The First Classics
Welcome to the 2025 Weatherbys Flat Horses To Follow Online Updates!
Whilst these updates won’t usually be weekly, the action on the Flat is coming thick and fast at this time of year and plenty has happened in the past week or so since our latest update. We also hurtle towards the Guineas this weekend, and we look to be represented in both, so it appealed as the right time for another update.
Let me take you back then to a day after our last update, and it was a member of the ‘Trackside Five To Follow’ who scored at Catterick in the shape of Troia. Noted by Vicki Gibbins, she was a large-framed filly as a juvenile who should have developed physically over the winter. Ed Walker’s Kingman filly probably didn’t need to improve a whole amount to score on return but made all in good style and showed a good attitude in the final furlong. The runner-up had bolted up in a maiden a couple of weeks earlier and had race fitness on side, so it was a fair performance all things considered. She holds no fancy entries at this time, but I would expect to see her stepping up to a mile when next seen, such was her strength at the finish here.
It didn’t go as swimmingly for our three-year-old filly later in the week though, as Star Of Light looked an extremely tricky ride in the Sandown novice previously won by Emily Upjohn. She never settled fully under Luke Catton and ran all over the place when asked for her effort, before fading away into a distant fourth. John Gosden had iterated she had been tricky at home, and that proved the case as she hung badly and carried her head awkwardly under pressure. She clearly has plenty of ability as shown on debut – and she was well backed here just before the off – but this run has offered more questions than answers. Earlier on the same card, Almaqam looked to have come forward again physically into this four-year-old season and shaped encouragingly when third in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes. Held up, he looked to be keeping on but was constantly denied a clear run and short of room in a messy race. He did stay on to take third close home, beaten just over a length, and it was a positive run - he should come forward for the outing. He holds entries in both the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, and wouldn’t be out of place in Group 1 company.
We only had the one runner at the weekend, but it was a winning one, with Charles Darwin improving for the experience of his debut and producing an electric performance at Navan. Up in trip to six furlongs, the full brother to Blackbeard travelled smoothly in the lead and quickened clear to an impressive five-and-a-half length success. Aidan O’Brien had won the race in the past two years with smart juveniles Camille Pissarro and River Tiber and Charles Darwin could take high rank this season on that evidence. He has set his stall out for Royal Ascot and looks a proper Coventry type – a race won by River Tiber.
We had to wait until Wednesday of this week for our next runners to hit the track, but it was well worth the wait with two excellent winners at Ascot from four runners. Sardinian Warrior was perhaps the horse I was most excited about from our older generation of horses to follow, expecting the biggest leap from one we thought was a Group horse in the making. Making his first start on turf – not a worry, as he is such a fluid mover – he overcame a marked drift in the market to score in the Listed Paradise Stakes on return. He looked a top-class miler here, travelling nicely through the race and Kieran Shoemark giving him an excellent ride. He made his move first and showed a real determined attitude to tough it out from Docklands in a sustained battle up to the line, with the pair pulling nicely clear of the field. That was a good field at Ascot and Docklands is more than fair yardstick, Harry Eustace’s five-year-old beaten only by Charyn in last year’s Queen Anne. John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old looks to have the world at his feet, a horse with endless scope for improvement after just the five career starts. He looks an out-and-out miler on that evidence and holds entries in both the Lockinge and Queen Anne.
The other winner on the card was My Cloud for the Varian team, who simply made a mockery of his opening mark of 80. After six months off, the Blue Point four-year-old was dropped out and was incredibly impressive with how quickly he made ground from the back of the field to hit the front. He then strided clear in effortless fashion to win by over three lengths, and it was hard not to be taken by that performance on return. He is no doubt due for a hefty rise from the handicapper but, as pointed out in the publication, he has an exquisite pedigree as a half-brother to Palace Pier and should only go on improving as the season goes on. A big rise will likely allow him to get into a race like the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot too and, having proven his liking for the track, he would be a really intriguing proposition there.
Elsewhere on the card, Dash Dizzy looked to have wintered well but was simply too keen for his own good in the Commonwealth Cup Trial and he didn’t produce any kind of finishing effort. That can be expected on his return, but he is a fizzy sort, and you would like to see him settle better going forward if he is going to hit the heights that connections expect. He is entered in the Commonwealth Cup itself, but I wouldn’t mind seeing his sights lowered slightly to see where they stand. Duran was perhaps an unlucky loser in the five-furlong handicap, recording a second consecutive runner-up finish since returning. Tom Marquand has been in fine form of late, but this was not his finest moment in truth. The four-year-old constantly found trouble in the run, and once given a clear passage down the outside on the opposite side to the winner, it was too late despite him finishing strongly up to the line. It was an excellent effort in the circumstances, and he is knocking on the door, sure to win races this season as he remains well-treated.
