Timeform's man at the track with latest horses to follow

ANASHHAD - 6f 2yo colts and geldings maiden, Goodwood, 29/07/25

Anashhad leaves the impression that he hasn't yet shown all he has to offer. He's run to a fairly useful level at best in three outings, showing a degree of potential each time, while at the same time not quite delivering at the business end. If his stable can find that extra something, Anishhad should be well up to winning races.

Annishhad's latest appearance, in a valuable maiden at Goodwood, was a case in point. Very easy to back beforehand, he got into a challenging position approaching the final furlong, but was unable to sustain the run, one paced late on. Goodwood didn't really look his track.

Annishhad isn't bred to be a sprinter either. His dam's previous winners have all scored over middle distances and Mohaather as his sire suggests he should stay at least a mile. He was tried over seven furlongs on his second start, at Ascot, and didn't quite see the race out, though lack of stamina seems a very unlikely reason why.

DESERT JUNGLE - 5f 2yo fillies class 2 conditions race, Goodwood, 30/07/25

It was asking a lot of Desert Jungle to take on fillies who had been contesting pattern and listed events. She had run twice prior to Goodwood, needing the run when fifth on debut at Thirsk and then winning a maiden at Catterick, making all. Desert Jungle wasn't up to the task, but she acquitted herself well.

Desert Jungle, again looking all speed, kept up with the nippy Revival Power for the best part of four furlongs before she faded. She eventually finished sixth, as her exertions told, hanging right late on, but she can be marked up on that placing, shaping better than the pair that finished fourth and fifth at least.

Desert Jungle has both a pedigree and a physique that presage her character as a speedball. She's a good-quartered filly, an obvious sprint type, and her dam Nova Tor was a six-time winner over five furlongs. Desert Jungle is Nova Tor's fifth winner from seven foals to race and the other four to score have all been above average. Two of Desert Jungle's half-sisters have already produced black-type winners at stud. All in all, on performance, looks and breeding, Desert Jungle has a fair bit more to offer.

EXCLUSIVE CODE/GHOST MODE - 7f 2yo colts and geldings maiden, Goodwood, 02/08/25

A prize fund of £75,000 had the desired effect for the best of the maidens at the Goodwood Festival. There's a case for including the first four home, who all built on the promise of their debut in a well-run race that looks sure to prove strong form. The winner Isaac Newton can be expected to gravitate towards pattern company. The third and fourth, Ghost Mode and Exclusive Code, while not yet at that level, look sure to progress again and shan't be long in winning a race or two.

Exclusive Code was pencilled in for this column after his debut run at Newbury, green that day, even though send off favourite. A fortnight on, he still showed signs of inexperience and faded very late on after being involved in the battle for the lead with Ghost Mode. Ghost Mode travelled the better but he too faded in the last 100 yds.

Exclusive Code is more the finished article of the pair at the moment, Ghost Mode still to fill out fully, though both have enough about them to expect them to progress this season and into next. Both have pedigrees that mix stamina and speed – Ghost Mode started off over six furlongs – and it may be they will be kept to seven furlongs for at least their next run.

GEWAN - 7f 2yo novice, Newbury, 18/07/25

Gewan was one of several that appealed on looks in the paddock before this novice, though very much for the future rather than the day. He's a strong colt who looked to be carrying condition and showed distinct signs of inexperience walking round, That he was able to win despite this augurs well for his prospects.

It's true to say that the greenness beforehand wasn't mirrored in the race – Gewan knew his job pretty well. He was always in a good position and led soon after the two-furlong marker, kept up to his work in the closing stages.

The Newbury form has been boosted already, with the third winning next time out and the fourth (Exclusive Code) again shaping well, as detailed above. The Balding yard won this race with Chaldean (second time out), who went on to win the Acomb and Champagne Stakes on his next two starts. Gewan has an entry in the latter and there was enough in his performance to think the Acomb could be a suitable next option.

GOLDEN BROWN - 6f 2yo class 2 nursery, Goodwood, 01/08/25

Golden Brown was better than the result on his first start in nurseries, doing well to finish fourth after meeting trouble in running. This looks strong form for the grade and Golden Brown ought to be well up to winning a similar event.

Golden Brown looked to have just the right profile for a nursery. He had had three runs in barely a month in May and June, improving a little each time. Soon after the third run he was gelded, then brought back just over a month later for his run at Goodwood. Golden Brown took the eye with the way he travelled but the opening didn't come for him until too late and he was unable to land a blow.

Golden Brown is a study gelding with an okay pedigree, one that suggests he may get seven furlongs in time, though he's raced at sprint trips to date. The main things to recommend him, though, are his gently progressive profile and the way at Goodwood in which he shaped as if his mark is within his compass.

