Distinction Doors EBF Novice Stakes (Plus 10)

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 1m 31.37s

(5)

Encipher

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: R Havlin| T: J & T Gosden

6/4

425,000gns yearling; second foal; half-brother to the French 1m1f+ AW winner Ebony; dam was a French 1m1f-1m2f winner; carries the same Godolphin silks as Path Of Thunder; merits ample respect on debut for the Gosden/Havlin partnership.

Form:

(4)

Glory Maker²⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: B A Curtis| T: K R Burke

25/1

22,000gns juvenile; bred to be speedy (by The Wow Signal); was beaten 9½L on debut at Hamilton (6f, soft) when finishing third of seven to the ultra-impressive Makyon; will encounter much quicker underfoot conditions here.

Form: 3

(3)

Kingbrook

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Jason Hart| T: C & M Johnston

7/1

22,000gns yearling; fourth foal; half-sister to three winners, namely Hayadh (7f-1m), Queen Of Connaught (1m4f) and Warm Oasis (1m4f+ AW); the market will offer a useful guide but others make more appeal over this 7f trip.

Form:

(2)

Path Of Thunder⁴³

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: James Doyle| T: C Appleby| BF

5/4

Night of Thunder colt; cost 375,000gns as a 2yo; ran green on debut at Newmarket (5f), finishing third under hands and heels riding; much wiser on his second start at Yarmouth (6f, good to firm) when going down fighting by a neck to Maxi Boy.

Form: 32

(1)

Boomer

Age: 2| Weight: 9-0| J: R Kingscote| T: Tom Dascombe

10/1

Kingman filly; second foal from the 1m1f-1m2f winning dam Wall Of Sound; half-sister to the 1m+ AW winner Flighty Almighty; will need to be smart and very well prepared in order to trouble the Godolphin duo on debut.

Form:

Forecasts

Path Of Thunder (5/4), Encipher (6/4), Kingbrook (7/1), Boomer (10/1), Glory Maker (25/1)

The Godolphin ranks will no doubt be bitterly disappointed if this juvenile novice contest doesn't fall to one of their two representatives. Encipher cost a tidy sum as a yearling (425,000gns) and merits respect on debut for the masterful John Gosden. However, PATH OF THUNDER has the previous experience, is improving with racing and has some pretty solid form in the book. Despite being as green as grass on debut at Newmarket (5f) he was beaten just over 5L by the subsequent Group 2 Coventry Stakes runner-up Threat. He bettered that performance over 6f at Yarmouth (second) and should have no real issues with today's longer trip.