Horses to follow - Flat
- Thread starter Aragorn
- Start date
It's a bit quiet on the racing front at the moment as we wait for Dubai World Cup night and the start of the Flat season on turf so it's an opportune moment to bump this topic back to the top.
I'll put up four horses to follow at this stage.
For reasons stated last autumn on this thread Cracksman (Gosden) and Cliffs Of Moher (O'Brien) are high on my list. Interestingly, Cracksman still holds a Guineas entry but doesn't have a Derby one despite his trainer expressing the view last year that a Guineas preparation wouldn't be in his interests. Cliffs Of Moher, on the other hand, has a Derby entry but isn't in the Guineas. Supplementary entries are possible for both races, of course. Whether or not they're up to Classic standard, both are surely capable of winning good races.
I backed Brando (Ryan) for the Champion Sprint at Ascot in October and I reckon I was a bit unlucky not to collect. He travelled really well for much of the race and his jockey's body language was confident but he failed to reel in the winner, The Tin Man, when sent about his business late on and was also pipped by Growl for second but he showed himself in the process to be well up to Group One standard. Rated 88 at the start of the season, he was on 116 by the end and he may yet have a bit more improvement in him. He seems to me to be clearly better at six furlongs than at five and he looks the ideal type for races like the Abernant and the Duke of York in the early part of the season.
At a lower level, Amabilis (Beckett) looks worth following in handicaps off a mark of 85. That rating looks very "workable" given that she showed good form in maidens behind the likes of Dabyah and Rhodedendron, both high-class fillies. Amabilis went off favourite for a nursery at Newmarket in October and disappointed slightly but she seemed to get unbalanced in the Dip there and she deserves another chance to show that she's well-handicapped at present.
I'll put up four horses to follow at this stage.
For reasons stated last autumn on this thread Cracksman (Gosden) and Cliffs Of Moher (O'Brien) are high on my list. Interestingly, Cracksman still holds a Guineas entry but doesn't have a Derby one despite his trainer expressing the view last year that a Guineas preparation wouldn't be in his interests. Cliffs Of Moher, on the other hand, has a Derby entry but isn't in the Guineas. Supplementary entries are possible for both races, of course. Whether or not they're up to Classic standard, both are surely capable of winning good races.
I backed Brando (Ryan) for the Champion Sprint at Ascot in October and I reckon I was a bit unlucky not to collect. He travelled really well for much of the race and his jockey's body language was confident but he failed to reel in the winner, The Tin Man, when sent about his business late on and was also pipped by Growl for second but he showed himself in the process to be well up to Group One standard. Rated 88 at the start of the season, he was on 116 by the end and he may yet have a bit more improvement in him. He seems to me to be clearly better at six furlongs than at five and he looks the ideal type for races like the Abernant and the Duke of York in the early part of the season.
At a lower level, Amabilis (Beckett) looks worth following in handicaps off a mark of 85. That rating looks very "workable" given that she showed good form in maidens behind the likes of Dabyah and Rhodedendron, both high-class fillies. Amabilis went off favourite for a nursery at Newmarket in October and disappointed slightly but she seemed to get unbalanced in the Dip there and she deserves another chance to show that she's well-handicapped at present.
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Gigilo mentions on another thread the impressive performance at Naas today of Orderofthegarter in the closing mile maiden. He won a 20-runner event by eleven lengths, no less, but he was himself hammered by Cliffs Of Moher at Leopardstown last year and I interpret today's run as a huge compliment to the latter. I'll be extremely interested in Cliffs Of Moher in any race he contests and I'd be prepared to back him against Churchill in the Guineas if he were supplemented.
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Roger Charlton introduced two potentially smart three-year-old fillies last week and both look well worth following this season.
Princess De Lune made an impressive debut in a 7f maiden for unraced fillies at Newbury on Friday. Strong in the market beforehand, she was always going well in the race, cruising into contention two out before clearing right away to win easily by four lengths. I've got her time rating as 101, very respectable indeed for a filly first time out. She is a distinctive grey by Shamardal, well-bred, and cost three hundred grand as a yearling. Princess De Lune should make her mark at around a mile and there are suitable short-term opportunities at either Ascot or York in the next few weeks.
An even better figure on time (103) was recorded by Natavia in a mile maiden at Newmarket last Wednesday. Owned by Juddmonte, she was an expensive yearling purchase at £600k and she too was well-backed, going off 4/1 favourite after opening up at 10s in the morning. Always prominent in the race, she travelled well throughout but made her challenge on the far rail which may have been a slight disadvantage based on events through the week and she went down narrowly to fellow-debutante, Dancing Breeze. Obviously, Natavia remains qualified for maidens and she looks sure to win one before stepping up in class. As a daughter of Nathaniel, she should be well suited by middle distances.
Princess De Lune made an impressive debut in a 7f maiden for unraced fillies at Newbury on Friday. Strong in the market beforehand, she was always going well in the race, cruising into contention two out before clearing right away to win easily by four lengths. I've got her time rating as 101, very respectable indeed for a filly first time out. She is a distinctive grey by Shamardal, well-bred, and cost three hundred grand as a yearling. Princess De Lune should make her mark at around a mile and there are suitable short-term opportunities at either Ascot or York in the next few weeks.
An even better figure on time (103) was recorded by Natavia in a mile maiden at Newmarket last Wednesday. Owned by Juddmonte, she was an expensive yearling purchase at £600k and she too was well-backed, going off 4/1 favourite after opening up at 10s in the morning. Always prominent in the race, she travelled well throughout but made her challenge on the far rail which may have been a slight disadvantage based on events through the week and she went down narrowly to fellow-debutante, Dancing Breeze. Obviously, Natavia remains qualified for maidens and she looks sure to win one before stepping up in class. As a daughter of Nathaniel, she should be well suited by middle distances.
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Cracksman just got up but nobody could have been blown away by his performance. However, Prufrock has put up on Twitter some interesting analysis of the performance from a sectional perspective and it gives those of us who have backed Cracksman for the Derby cause to remain hopeful. It's also encouraging to see that both Dettori and Gosden are absolutely adamant that the horse will stay the Derby trip. His pedigree isn't conclusive on the point.
Euronymous
Senior Jockey
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</body>Gosden has nice 3yos up the ying yang. Middle Kingdom was impressive at Newmarket and heads to the Dante and Glencadam Glory (who has a Derby entry) was very eye catching at Sandown yesterday. He missed the start and lost upwards of 10 lengths. Dettori gradually reeled the others in and 3 out he was pushing away on the horse as expected. I thought he was booked for last at that point but he plugged on really well to be beaten not that far. He was off 86 and I just hope the trainer keeps this one in handicaps for now.
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</body>Gosden has nice 3yos up the ying yang. Middle Kingdom was impressive at Newmarket and heads to the Dante and Glencadam Glory (who has a Derby entry) was very eye catching at Sandown yesterday. He missed the start and lost upwards of 10 lengths. Dettori gradually reeled the others in and 3 out he was pushing away on the horse as expected. I thought he was booked for last at that point but he plugged on really well to be beaten not that far. He was off 86 and I just hope the trainer keeps this one in handicaps for now.