Two-year-olds guide author Dan Briden highlights some interesting maiden/novice contests

Indeed, there was an interesting 7f maiden at Kempton on Wednesday evening that saw Cracking Gold edge out the heavily-supported Native Approach. The Clive Cox-trained winner is out of a half-sister to connections’ good handicapper Crack On Crack On, with the pair sharing the same sire (Havana Gold). The front two came a little way clear and could prove useful in time, whilst the eighth placed Caruso - returning from a lengthy absence over a wholly inadequate trip for a new yard - is one to note for handicaps once returned to middle distances after this qualifying run.

Perhaps the most interesting race on Saturday is the 10f newcomers event at Cagnes-Sur-Mer, a race won last year by subsequent Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact.

Now called the Prix Ace Impact (12.03), it is perhaps no surprise to see Jean-Claude Rouget send out three runners. Undoubtedly the most interesting of the trio is Arrow Eagle, a Gleneagles half-brother to the aforementioned Ace Impact and useful pair Alessandro and Apollo Flight.

It is difficult to believe this won’t have been the plan for Arrow Eagle, who wasn’t sent to auction and is still owned by breeder Mrs Waltraut Spanner. The booking of Cristian Demuro is another indicator that Arrow Eagle is very much the yard’s first string.

Rouget also sends out the already-gelded Kotgar, a son of Wootton Bassett out of a Listed placed and 5.5f winning mare moved on by the Aga Khan for €43,000 a month or so ago. However, the third member of the Rouget party makes plenty of appeal on pedigree. Valzak is by Zarak and is the first foal of a 12f 3yo winning half-sister to 3yo Listed winners Val d’Hiver (1m 1f) and Vertana (12f), with the likes of Purple Moon and Vespone further back on the page.

It will be interesting to see how the market separates Arrow Eagle and Valzak, acknowledging his notable sibling will naturally see the former prove popular regardless of anything else.

Newcastle stages a fairly interesting 6f novice event on Saturday evening (6.15). Last-time-out winner Carguin Bhui attempts to give weight all round to a collection of once-raced/unraced rivals, some of whom make plenty of appeal on paper.

The main source of interest is the Geoff Oldroyd-trained POCKLINGTON. By leading 2023 first-season sire Blue Point, he is a half-brother to the progressive 6/7f handicapper Doctor Khan Junior and out of triple 6f Group 3 winner Ladies Are Forever, herself a half-sister to smart sprinter Hoof It.

It’s an interesting family. Like the aforementioned Doctor Khan Junior, a few have required time, headgear and handicaps to be seen to best effect. However, a couple of recent family members in the shape of Filly One and Airwaves have been sharp enough to make a winning start to their career, with the former doing so at this very track only a matter of weeks ago.

In what looks to be a fairly winnable event and by a sire whose progeny enjoyed so much success in 2023, it would come as no surprise to see Pocklington right there at the finish.

George Boughey has sent out a couple of winning newcomers at this venue in the past couple of weeks and is responsible here for the nicely-bred debutant Native King. The son of Kingman is a half-brother to a winner and out of a full sister to Irish Derby and Melbourne Cup runner-up Tiger Moth and half-sister to Norfolk Stakes runner-up Coach House.

Hooded for this first assignment, Native King was the subject of an upbeat report by his handler when I spoke with him last May, indicating that Native King was showing up well at home and due to debut soon. Not uncommonly for a son of Kingman, one assumes he encountered a setback to not be seen at all last year.

However, he is bred on the solid Kingman/Galileo cross, and the market is sure to give a good indication as to what’s expected given there was strong support behind the yard’s two recent debut scorers, Alhattan and Tournelle.

The 1m novice race at Kempton has split into two divisions of eight for some unknown reason, with Godolphin responsible for a pair of newcomers in each event.

The opening division (5.30) sees William Buick aboard Silent Age, an already-gelded son of Dubawi who is the first foal of the ultimately-disappointing 7f 2yo debut winner Dubai Beauty, herself a full sister to recent UAE 1m 1f Group 2 winner Measured Time (a debut winner over this course and distance this time last year) and a half-sister to triple 12f Group/Grade 1 winner Rebel’s Romance (by Dubawi).

It is a smart family with an excellent first time out record, but the fact he is already gelded combined with a previous entry for an 11f maiden here last month somewhat tempers enthusiasm.

Stablemate Musical Dancer is another by Dubawi who boasts impressive credentials. He is a full brother to 8.5f Group 3 winner Laugh Aloud and a half-brother to several winners including Arlington Million winner Debussy. His dam was a 1m 1f 2yo debut winning half-sister to King George winner Belmez.

Ollie Sangster enjoyed a fantastic 2023 and sends out SUSPICION here. Bred on the same Make Believe/Raven’s Pass cross as globetrotting multi-millionaire Mishriff, he is the first foal of an unraced half-sister to 6f 3yo Listed winner Ninjago.

He is reported have shown enough in his homework to suggest he will be competitive in these sorts of races and appeals as a credible alternative to the smartly-bred Godolphin pair, with Sangster more than capable of readying one to strike at the first time of asking (often well found in the market).

The second division (6.00) sees William Buick elect to ride Notable Speech. He is a Dubawi first foal of a Group 3-placed 6f 2yo winner who was a half-sister to Canadian 1m 2yo Grade 1 winner Wild Beauty and UAE 1m Group 3 winner Desert Wisdom (by Dubawi).

Buick has seemingly passed over Venetian Style, a 1.8m guineas half-brother to Group 1-placed 7f-1m winner (including at Group 2/Listed level) I Can Fly and 7f Listed winner Viscount Barfield. His dam was a maiden half-sister to Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Landseer and 10f Listed winner Ikhtyar.

Andrew Balding’s Parkland shaped with some promise on debut when staying on into third behind Magnum Opus in a 1m maiden at Chelmsford in November, while the William Haggas-trained Bursinel looked as though he’d improve for the run when fading from prominence to finish sixth on debut over this course and distance earlier this month.

Bursinel is related to a stack of winners for these connections, most notably full sibling RP Trophy winner Rivet, while a couple of other full relations in Booming Delight (ex Out And About) and Amazone both improved with racing. He can be expected to last a lot longer this time, though the booking of Greg Cheyne suggests there may be other days for Bursinel.

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