The entries are through for the two big two-year-old races at next month’s Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York.
The Sky Bet Lowther and Al Basti Equiworld Gimcrack Stakes have attracted healthy numbers and the right colts and fillies from what we’ve seen of the early to mid-season pecking order.
But arguably of more interest are the unraced horses who have been put in the pair of Group Twos.
This isn’t the same as yearlings, untested and most cases even unbroken, who are entered into the sales races for the autumn shortly after changing hands in the sales ring.
These colts and fillies, in most cases, have been in full work for six months - the trainers have a sense of their ability. They’ve put their hooves up at home to warrant being given the option of taking in one of the most significant juvenile contests of the season.
Clearly the idea would be to win a maiden or novice – and win it well – to book a ticket to York, so get the trackers ready and here we go.
In the Lowther there are five initial entries who haven’t seen a racecourse in public yet.
Two are trained by Aidan O’Brien. Sweetest is a daughter of Blue Point who cost 425,000 euros at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale. She’s a half-sister to Archer’s Dream, who achieved a peak Tiemform rating of 109 in winning a Listed race as a three-year-old over six furlongs while her dam is a half-sister to King’s Stand Stakes winner Profitable (124). She’s bred to be quick.
Stablemate Mayfair has a classic Coolmore pedigree. By Justify, the sire of City Of Troy, she’s the second foal of Cheveley Park Stakes winner Clemmie (118P) who was a full sister to Dewhurst Stakes/2000 Guineas winner Churchill (126).
Go Big Or Go Home has an equally mouthwatering pedigree for the Bond family and Bryan Smart. She was one of the 17 juveniles who were knocked down to bloodstock agent Richard Knight on behalf of Derby-winning owner Saleh Al Homaizi at Tattersalls but were later resold after payment wasn’t made. A Lope De Vega half-sister to the mighty Battaash, the hammer initially came down at 1,800,000 guineas in October.
Enchanted Garden cost a good deal less at 6,000 euros, but has also been entered by trainer Tony Mullins, while Michael Bell has engaged Queen’s Guard. She’s owned by Steve Parkin who loves nothing more than a big winner on the Knavesmire and this daughter of Havana Grey has clearly been showing some zip on the Newmarket gallops.
There are seven unraced colts in the Gimcrack and there’s some crossover from the Lowther.
O’Brien again has two. Military is a son of Siyouni who cost 375,000 guineas at Tattersalls Book One. He is the first foal of Hostess, a US Grade Three winner from the family of Camelot.
Old Faithful is another Siyouni colt and one who cost 580,000 euros. He’s from a family the trainer knows well being the first foal of a Listed winner who is a full sister to Johannes Vermeer (122), Irish Group Two wiinner Elizabeth Browning (103), Group One-placed Wembley (113) and Group Two-placed Petite Mustique (107p).
Bondy is another of the 17 yearlings who were resold and now finds himself representing the Bond-Smart axis. His original sales price was 450,000 guineas and he's a Kingman half-brother to pattern performers Star Terms and Fresh Terms out of Cheveley Park winner Best Terms.
Parkin's Clipper Logistics team have Night Raider in for the Karl Burke team. He's a son of Dark Angel who cost 155,000 guineas a foal and is a half-brother to Palace House Stakes winner Far Above.
Richard Fahey, like Burke, has a strong team of two-year-olds and it’s interesting he has entered the unraced Airman. A son of Dandy Man he is the first foal of Nova Aquilae who was with Godolphin and hails from the strong Shadwell family of Salsabil and Marju. He's entered at Ripon on Saturday.
Savvy Warrior is one of two entries for Sean Woods and owner Julian Hui and unlike promising Windsor third Savvy Kingdom, he's yet to see the racecourse. By first-season sire Too Darn Hot he cost 180,000 euros at the Goffs Orby Sale and has some smart performers on his page including Royal Bench and Memphis Tennessee.
And finally the excellent Paddy Twomey has handed Letsbefrankaboutit an entry. A 240,000 euro purchase at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale, he’s by Sioux Nation from a fast family.
So there you are, 12 unraced horses who have been showing enough to be put in the big York races, and if they are to take up those engagements, should be running – and running well – very soon.
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