IRISH FIGHTER - 5f 2yo Super Sprint, Newbury, 19/07/25

Having reported my share of Super Sprints over the years – long gone are the days when I could wangle a trip to Lincolnshire for the Summer Plate – I am accustomed to not seeing too many horses in the paddock with a physique suggesting longer-term potential. In that regard, Irish Fighter was a bit out of the ordinary. He's a good-topped colt and ,so long as he isn't overfaced, he is up to winning more races.

The Super Sprint was the fourth outing of Irish Fighter's career. He'd shaped well when second at Wolverhampton on debut, though not really well enough to justify a tilt at the Norfolk Stakes next time up. Ninth of 15 was better than might have been anticipated, in truth. Irish Fighter was then given a penalty kick in a Windsor maiden and he didn't miss.

Irish Fighter's fifth placing at Newbury was as good an effort as he's put up. He still held every chance inside the final furlong before being unable to quicken late on. He wasn't obviously better than the result, but it still adds to an overall positive profile. He's so far raced at five furlongs, but will stay at least six, probably seven. He has further pattern entries, which is a concern, but placed in the right company he can win again.

PACIFIC MISSION - 6f 2yo fillies novice, Ascot, 25/07/25

Pacific Mission was the clear pick on looks in the seven-runner field for the opening race of the King George meeting. However, the experience beforehand seemed a bit too much for her and she managed to beat home just one of her rivals. It's to be hoped that her excellent stable can make sure she goes forward from that experience.

Fitted with a hood on debut, Pacific Mission was noisy in the paddock and became fractious at the start. She went right from the stalls – not unusual from stall 1 with a green newcomer – and was off the pace early. She made a promising forward move mid-race before that flattened out as she again hung right.

Pacific Mission is a tall filly with size and substance, and has a useful pedigree, one suggesting seven furlongs or a mile may prove her optimum distance. She didn't run near her potential on paper on debut, but she wasn't given a hard time once beaten and her forward move at halfway contained promise.

Updates on previous additions

Two-year-old fillies included here have been delivering since the last update – there were pattern wins for the progressive Fitzella, who won the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot, and True Love, who was impressive, even allowing for cramped odds, at the Curragh. Both are worth continuing to be kept on side, an entry for the latter in the Nunthorpe an intriguing option.

Spicy Marg, in winning the fillies conditions race at Goodwood, finally looked the filly she'd promised to be when she won on debut, producing a performance that would have made her very competitive in the Molecomb on the same card. Revival Power also shaped well in chasing her home, building on her effort in the Queen Mary.

Among the juvenile colts, Wise Approach made the most of a drop in grade to win at listed level at Newbury; he'll be ready for a return to a higher level. Rock On Thunder was a good second, progressing from his Royal Ascot run. Two very promising maidens clashed at Sandown, with Publish beating Catullus, both showing plenty again. Publish looks a likely sort for the Solario or Acomb later in the month. Constitution River scored at cramped odds at Galway, though Thesecretadversary was turned over at even shorter at Ayr, softer ground possibly the issue.

Two older fillies went down to narrow defeats, January running really well in the Prix Rothschild, Chantilly Lace creditably in the Valiant at Ascot (Cajole also running okay in fifth). January will surely find a Group 1 before much longer. Time For Sandals also ran well in defeat, under a penalty in the King George at Goodwood, dropped to five furlongs without an issue.

There were wins at short odds on handicap debut for Crown of Oaks (gelded and given a break since the spring) and Pinhole, the latter running to a level that ought to make him competitive back in pattern company. Crown of Oaks isn't the horse he promised to be, and sending him for a weak race at Ayr was a typically good piece of placing from the Haggas team, but he's possibly on the right track again.

A few notes from the excuses department: Kassaya was unsuited by Chester when stepped up to listed company; Cosmic Year got no sort of run in the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood; Formal, also at Goodwood, was again well held, though she clipped heels early and ran too freely. Sweet Lord shaped as if needing further than seven furlongs at Leicester on his respectable nursery debut.

Flops: Azizam (last in the Richmond), Sioux Perfect (well held on nursery debut), Vantheman (down the field at Hamilton, no excuse offered). Humidity was below his Chesham form in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, not quite up to the task. Revoir and Stanhope Gardens both failed to benefit from a drop in trip and grade at York.

Finally, two of Aidan's stars – Jan Brueghel and Henri Matisse. Neither was seen to advantage on their recent outings. I'm not sure what the plan was with Jan Brueghel in the King George, but it was either a dud or badly executed, because what happened was no use to him, making for too much of a test of speed over stamina.

Henri Matisse, as anticipated, was sent into battle against Field of Gold again. Like the other main challengers, he was unable to take advantage of the favourite's failure to show his form. Henri Matisse is crying out for a mile and a quarter, but he's the best Ballydoyle option among the colts at a mile, so may continue to have to run over the trip.

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