City Of Troy looks a magnificent prospect

Two-year-old rankings: Struggle for the British-trained crop of 2023

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Mon September 04, 2023 · 2y ago

Aablan's Solario Stakes win failed to cause much of a ripple among the two-year-old rankings for 2023. David Ord takes a look at the current state of play.

Saturday’s Virgin Bet Solario Stakes at Sandown can be a significant step up the ladder for a blossoming two-year-old colt.

It’s recent roll of honour contains names like Silver Knott, Too Darn Hot, Masar and Kingman.

But the 2023 winner Aablan, unbeaten and exciting as he undoubtedly is, comes out of the race with a master Timeform rating of 99p, the joint-lowest perch since 2014. Obviously as the 'p' indicates, he’s capable of better as he learns more, settles in his races and his stamina is stretched out.

But as September arrives, the domestic juveniles are struggling to keep tabs on their close neighbours.

The top-rated two-year-olds of 2023

Aidan O’Brien has four of the top ten including the number one – City Of Troy (119p). He’s joined by the exciting Henry Longfellow (112p), River Tiber (110p) and Unquestionable (109).

Third in the chart is Phoenix Stakes winner Bucanero Fuerto, winner of the first two-year-old race of the season at the Curragh in March and upwardly mobile ever since for Adrian Murray.

With French-based Ramateuelle the highest-rated filly right now and fifth in the overall list for her generation, only four British-trained juveniles make the list.

Our poster boy is Vandeek who cost 625,000 guineas at the breeze-up sales and so far the son of Havana Grey looks worth every penny.

A winner on debut at Nottingham in July, he’s gone on to take the Group Two Richmond Stakes in the Goodwood mud and Group One Prix Morny at Deauville. It will be the Middle Park next and the chance to take his 115p number higher given the progress he’s already made in less than a month on the racecourse.

We haven’t seen Army Ethos (109p) since June and we won't again until at the least the spring after he suffered a season-ending injury. He looked a sprinter, and a very good one too, when splitting River Tiber and Bucanero Fuerto in the Coventry Stakes.

On the same rating – and with the same Timeform 'p' – is Rosallion. He looks exciting for Richard Hannon having won on debut at Newbury before stepping up to run away with a Listed race at Ascot’s King George meeting.

The way he came four lengths clear of the previously unbeaten trio of Al Musank, Ancient Wisdom and Alyanaabi suggested he’s a colt capable of making his mark at a higher level. The form though, as of yet, is untested.

Rosallion leaves his rivals trailing at Ascot

The final British-trained juvenile in the top ten is surprise Gimcrack winner Lake Forest (109). The length defeat of Johannes Brahms, after producing a decisive turn of foot a furlong out, was a second win in four career starts and by just short of a stone his best performance to date. Things won’t get easier form here but he’s clearly a smart sprinting two-year-old.

There's every chance the top four in the overall standings as of September 1st will be the same four on November 1st, with a few positional changes.

But among the domestic top ten - well, that could look very different. At present, alongside the previously mentioned quartet, are the likes of Big Evs (106), Elite Status (105) and Purosangue (105).

There are two potential improvers too.

Inquisitively (106p) is a five-furlong speedball who won the Roses Stakes at York but lacks big-race entries. He looks bound for the Flying Childers. Indian Run (104p) is a different kettle of fish. He’s bounded forward from a promising Newbury debut third to win at Ascot and then the Acomb at York. There’s plenty of stamina in his pedigree and a Dewhurst entry on his profile.

But if there is to be a significant change in the pecking order between now and the end of October it’s surely going to be a few of the lurkers in the division taking significant steps forward.

Macduff (93P) represents Ralph Beckett and was all-the-rage in the market when making a winning debut on the July Course last month. He was very green through the contest but the penny dropped in time for him to quicken up close home and beat Broadway Act. He’s a son of Sea The Stars out of a half-sister to Kingman and could be very good.

So could Dance Sequence (83P), another who is one from one at HQ. Her win came on the first day of July when overcoming a pace bias to beat Upscale in the manner of one going places. She’s a well-bred daughter of Dubawi who is with Charlie Appleby.

Another with a large 'P' is Murashah (80P). Shadwell don’t churn out big-race entries for fun and he’s in both the Champagne at Doncaster and Royal Lodge after swooping late to make a winning debut at Haydock in July. He was green and hanging left two furlongs out but rattled home to beat Hidden Pass and there’s considerable upside with him too.

John and Thady Gosden can usually be relied upon to have a smart two-year-old or seven but remarkably Eben Shaddad (92p) was their first turf winner in the division when scoring at Newmarket in late August.

He might be the most significant too given he was put in the Dewhurst before setting foot on the racecourse and the way the son of Calyx went clear of his field in the final 100 yards of that debut suggests it might not be a fanciful engagement.

He’s in the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton on Saturday – while on the same afternoon Owen Burrows’ War Rooms might try and take his next step on the ladder in the Betfair Daily Tips on betting.betfair Ascendant Stakes.

His first one was very taking as he toyed with his rivals at Doncaster and looks the sort to stay – and improve – further.

Ollie Sanger has two nice prospects who are two from two. Shuwari (101p) looked capable of operating at higher level when comfortably taking the Listed Star Stakes at Sandown while Per Contra (89p) is a work in progress having won small races at Chepstow and Ffos Las. There’s an engine there though.

There'll be a host of interesting back-end maiden winners too who earn Derby and Oaks quotes, so get the notebooks and trackers ready, but as we stand heading into the autumn, the British two-year-olds of 2023 look far from a vintage bunch.

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