Two-year-olds taking shape with the turf in sight
It’s that time of year when you’re never more than 5 miles from a Cheltenham Festival preview night, but preparations for the summer game really are underway with the Guineas and sales race entries having been made this week, and the Newmarket turf gallops getting busier by the day.
Unfortunately we didn’t have a suitable horse for either mile Classic this year, but a handful of entries in the Super Sprint and Doncaster’s sales race reflect the speedy nature of some of the juveniles we have to look forward to. These include the Inns Of Court colt Dreams Of Valor, a 110,000 euro purchase for Titanium Racing who was the second top lot at the September Yearling sale at Tattersalls Ireland, and a trio of good quality types in the Doncaster race for Amo Racing. It’s the time of year when everyone can dream!
It’s continued to be a quiet enough time runners-wise since the last update, though that’s by no means a bad things for us at this time of year. We were absolutely delighted to win a maiden with Master Of Chant (above) on one of our rare visits to the track in February, and he looks a really nice prospect when he gets a good gallop to aim at. He was well-identified and recruited by one of the sharper minds in the business and he should have better days ahead of him. Two Desserts was also a very promising second on his handicap debut – and first start in the colours of Justin Byrne – this week, looking like he may have made full use of his draw to secure the race from the front only to be run down by a clearly very well-handicapped rival late on. He shaped like compensation would arrive in the near future.
Looking to the immediate future, we’re really looking forward to the Listed-placed juvenile Lady Bullet (above) making her reappearance in the Prix Montenica at Deauville next week. She handled the travelling well when third in Fairyhouse’s Blenheim Stakes and was then drawn on the wrong side at Redcar on her final start. Hopefully she’s capable of picking up a Listed race this season, and she could be getting plenty of stamps in her passport in search of that winning black type.
