Dan Briden Two-Year-Old Guide: Horses to follow this Friday

The opening 6f fillies’ novice event at Newbury (1.50) sees Gushing Gold (ninth, Albany Stakes) and Betties Bay (15th, Queen Mary) bid to belatedly go one better than their promising debut efforts, having come up short at a higher level at Royal Ascot.

Gushing Gold sets the standard having shaped very well when coming clear of the remainder when attempting to chase down Zabriskie Point on debut at Leicester before her creditable effort at Ascot. Betties Bay chased home Mapmaker here on debut, with that rival finishing down the field in the Albany Stakes before returning to winning ways next time.

Betties Bay herself was also down the field when contesting the Queen Mary, but this is quite clearly a considerably easier assignment.

Of the newcomers, Ahlain, Dramatic Effect and Raqiya drew comments from their trainers in the Two-Year-Old Guide.

What the trainers said...

Ahlain (James Tate): “A homebred filly who shapes up quite nicely for one that boasts a late-maturing pedigree. I could even see her running over 6f before the end of June.”

Dramatic Effect (Eve Johnson Houghton): “She will look the part, work well and then suddenly start growing again. It’s all been a bit stop-start with her as a result."

Raqiya (Owen Burrows): “This is a tall, athletic filly who hasn’t long arrived from Shadwell. She has only done two canters so far but wouldn’t be a million miles away from moving into half-speed work.”

Admittedly, that wouldn’t be the most insightful set of quotes ever seen, but it’s RAQIYA who makes by far the most appeal overall. She is a daughter of Blue Point, whose progeny continue to impress in their first season, with several hitting the target first time out.

Raqiya is a half-sister to 6f 2yo debut winner Ribhi and out of an unraced half-sister to several at least useful performers including Muwaary and Yasmeen, both of whom made winning starts to their careers at this track with the former doing so on this very card in 2013.

It should be said that yard’s two juvenile winners at the track have both been second time out (Lajooje and Tarjeeh, both last year; 0-12 with newcomers). However, this filly is very much bred to make an immediate impact, with Burrows training a couple to debut success from this family, namely Mutaaqeb and Sawwaah. A prominent debut showing from Raqiya wouldn’t at all surprise.

The first division of the 7f novice event (2.25) is a race with a good history - subsequent Dewhurst Stakes/2000 Guineas winner Chaldean won a division 12 months ago, with the likes of Ektihaam, the aforementioned Muwaary, Escobar, Mildenberger and Bayside Boy being other notable victors.

Sir Bolton bids to bounce back from a moderate run in the Windsor Castle Stakes, having rightly been awarded the race on debut at Yarmouth. He has been switched from Dominic Ffrench Davies to Darryll Holland since Royal Ascot and now moves up two furlongs in trip whilst also being fitted with cheekpieces. He needs to improve to defy a penalty here.

Richard Hannon’s Maximum Dividend finished strongly when nearly running down the promising Starlore on debut at Sandown a fortnight ago, though that rival was idling throughout the final furlong. It was still a debut effort full of promise, especially as Maximum Dividend was clearly in need of the experience. He sets the standard.

There are some very interesting newcomers in the field, starting with the Roger Varian-trained Boiling Point. The son of Too Darn Hot is a three-parts brother to connections’ 2022 7f 2yo debut winner Resolute Man (by Dubawi).

He has been given an entry in the Group 1 National Stakes and was well spoken of by his trainer in the Two-Year-Old Guide, with Varian saying, “A very handsome colt whose movement matches his looks at this stage. We are extremely pleased with the way he goes and he should be out over 7f towards the end of the summer. A particularly nice colt.”

Given that Varian has won this race previously with subsequent pattern class performers Ektihaam and Bayside Boy (both on debut), the fact Boiling Point has been aimed here could be significant. As ever with this yard, the market is sure to reveal plenty about Boiling Point’s prospects.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained King of Luck is a New Bay half-brother to 7/7.5f Group 3 winner Psychedelic Funk and 2022 5/5.5f Listed winner Gale Force Maya. He is reportedly held in high regard at Freemason Lodge, though it’s noteworthy that Ryan Moore was booked at the six-day stage but isn’t now riding. Whatever happens here, King of Luck is one to keep a close eye on with regards the future.

