Timeform's man at the track with latest horses to follow

ACT OF KINDNESS – 7f 2yo fillies maiden, Newmarket, 27/09/25

Act of Kindness, all 3.7 million guineas-worth of her, was an obvious paper favourite for the first division of an interesting maiden, but in the flesh, not so much. Act of Kindness looked to be carrying condition and hinted at inexperience beforehand – that she could take third, beaten two lengths, running on, was a pretty encouraging effort in the circumstances.

Act of Kindness travelled well enough under a patient ride through the first part of the race, but she was unable to quicken and ran green in the Dip as the tempo lifted. However, kept going with just hands and heels, she responded well inside the final furlong, nearest at the line.

Act of Kindness is a Siyouni half-sister to the Fillies' Mile winner Ylang Ylang out of a mare that stayed a mile and a half. As such, she seems sure to benefit from a step up to a mile, a maiden or novice at that trip about all that could be expected of her this year. Next year, though, could be something much more exciting.

JOULANY – 7f 2yo novice, Kempton, 05/09/25

This edition of Paddock Notebook is something of a Sea the Stars love-in, with three of his sons finding their way into the column. He's a fantastic sire, a strong influence for stamina, and while he has sired the odd decent two year old, his progeny benefit from time and distance. Joulany was sent off at odds on for his debut, that he was beaten half a length over seven furlongs on polytrack in no way diminishes the promise he showed.

Joulany might be best described a strapping, standing out in what was a decent field. Patiently ridden, Joulany moved nicely to the front a furlong out and stuck well to his task. However, he was just edged out by the twice-raced Look To The Stars (out of a Sea the Stars mare).

The winner had already shown enough to win a race of this standard, and the first two came nicely clear, all pointing towards Joulany going one better sooner rather than later. He's bred to stay at least a mile and a half and looks just the sort to make up into a useful middle-distance three year old next summer.

MALTESE CROSS – 1m 2yo maiden, Newmarket, 25/09/25

Maltese Cross is among the best looking two year olds that has come to this column's attention this year and he looks to have the ability to match his physique, judged by his final-strides victory on just his second start.

It's true that the runner-up Del Maro was waiting for company to a degree, but, on the other hand, Maltese Cross showed a willing attitude to get back up after being headed. It's also likely that the race placed less emphasis on stamina than will prove ideal.

A tall, good sort, Maltese Cross is a son of Sea the Stars and out of a Camelot mare who is half-sister to a Deutsches Derby winner, so that he is winning at all at two years augurs well for next year. He's very much bred to come into his own over middle distances, and it would be no surprise to see him turn up in a Derby trial in the spring.

MONTASSIB – 5f 34yds 3yo+ Group 3 World Trophy, Newbury, 20/09/25

Last year's Sprint Cup winner Montassib had been kept off the track for 11 months after a set-back in the spring, but he ran a race full of promise on his return behind his stable companion First Instinct.

Tried over five furlongs for the first time, Montassib was soon detached after a slow start. However, he began to make progress approaching the final furlong and ran on strongly in the last 150 yards to take third near the line.

Montassib was prominent in the betting and didn't look obviously short of fitness – he clearly didn't run as if he was either – but this was a very encouraging run, given the trip looked against him, and he will go to the Champions Sprint at Ascot in a couple of weeks a fresh horse. He wasn't seen to advantage in the race last year, when he finished fifth, but he looks primed to fare better this time round.

OTTOMAN EMPRESS – 7f 2yo fillies maiden, Newmarket, 27/09/25

Ottoman Empress, at 550,000 guineas one of Goldophin's cheaper yearling purchases last autumn, ran a race full of promise on her racecourse debut, taking second in the latter stages. The form of this maiden isn't anything out of the ordinary, but both the winner Golden Orbit and Ottoman Empress have middle-distance pedigrees and are likely to leave the bare form behind next year.

Ottoman Empress, a lengthy filly with scope, was sent off favourite on debut, but she showed greenness, more so than the winner, and was asked to come from the back of the field, both factors that suggest her performance can be marked up.

Ottoman Empress is a daughter of Zarak, a sire who has had few two-year-old scorers and whose progeny show stamina over speed. There is stamina on the dam's side of her pedigree too – her dam is a daughter of Motivator – and it's all to her credit that Ottoman Empress showed as much as she did over just seven furlongs here.

RAAHEEB – 7f 2yo maiden, Ascot, 05/09/25

When you are a full-brother to the outstanding Baaeed and the dual Group 1 winner Hukum, expectations are understandably a little high. However, their sibling Raaheeb made the perfect start to his career, in winning readily at Ascot on debut. He's some way to go before he'll be ready for the highest level, but he was off the mark earlier than either Hukum, a winner over a mile on his second outing, and Baaeed, who didn't make his debut until the summer of his three-year-old campaign.

