Ben Linfoot picks four interesting two-year-old newcomers to watch out for on a fascinating card at Newmarket on Wednesday afternoon.
Mostly begins her Journey
- 1.20 Newmarket - 7f | Allicare Fillies' Novice Median Auction Stakes
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A whole host of interesting juvenile debutants are introduced to the racecourse at Newmarket on Wednesday, starting with John Gosden’s MOSTLY in the opening Allicare Fillies’ Novice Median Auction Stakes at 1.20. By Makfi out of the Montjeu mare Montare, she’s a George Strawbridge-bred filly and the owner-breeder enjoyed great success with both her dam, who won the Group One Prix Royal-Oak in 2006, and half-sister, Journey, whose career highlight came when she landed the Group One Fillies & Mares by four lengths on Champions Day in 2016. Neither Montare or Journey were sharp enough to win on debut, but a half-brother, Travelling Man, did win on his first start for Freddy Head in France, so it’ll be interesting to see how she fares in the betting. We’ll see if Mostly is sharp enough for seven furlongs on her first start, but whatever happens on Wednesday she’s one to monitor closely as she grows up and steps up in trip.
Golden debut for Awtaad relation
- 1.55 Newmarket - 7f | Coates And Seely Blanc De Blancs Novice Stakes (Div I)
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Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Awtaad could only manage third on debut but he did win his next four starts culminating in Classic success. By Cape Cross out of Asheerah, he’s closely related to Wednesday’s newcomer AL ZARAQAAN, who is out of the same dam and by a son of Cape Cross, Golden Horn. Like Awtaad, Al Zaraqaan is owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, but he’s trained by William Haggas whose juveniles usually thrive in the month of October. In both 2017 and 2018 he had 10 two-year-old winners in October, but this year he’s had just the one. Perhaps the choicely-bred Al Zaraqaan can help that win column on Wednesday.
Time for Angelic to hit the track
- 2.30 Newmarket - 7f | Coates And Seely Blanc De Blancs Novice Stakes (Div II)
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Ed Vaughan’s ANGELIC TIME has plenty to recommend him on paper ahead of division two of the Coates & Seey Blanc de Blancs Novice Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday. The grey Dark Angel colt was a 500,000gns purchase at Book 1 of the Tattersalls yearling sales 12 months ago with Phoenix Thoroughbreds happy to pay the huge sum. He’s related to handful of winners and two of them were exceptional juveniles; his full brother, Estidhkaar, who won two Group 2 races as a two-year-old, and his half-brother, Toormore, who landed the Group One Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh in his juvenile season. Both of those were out by May as two-year-olds, but it will be interesting to see how Angelic Time gets on in his belated debut.
Taghrooda colt let loose by Gosden
- 4.45 Newmarket 1m | Matchbook EBF Future Stayers Novice Stakes
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John Gosden introduced Oaks and King George winner Taghrooda to the racing world on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile in the September of 2013 and she won at 20/1 by a neck from Casual Smile. It’s doubtful the betting market will underestimate her first progeny to grace the racetrack quite so much on Wednesday when her son, ALMIGHWAR, by Dubawi, is unleashed in the Matchbook EBF Future Stayers Novice Stakes at 4.45. There shouldn’t be any speed merchants lurking in this one-mile contest, as it’s a restricted race for progeny whose sire or dam won over a mile and a half, and big things will be expected of the Gosden-trained colt given his exceptional breeding.