Perhaps the most interesting newcomer of them all is the Andrew Balding-trained Trafalgar Square. The son of Too Darn Hot is a half-brother to last month’s Jersey Stakes winner Age of Kings and out of Turret Rocks, who won the May Hill Stakes at two (also a debut winner) and was later successful at Group 3/Listed level.

David Redvers gave this colt a positive mention in the Two-Year-Old Guide, saying, “He is a lovely horse who is growing and changing all the time. He has just resumed faster work and can hopefully make it out when the 7f maidens arrive. He just oozes quality.”

Although it could probably be said of just about any trainer, Balding does tend to aim his better juveniles at this track, and TRAFALGAR SQUARE is very much bred to make an impression during his first season. A winning start for him would hardly come as a shock.

Jack Channon introduces Ulysses colt Arkhalia Flynn here, and Channon said of the colt in the Guide, “Not your typical Ulysses - he’s very much built like a two-year-old. He will be one for the 6/7f races from the middle of the summer and does everything really nice at this stage.”

He hails from a good Cheveley Park Stud family and is clearly well regarded, but Channon’s youngsters are seemingly improving plenty for a run.

William Knight’s Standbackandlook finished last of 10 in the same 7f novice at Sandown that Maximum Divided finished second in. Typically green for a newcomer from this stable, this is step two of three towards gaining a handicap mark with which to tackle nurseries. He will be of interest in that sphere from the right sort of mark.

The second division (3.00) sees Roger Varian’s Warm Spell attempt to build on a promising debut second to the useful Thunder Blue in a 6f event at Goodwood last month. Slowly away and hampered early, he came from further back than those around him, keeping on without matching the winner. The additional furlong and that experience could see him prove hard to beat.

Of those in opposition with prior experience, John & Thady Gosden’s Bjorn Ironside finished sixth (of 12) on debut in a 6f maiden at Haydock back in May. Awkwardly away from the stalls and racing in rear, he made a promising mid-race move but appeared to pay for that whilst also looking short of the requisite speed at the sharp end.

That form has since been boosted on multiple occasions, and Bjorn Ironside has been given plenty of time since then. The extra furlong here can only aid his cause and he rates a major player.

Richard Hannon’s Blue Collar is another that comes from the 7f novice event at Sandown a fortnight ago. Like stablemate Maximum Dividend, his inexperience was plain for all to see, making some progress before very much spared a hard race throughout the final furlong. He will do a lot better in due course, but whether he can win a race of this nature at this stage is debatable.

Of the newcomers, Andrew Balding sends out Thyer. The son of Gleneagles is the first foal of a useful dual 1m 3yo winning half-sister to Group 2-placed 7f 2yo debut winner Seventh Kingdom and Listed-placed multiple 5-7f winner Lahore.

Second dam Nayarra was a 1m 2yo Group 1 winner in Italy and a half-sister to a plethora of good two-year-olds, notably Gustav Klimt, Friendly and Wonderfully.

Ralph Beckett introduces Study Of Man colt ALLEGORICAL here. He is a half-brother to a couple of very useful performers in Aleas and Alizarine, both of whom won at two. His dam won a 1m 2yo Group 3 event in France and was herself a sister to 10f 3yo Listed winner Aloe Vera and half-sister to Park Hill Stakes winner Alyssa.]

It is a typically prolific Kirsten Rausing family and one with which Beckett has enjoyed plenty of recent success with, including at two. The dam was a daughter of Invincible Spirit and relatively sharp, so Allegorical has clearly inherited his mother’s genes.

Miss Rausing said of Allegorical in the Two-Year-Old Guide, “A paddock injury prevented this colt from going to the sales as a yearling. This colt is much liked and seems well forward at the time of writing (April).”