Raaheeb, a strong colt, showed greenness early on, going left from the stalls, but he soon settled down to travelling smoothly. Sent to the front with two to run, he was in control after and could have extended the length-and-a-quarter margin over the once-raced Pompette had his rider desired.

Hukum didn't race at short of a mile and a quarter after his maiden win, scoring over as far as a mile and three quarters; Baaeed raced at a mile until stepped up to around a mile and a quarter on his last two starts at four. Raaheeb did well on that score as well to win over seven, but his future is over further. He missed options at Newmarket last week and while the Autumn Stakes might be an option, it would be no surprise to see him put away until next year.

THE PRETTIEST STAR – 7f 2yo fillies Group 2 Rockfel Stakes, Newmarket, 26/09/25

The Prettiest Star looked aptly named before the Rockfel, the clear pick of the paddock, and she was a shade unfortunate not to win the Group 2, making an earlier move or being able to race nearer the winner likely to have produced a different outcome.

As it was, The Prettiest Star did really well on what was just her second start. She travelled smoothly in mid-field, patiently ridden, while the winner on the rail went clear before halfway. Asked for her effort with two furlongs to run, The Prettiest Star finished off well, but the winner was also finding plenty, certainly enough to hold on.

The Prettiest Star, who had won over six furlongs on her debut, saw the extra distance out well, clear of the rest. She's by Starman, who's having a stellar first season as a sire but who is an unknown quantity, so far as stamina goes. However, there is enough encouragement on her dam's side, from the Aga Khan's 'E' family, to think she will get a mile next year. As such, the Fred Darling or Nell Gwyn seems a likely first port of call.

UPDATES

Horses featured in this column previously dominated the main two-year-old events at Newmarket last week, with victories for Wise Approach in the Middle Park, True Love in the Cheveley Park, Bow Echo in the Royal Lodge and Zanthos in the Rockfel. The first-two named may well turn out to be sprinters next year, though True Love could try and test her stamina at the Breeders' Cup at the start of next month.

Bow Echo, who beat the game and consistent Humidity, in the Royal Lodge, obviously proved himself over the Guineas course and distance and will likely be a serious contender for the colts classic next spring. Zanthos bounced back from an odds-on defeat at Leicester to win the Rockfel at 15/2, though as mentioned above, she might have been fortunate.

The one that got away was the Somerville Tattersall, where Catullus could manage only fourth, behind his stable-companion Distant Storm. Catullus didn't do too badly, having plenty of use made of him and shaping as if worth a try at six furlongs.

Elsewhere, Revival Power followed up her win at York with success in the Flying Childers at Doncaster. She's a bundle of speed and will be a serious contender in the top five-furlong races next summer. Another with speed to burn, Into The Sky, the freakish Newbury winner, looked every bit as exciting in the Mill Reef Stakes, even though greenness and his own exuberance cost him victory after trading very short in running. Into The Sky has the Greenham as an option in the spring, and if he gets the trip, then trying to stretch him to a mile will be tempting, but the Commonwealth Cup seems a more obvious destination on pedigree and demeanour.

There were good efforts in defeat from Pacific Mission, who was run out of things late on in the May Hill, and Thesecretadversary, who finished fifth in a Grade 1 at Woodbine. A mention too for August George, who ran a cracker to be second at 25/1 in a very valuable sales race at the Curragh.

At a lower level there were maiden or novice wins for Lost Boys, Ghost Mode and Wedonttelllies. St Anton could manage only second when odds on at Epsom, but the track didn't suit him and he is worth another chance.

Among the older brigade, Delacroix made the most of the absence of Ombudsman in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. He's had a fine campaign, bar his misfortune in the Derby, and the best could still be to come, with a rematch against Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes at Ascot. Also on Irish Champions weekend, Night Raider was a good fifth in the Flying Five, just not quite up to winning one of these, seemingly, while January was below her best in the Matron.

Rosallion like Delacroix, is another likely to be Ascot-bound after his narrow defeat in the Moulin (Henri Matisse a beaten favourite). That was his third runner's-up spot in a Group 1 this year, all three defeats by a margin of a neck or shorter.

Finally, the progressive Elmonjed stepped up on his first try in listed company in the Hopeful Stakes, to win the Garrowby Stakes at York, enhancing his record on that track. Relatively lightly raced for a four-year-old sprinter, Elmonjed could well have a first try at pattern level at the weekend, entered in the Bengough Stakes at Ascot.

More from Sporting Life

• Free bets
• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

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.