Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes preview: Record of juveniles with focus on Golden Pal tackling Battaash

Weights and measure are critical when it comes to analysing a typical horse race. But York’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes doesn’t fall into that bracket and there’s very little run-of-the-mill about this year’s red-hot favourite, the Charlie Hills-trained Battaash.

The Nunthorpe is a particularly inclusive sprint – including being the only Group One race of any kind in Britain open to two-year-old geldings – and has over the years been contested by all manner of wonderful horses from across the globe in its long and healthy history.

Battaash himself has already featured in the race three times - finishing fourth behind all the drama in 2017; filling the same place as Alpha Delphini struck gold in 2018; before etching his name into the history books with a glorious track recording-breaking victory 12 months ago.

But he has never faced a two-year-old on the Knavesmire.

In fact, the only juveniles Battaash has ever raced against since his own two-year-old days have been in the Prix de l’Abbaye, with two of the three rivals ultimately beating him.

That’s clearly an unfair and unhelpful angle to take as he blew out completely at Longchamp last season, while he palpably wasn’t at his brilliant best either when ending up a place behind two-year-old Soldier’s Call in the 2018 edition of the Abbaye.

But it is fair to ask the killer question ahead of this year’s Nunthorpe: Is there a two-year-old out there capable of causing the undisputed sprint king a few problems?

The juveniles to have tried their hand in the race have tended to come in waves, Lyric Fantasy’s victory in 1992 clearly inspiring connections of Bold N’Flashy (1993), Perugino Boy and Speedy James (both 1998) to have a shot at capitalising on the considerable weight allowance afforded to young sprinters at this time of the year.

The weight-for-age scale dictates juvenile colts receive 24lb from their older male counterparts in August, while fillies – who in theory should get an extra 3lb sex allowance on top – actually receive 25lb from the older males on account of the minimum riding weight in Britain being set at 8-0.

As you can see below there was another lull before Kingsgate Native’s triumph in 2007 reminded everyone it could be a significantly worthwhile pursuit, but no two-year-old has been able to win the race since.

Only 10 have tried in the interim period, with Radiohead’s (2009) third and 13/8 favourite Acapulco’s second five years ago being the standout performances.

Kingsgate Native arrived in Yorkshire boasting a pretty impressive Timeform rating of 115, while Acapulco was a pound higher on 116 and Radiohead considered 'only' 108+ on the back of his Norfolk Stakes success.

Acapulco’s American trainer Wesley Ward has created a name for himself with two-year-old sprinters and has already made a huge impact in Britain by winning six Royal Ascot races for juveniles, as well as the King’s Stand Stakes and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes - all in the past decade.

He seemingly has a bit of a hankering for the Nunthorpe too as his three-year-old filly Lady Aurelia hung around a couple of months after winning the 2017 King’s Stand, sensationally going down by a nose to Marsha at York.

And while A’Ali, Glass Slippers and the rapidly-progressive Art Power will all have their supporters, it is to Ward that plenty will inevitably turn this time in the search of an alternative to the odds-on Battaash.

Golden Pal is a two-year-old maiden, he is inexperienced and his Royal Ascot form – and debut effort for that matter - could have worked out stronger. There have been 15 subsequent runners from the Norfolk, with only three winners (two horses), three placed and nine failing to hit the frame.

He is rated 107 by Timeform, at the same stage on a par with Stone Of Folca, who had finished fourth in the Norfolk and second in the Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood before being well held as a 10/1 chance at York.

And yet the Ward factor, combined with that massive weight allowance, makes Golden Pal quite a tempting proposition.

If you consider Timeform usually work off a length equating to a little over 3lb at five furlongs on good ground, it's clear this year's Norfolk runner-up doesn’t have to be as classy as Battaash to give him something vaguely resembling a race. Crudely speaking, and conveniently ignoring the age discrepancy for a moment, the young gun has eight lengths on him before the gates even open.

And ‘Norfolk runner-up’ doesn’t really do the giant son of Uncle Mo justice. He tanked through the race after a powerful start and the whole field looked in a serious state of discomfort as he sauntered past the two-furlong marker.

The stiff finish and ease underfoot – neither of which would have come naturally to him given his trainer's spring conditioning regime at Turfway, Gulfstream and Palm Meadows – played a major role in him being overhauled by The Lir Jet right on the line, but it was an eyecatching effort nonetheless.

Battaash will carry 9-11, as he has for the past two renewals, and if he remains on song it may well be immaterial how much lead weight is removed from those standing in his way, but top-level sport needs competition and Ward is, at the very least, a competitor.

History is against him but it's hoped the horse makes the journey as a four-furlong weekend workout (48.29) on the turf training track at Saratoga suggests he’s circling back to peak fitness and, when you consider his run-style, there’s no course in Britain where early pace carries quite like York.

Whether that's enough to carry him home ahead of the returning champ is another matter entirely.

Click here for Sky Bet's antepost Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes odds

Coolmore Nunthorpe weights

• 9-11 (4yo+)
• 9-9 (3yo)
• 8-1 (2yo)

Allowances: 3lb for fillies & mares (min. weight in Britain 8-0)

Record of two-year-olds in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes

• High Treason the first winner in 1953
• 5 winners in total since inaugural running in 1922
• 1 winner from 15 runners since Lyric Fantasy in 1992
• 3 placed from 15 runners since Lyric Fantasy in 1992

Where have the two-year-olds finished since 1992?

• 2019 – N/A
• 2018 – N/A
• 2017 – N/A
• 2016 – Prince Of Lir 13th (33/1) and Yalta 19th (12/1)
• 2015 – Acapulco 2nd (13/8 fav)
• 2014 – N/A
• 2013 – N/A
• 2012 – N/A
• 2011 – Requinto 13th (5/1)
• 2010 – Dinkum Diamond 7th (20/1) and Stone Of Folca 11th (10/1)
• 2009 – Radiohead 3rd (9/2)
• 2008 (Newmarket) – Shyrl 10th (66/1), Percolator 12th (18/1) and Flashmans Papers 13th (25/1)
• 2007 – Kingsgate Native WON (12/1)
• 2006 – Enticing 13th (11/1)
• 2005 – N/A
• 2004 – N/A
• 2003 – N/A
• 2002 – N/A
• 2001 – N/A
• 2000 – N/A
• 1999 – N/A
• 1998 – Perugino Boy 12th (100/1) and Speedy James 17th (20/1)
• 1997 – N/A
• 1996 – N/A
• 1995 – N/A
• 1994 – N/A
• 1993 – Bold N’Flashy 8th (50/1)
• 1992 – Lyric Fantasy WON (8/11)