Ratings review by Timeform on Future Champions Festival
By Andrew Asquith
12:28 · TUE October 17, 2023
Andrew Asquith outlines the Timeform view and updated ratings of the two-year-olds following Future Champions Festival at Newmarket.
Newmarket’s Future Champions Festival produced another cracking two days of racing, but the one horse who stole the show was undoubtedly City of Troy, who produced the best two-year-old performance of the season in the Dewhurst Stakes on Saturday.
Six of his seven rivals had already won a pattern event, so the race did have layers of depth, but even before the race started it was City of Troy who was the main focal point, his presence at Newmarket on Saturday producing an excitement and anticipation like so few have since the days of Frankel, and it was hard not to be impressed by his display on the track, powering away from some smart rivals in the style of a top-class prospect.
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City of Troy has been rated 125p by Timeform and his winning effort is as good as any in the race over the past decade, while only Frankel has achieved a higher Timeform performance rating in the Dewhurst this century.
The sky really is the limit for City of Troy, who is already a short price for the 2000 Guineas and the Derby next year, while you have to shop around for a double-figure price about him completing the Triple Crown. He will head into next year as one of, if not the most exciting horse in training and he could hardly be in better hands; City of Troy has superstar potential.
Ancient Wisdom was impressive in the Autumn Stakes
The Autumn Stakes which opened the card on Saturday saw the Charlie Appleby-trained Ancient Wisdom produce a much-improved performance and now has a Timeform rating of 118. He looked very promising in his first two starts and the form of his third-place finish to Rosallion in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot, which went down as a slightly disappointing performance at the time, has worked out incredibly well.
He was given the best part of three months off afterwards and showed the benefit in no uncertain terms, relishing the step up to a mile for the first time and also well suited by a truly-run race. That performance has put him into the reckoning for a Classic next season, though it would be a version of the Derby rather than a Guineas that he will more than likely be suited by given how he shapes and the stamina in his pedigree.
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Ancient Wisdom is rated behind only National Stakes winner Henry Longfellow (120p) and Middle Park winner Vandeek (119p) on Timeform’s scale, so he is in and around the top juveniles and promises to excel of middle distances next season. It is worth noting that he had a pronounced knee action which suggests he may be seen to better effect on ground with ease in it.
Another winner for Charlie Appleby in the Zetland Stakes
It was a disappointing turnout for the Zetland Stakes and, Arabian Crown, who set the standard on form heading into the race, outclassed his opposition made up of novice and maiden winners to give Charlie Appleby a third straight win in the race.
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His Timeform rating rose 9 lb up to 114p and he was visually impressive, ridden like the best horse in the race and continuing to pour it on in the closing stages, proving well suited by the step up to a mile and a quarter. Admittedly, it wasn’t a deep race, but he is another horse to look forward to next season, more than likely to take in a Derby trial in the spring and, interestingly, he is a similar price to stablemate Ancient Wisdom for Epsom glory next June.
Ylang Ylang proves too good in an average renewal of the Fillies' Mile
The Fillies’ Mile took centre stage on Friday but, given a trio of fillies who were beaten at Group 2 level in their previous starts fought out the finish, it hardly looks a vintage renewal, though Ylang Ylang did show improved form to record a first Group 1 win, earning a new Timeform rating of 108.
She proved well suited by the step up to a mile, seeing out the longer trip strongly in a well-run race and she appeals as more of an Oaks filly for next year rather than a Guineas one, but given how Aidan O’Brien’s horses are campaigned, she will more than likely take in both anyway.
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Shuwari (107) and See The Fire (104) completed the places and both have the potential to progress further next season, particularly over further, but Ylang Ylang was the winner on merit. She isn’t the biggest, but she has lots of stamina on both sides of her pedigree and her style of running suggests she’ll be seen in a different light over middle distances next year.
Ylang Ylang is the stablemate of Timeform’s top-rated two-year-old Opera Singer (114p), who won the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp earlier this month and is the current ante-post favourite for the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks.
Dance Sequence a filly to get excited about
The Oh So Sharp Stakes hasn’t got the most illustrious roll of honour, but this year’s renewal may prove to be one of the best in a while, with Dance Sequence (105p) and Skellet (104p) producing a good finish and producing form not far off the Fillies’ Mile.
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Dance Sequence started odds-on for her debut and duly made a winning start, looking a nice prospect, but she progressed a chunk after three months off to take this rise in class in her stride, leaving the form of her debut well behind. She will have no problem staying a mile next season and looks a most exciting prospect for 2024.
Skellet shaped very well on her debut after attracting support and confirmed that promise in spades when opening her account at Salisbury next time. She lost nothing in defeat upped into pattern company for the first time, unlucky to bump into another well above-average filly and enhancing her own reputation if anything. Skellet is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Skitter Scatter and is another filly to look forward to next season.
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