The entries are through for the final Group One juvenile races of the British Flat season and in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes there are five unraced horses who are clearly worth noting.
Let’s start with three from Ballydoyle. Yes Aidan O’Brien has the top two in the market in Henry Longfellow and City Of Troy, and 23 entries in total, so he’s not sparing when it comes to throwing hats into the ring.
It means the colts who have yet to see the racecourse are unlikely to be his main contenders for the Newmarket showpiece. But clearly all have shown enough to suggest to the most powerful team in the Ireland or the UK this term that at the very least they’re potential pattern-race performers.
It’s worth pointing out that while none hold entries this week, they’re all in the Group Two Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday week and a host of other big races.
Frankel colt among Ballydoyle team
GALLANTLY is a son of Frankel and the first foal of Precieuse, winner of the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.
That’s a strong pedigree…as is that of MILITARY, by Siyouni out of the mare Hostess who hails from the family of Camelot.
PSALM is a son of Sea The Stars and his dam Greenisland is a half-sister to Cheveley Park winner Millisle.
One of the other two unraced entries hails form Ireland – Jim Bolger’s SLANEYSIDE.
A homebred son of Dawn Approach, he’s out of a mare in Deontas who is from the family of Prix Foret winner Septieme Ciel. Her first three foals have proven moderate on the track so far but clearly this fellow is showing more at home.
Charles Hills has entered MILETUS. Earlier engagements in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and Royal Lodge on the last day of September, point to the regard in which he’s held. A son of Magna Grecia, he fetched 140,000 euros at the sales and is a three-parts brother to Emmaus and a half-brother to Dawn Mirage.
Six unraced fillies in the Group One feature
O'Brien has three of the six unraced entries in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile too – and look at these for pedigrees.
FLEETINGLY is a daughter of Justify out of Alice Springs, who was a three-time Group One winner.
GUSHING cost $435,000 at the Keeneland Stakes. She’s the sixth foal of Antionia Autumn who was closely related to Arlington Million winner Gio Ponti and by American Pharoah.
Completing the unraced O'Brien team is PORT FAIRY. She’s a daughter of Australia out of the Fastnet rock mare Fabulae who raced for the trainer’s son Joseph during her career on the track.
The domestic entries who have yet to see the racetrack include LAURA BAY. By New Bay, she’s trained by David Menuisier and is a half-sister to three previous winners.
Brian Meehan has put CAVRIANA in the Group One. It’s her only entry at the time of writing and she’s a Magna Grecia half-sister to the useful No Needs Never and cost 60,000 euro at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.
But potentially most interesting of all is WINTERFAIR. Trained by William Haggas, she's a daughter of Kitten’s Joy out of the Shamardal mare Athary, who is a half-sister to Camelot.
So there you. A few more horses for those autumn trackers.
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