Our two-year-old guide author Dan Briden rounds up the latest from the juvenile scene, from an extraordinary debut to interesting upcoming entries.
Monogram leaves his mark
Joseph O’Brien’s Monogram produced one of the more extraordinary displays seen from a two-year-old when making a winning debut at the Curragh last weekend.
The Juddmonte owned/bred Kingman colt was heavily backed from an opening show of 3/1 down to 4/6 at the off, but he rather walked out of the stalls and found himself in last place. Still there at the three-furlong marker, he made significant progress on the bridle from before the two-furlong pole, unleashing approaching the final furlong. He soon ran green when shaken up, edging right but sustaining his momentum to get up in the dying strides and collar
Rarely will a form book fail to portray the full story, Monogram’s short-head margin of victory not even beginning to explain his superiority. He was the only horse in the race to make any semblance of an impression from off the pace, doing so having come from last place to challenging within a furlong, then running green off the bridle before overhauling one who had been prominent/led throughout.
The only Group-race entry he holds at this stage is the Dewhurst Stakes, the Futurity Stakes, Golden Fleece Stakes or Beresford Stakes usually obvious next steps but for the fact he’s not in any of them. The Listed Flying Scotsman at Doncaster and the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket provide a couple of options over in England. Wherever he turns up next, Monogram is clearly a most exciting prospect - yet another one for a yard at the peak of its powers.
