After the 2022 Flat turf season kicked off at Doncaster on Saturday, remind yourself about how last year's best juveniles shaped up on Timeform ratings.
For the second time in three years, Charlie Appleby and Godolphin were responsible for Timeform’s highest-rated two-year-old in Europe. Admittedly, Native Trail (122p) didn’t reach anything like the same heights as Pinatubo two years earlier in pure form terms but, like that horse, he went into winter quarters unbeaten with a pair of Group 1 wins in the National Stakes at the Curragh and the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on his CV.
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits
He was particularly impressive when successful at the Curragh, forging clear late on to beat the hitherto unbeaten Point Lonsdale (114p) by three and a half lengths, and it was a case of job done at Newmarket as he didn’t need to be at his very best to land the spoils by two lengths from Dubawi Legend (114).
Native Trail rightfully heads the ante-post betting for the 2000 Guineas, a race in which the main danger could prove to be his stablemate Coroebus (116p), an impressive two-length winner of the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket on his final start. Native Trail and Coroebus both have the scope to train on well as three-year-olds and they promise to give Appleby a very strong hand as he seeks a first success in the opening classic of the season, along with the progressive Modern Games (115), who completed a hat-trick with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.
Perfect Power (114) was the pick of the sprinting two-year-olds as he registered back-to-back Group 1 wins in the Prix Morny at Deauville and the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. A representative field went to post on the last occasion with the exception of the Phoenix Stakes winner Ebro River (113), who appeared unsuited by the emphasis on stamina when last seen finishing down the field behind Angel Bleu (114) in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp.
Angel Bleu went on to match Perfect Power’s achievement by doubling his Group 1 tally with a hard-fought defeat of Ancient Rome (113) in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud, the same card on which El Bodegon (111) gave James Ferguson the biggest success of his fledgling training career so far in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
Aidan O’Brien plundered two big two-year-old races in the space of 10 minutes when Luxembourg (118p) won the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh and Tenebrism (115p) won the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.
A hugely exciting prospect, Luxembourg later maintained his unbeaten record in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, just needing to be nudged out to beat Sissoko (111) by a length and three quarters.
Back in third was Bayside Boy (113) who provided substance to the form given that he had previously won the Champagne Stakes on Town Moor – beating the wide-margin Solario Stakes winner Reach For The Moon (113) by a head – before also finishing third in the Dewhurst.
Tenebrism was Timeform’s highest-rated two-year-old filly in Europe after her Cheveley Park success, producing a remarkable performance to beat Flotus (111) by a length, particularly as it was her first start since making a winning debut on the opening day of the turf season in Ireland.
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsShe is sure to be aimed at the 1000 Guineas in the spring, putting her on a collision course with the Fillies’ Mile winner Inspiral (112p), who is currently favoured in the ante-post betting.
Inspiral was well on top at the finish when maintaining her unbeaten record at Newmarket, while Prix Marcel Boussac winner Zellie (111p) and Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Discoveries (107p) also struck at the top level to put themselves in contention for top honours in 2022.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
