs.

TIME FOR SANDALS – 7f 3yo fillies Group 3, Newbury 12/04/25

A large-field classic trial in which only one of the first six home started at shorter than 33/1 might raise alarm bells as a race from which to take a horse for the notebook. Clearly most of the fancied runners failed to show their form, in a race where four of the five fillies sent off at single-figure odds hadn't been out this year.

However, the overall time encourages a more positive spin and there was plenty to encourage in the performance of the third home Time For Sandals. She'd been off the longest of the whole field, last seen finishing runner-up in the Lowther. She was one of the better types in the field and shaped well for a long way, just running out of steam late on.

Although lack of an outing might have been a factor, that wasn't suggested by Time For Sandals's appearance beforehand. It's as likely that she was found wanting for stamina, some doubt on pedigree whether she would stay seven furlongs. It would be no surprise to see Time For Sandals drop back to six furlongs for her next run. The programme at that distance offers her plenty of options and she ought to be able to add to her sole win to date.

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