For all he is bound to improve with time and distance, the fact Beckett sends Allegorical for a 7f novice race at Newbury suggests he shows a good deal at home, and he rates the most interesting newcomer in this line-up - both for the short and longer term.

One other debutante worthy of a mention is Jonathan Portman’s Maxim de Winter. The son of Galileo is out of the yard’s smart and speedy juvenile Mrs Danvers. She hasn’t set the world alight during her second career so far, however, and this colt sold for just 65,000gns at auction.

Portman said of him in the Two-Year-Old Guide, “It’s fantastic to have acquired a son of Mrs Danvers, especially one by Galileo. This colt has been growing and developing very nicely. He is a good-moving horse and we will start doing a bit more with him in the next couple of weeks. No questions have been asked of him yet, but let’s hope he can kickstart his mother’s broodmare career.”

The opening 6f maiden on Nottingham’s card (2.15) is a race that has been won by the likes of Dream Ahead and Wings of War in the past.

This year’s renewal sees a couple of expensively-purchased breeze up buys take on a trio once-raced juveniles from Newmarket yards that shaped with varying degrees of promise on debut.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Never So Brave finished second of five in a 7f event at Newmarket (July) last month, working his way through greenness to chase home Ancient Wisdom.

That probably wasn’t the deepest of races for the track, with a steady pace further limiting the overall level of form achieved. However, Never So Brave is entitled to be sharper for that experience, while he’s also bred to sprint as a half-brother to Richmond Stakes winner Barraquero and 2022 6f 3yo Listed winner Pirate Jenny.

The James Ferguson-trained Jubilee Walk travelled nicely for a long way when fifth on debut over 7f at Salisbury. For all he’s by Study of Man, he is another from a speedy female line who should be comfortable with this step back to 6f. Roger Varian’s Mitwaa was very green on debut at Newbury a couple of weeks ago, surprisingly so given it’s a precocious family. He is entitled to improve, but his keen-going manner that day is a minor concern given it’s a fiery family with the odd quirk or two.

The first of the two aforementioned breezers is the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Vandeek, who fetched an eye-watering 625,000gns at auction. He is a Havana Grey half-brother to useful 5-6f 3yo winner Mines A Double and from a decent enough family. The yard has enjoyed significant success with breezers in the past and this colt is clearly of significant interest.

The other breezer is the Karl Burke-trained Alaskan Gold. The son of Kodiac is a full brother to a fair winner in Waddat and a half-brother to a handful of winners, notably Group 3-placed 6f 2yo winner Zifena. Again, it isn’t an overly impressive page, but Alaskan Gold fetched £200,000 at the breeze ups and represents an excellent stable that can have its breezers ready fire first time up.

Finally, the opening 7f fillies’ maiden (5.45) at Newmarket (July) features a pair that shaped with significant promise in the same race at Haydock on debut, namely Summit (third) and Wild Goddess (fourth). Both fillies caught the eye with their finishing effort from off the pace and the extra furlong here looks certain to suit them. With only a short-head between the pair that day, there really ought not to be much between them again here given they’re both open to improvement.

John & Thady Gosden’s Point of Attack was run down only late by Packard when attempting to make all on debut at Lingfield, and she was far from disgraced when fifth to Star of Mystery in a 6f Listed event here at the beginning of the month. She was still rough around the edges that day and remains capable of better, with a seventh furlong likely to prove within range.

There are a few fairly interesting newcomers in the field. Charlie Hills saddles Autumn Dream, a Sioux Nation half-sister to French 11f Group 2 winner Seachange and French 12f Listed winner Tristesse. Roger Varian’s Poutchek is a Ulysses filly from a good Cheveley Park Stud family going back to Russian Rhythm, while Charlie Appleby introduces Faithful Springs. Her dam has produced three winners from three runners so far and was herself a French 6.5f 3yo Listed winner.

All in all, Friday looks set to be a highly informative day of racing.