Looking ahead then and it is an extremely busy weekend as the first Classics of the season take place on the Rowley Mile. Cosmic Year unfortunately does not take his chance in the Guineas on Friday, perhaps partly due to Juddmonte already having Field Of Gold, but also down to a lack of experience. He instead runs in the Listed King Charles II Stakes over seven furlongs on Friday and looks a warm order to repeat his return success and remain unbeaten. The form of Symbol Of Honour’s Meydan form has worked out well courtesy of West Acre, but I would have him down as more of a sprinter and this sort of test should suit Harry Charlton’s Kingman colt better. At Goodwood on Friday, Treble Tee looks to make amends for his below-par return last month. He was too keen that day and should come forward for the outing, having drifted markedly on the day. He flashed plenty of potential on debut and hopefully he can get back to that sort of form if settling better here. It is a strong race however, the form of Amiloc’s Kempton victory last term working out extremely strongly, whilst Secret Theory was impressive when winning on return. Richard Hannon’s Lucky Vega colt Secret Santa makes his racecourse debut at Goodwood. His dam – Redback mare Gilded - was a prolific two-year-old for Richard Hannon Snr, scoring five times from eight starts in a busy campaign that included victories in the Listed Marygate Stakes and G2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. Secret Santa is also a half-brother to Edward Lynam’s Fort Del Oro, a multiple Listed-winning sprinter who herself has produced a G3-winning two-year-old, whilst connections’ Xanthe is another son of Gilded who won on debut for the trainer last term before a decent sixth in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. By top class two-year-old Lucky Vega – a G1 Phoenix Stakes winner - this colt appeals as an early season juvenile with plenty of early speed packed in his pedigree.
We have just the one runner on Saturday, but it is in the 2000 Guineas itself and it was encouraging to see that William Buick has opted to ride Ruling Court. Godolphin’s jockey had the option of Middle Park and Dewhurst winner Shadow Of Light, but instead picks the Justify colt. Whilst the plan looked initially to be a step up in trip for the Dante, I like the fact they are giving it a go here and the stiff mile at Newmarket looks right up his street. He was third in the best two-year-old race of the season behind The Lion In Winter at York last term and returned with an electric victory in the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas out in Meydan. He will relish the quick ground on Saturday and looks a real player in what looks an open renewal.
The action rolls into Sunday at Newmarket, and we could in fact have a strong hand in the 1000 Guineas if Red Letter makes the trip over for Ger Lyons, last seen finishing a close fourth in the Moyglare having been denied a clear run. That is rock solid form behind Lake Victoria and the Frankel filly appeals as a likely improver from two to three, as well as progress to come up to the mile. Desert Flower could take all the beating however, unbeaten as a juvenile and a wildly impressive winner of the Fillies’ Mile at the end of last season. She handles the track, the ground and has everything in her favour here after what was a sparkling workout a couple of weeks back. There were rumours that Lake Victoria suffered a setback but she is now on track for the big Newmarket clash – a mouthwatering battle between the two all-conquering fillies from last year’s two-year-old division. We would be on the side of the Desert Flower, for all the reasons laid out in our Flat Horses To Follow.
Trad Jazz is entered in both the Pretty Polly on Sunday and the Cheshire Oaks next Wednesday, and our preference would be for the latter engagement. She looks to have bundles of stamina, and the test presented at Chester would be more suitable than dropping back in trip at Newmarket. Acapulco Bay is also entered at Chester on Wednesday, and he should relish the step up in trip if taking up his entry in the Chester Vase. Aidan O’Brien has won the Group 3 contest a record ten times but does have another four in the field at entry stage. With Trad Jazz hopefully going to Chester, that leaves just one runner in the Pretty Polly for our Horses To Follow and that is Falakeyah. Owen Burrows’ New Bay filly hails from the same exceptional Shadwell family as Hukum and Baaeed and made a striking debut at Wolverhampton in November, looking pretty special. She is bred in the purple, will improve for ten furlongs and the yard are in lethal form at present. It proves to be an informative race, with That’s Amore and Janey Mackers also impressing at the back end of last season when last seen.
Story Horse is entered in the 1m6f handicap on Sunday with Saffie Osborne jocked up, and this looks the perfect trip for one who looked a non-stayer over the Cesarewitch trip last season. William Knight’s five-year-old made an encouraging return when third at Southwell last time and arrives here off the same mark. He can outrun his odds with race fitness on side. Tom Marquand is jocked up on Merchant for William Haggas in the closing three-year-old handicap and, with the two at the head of the weights engaged elsewhere, it could prove a winnable race. He has been handed a potentially lenient looking mark of 82 and he can do damage from that rating if continuing to improve with the step up in trip.
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