Horse racing Flat racing tips | Five two-year-olds to follow this autumn

A LILAC ROLLA 97p (Harry Angel) Paddy Twomey – (Entries: Rockfel, Cheveley Park)

Harry Angel has made a respectable start as a stallion and the deeper you go into the Flat season the better his juveniles seem to do. That was the case last autumn when he was a freshman sire and things are shaping the same way a year on, so his progeny are worth keeping an eye on as the turf season draws to a close.

Paddy Twomey’s A LILAC ROLLA is by Harry Angel and she has already announced herself as smart, winning a Cork maiden in good style on debut at the end of July before landing a good conditions race at the Curragh from Opera Singer, who has subsequently won a Group 3 by over six lengths.

A Lilac Rolla travelled well in a prominent pitch that day before showing a great attitude to see off the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly, and she could have a productive autumn - either over the same distance of seven furlongs, or by dropping back to six, as she looks to have gears.

WATCH: A Lilac Rolla beats Opera Singer at the Curragh

DEVIL’S POINT 95p (New Bay) David Menuisier – (Entries: Royal Lodge, Dewhurst, Futurity)

I like David Menuisier’s patient training methods and I like the sire New Bay, so I watched DEVIL’S POINT in the Virgin Bet Solario Stakes on September 2 with great interest and thought he ran a cracker in third the way things panned out.

It looked like it was run at a steady gallop and the closing sectional (106.2%) confirmed it, something that was hugely against Devil’s Point. He raced keenly under Oisin Murphy, who anchored him at the back of the small field, eventually switching him from the inside to the outside and detached from the main group. In the circumstances, to run on into a close third was testament to this horse's talents and I’m certain he can go onto better things.

That might be next year, but he’s got some fancy entries in the big backend juvenile races and a stronger gallop over a bit further will suit him perfectly.

WATCH: Devil's Point runs on nicely at Sandown

EBEN SHADDAD 92p (Calyx) John Gosden – (Entries: Dewhurst)

John & Thady Gosden’s first two-year-old win on turf this year came as late as August 26, but it was EBEN SHADDAD on debut at Newmarket and it was worth the wait.

The son of Calyx pulled well clear of some interesting types on paper, including Richard Hannon’s Piloto Pardo, six lengths adrift in fourth, who franked the form with a novice win over seven furlongs at Kempton on September 8.

The Newmarket race has been won by some good horses in the past, including Jash who went on to finish second in the Middle Park, but Eben Shaddad has bags of stamina on his dam’s side, being out of a Galileo mare, and it would be no surprise if he steps up in trip to seven in the closing weeks of the season.

WATCH: A striking win from Eben Shaddad on debut

MILITARY 90P (Siyouni) Aidan O’Brien – (Entries: Royal Lodge, Middle Park, Dewhurst)

There are dozens of Aidan O’Brien two-year-olds that could’ve made this list, but I’m going for the formula of massive potential x recency bias = MILITARY.

O’Brien has nurtured a couple of sons of Siyouni to great success thanks to St Mark’s Basilica and Paddington, so it’s no surprise to see him train more and more by that stallion and this colt made a deep impression at Naas just last week (September 14).

He ran green when asked to go and win his race in the final furlong, drifting off a true line towards the stands’ side, but he was almost three lengths clear of the field at the finishing post and he looks likely to come on significantly for the experience.

O’Brien often uses Naas as a launchpad for his good two-year-olds – Maybe, Roly Poly, Fairyland, Magna Grecia, Fancy Blue and Tenebrism, all Group 1 winners, all won on debut at the track – and it will be interesting to see where Military is deployed next.

WATCH: Military is another nice Naas debut winner for Ballydoyle

TASK FORCE 101p (Frankel) Ralph Beckett – (Entries: Middle Park)

It looked a pretty good renewal of the Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy on August 28 with three juveniles already rated 95 or higher in the field, but 11/8 favourite TASK FORCE made light work of them.

By Frankel out of 1000 Guineas winner Special Duty, he’s bred to be good and he had to be to win this race comfortably, as he was keen at the rear of the pack at halfway and looked all at sea on the undulations when pulled out to make his challenge.

Class got him through the assignment and he could leave the form behind on a more conventional track, while the experience will have done him good if he ends up tackling a big one at Newmarket in the coming weeks.

WATCH: Task Force wins despite the track at Ripon

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