The 2014 Classic Generation...

Last year’s crop of three year olds were a big disappointment and Frankie will be hoping that he can stay injury free and that Treve will live up to her 130 rating and more. Has Sir Michael Stoute got another older horse sensation in the yard or should we be trawling the O’Brien horses-in-training to find the one that is going to improve for another winter? Hopefully The Fugue and Dank will provide us with some good performances this season as they did last.

I was not overly impressed by last year’s two year olds, but I thought I would take a quick look at the top ten rated colts and fillies; and a couple that were not so high up the list but are high in the Classic betting.

Top Ten Colts
122 Toormore (IRE) (b c Arakan – Danetime Chat (Danetime))
Despite a career mostly dominated by the exploits of his two year olds, it took until the year he retired for Richard Hannon to send out the champion. Victorious in all three of his starts, culminating in an all-the-way win in the National Stakes against just four rivals. As he only beat Outstrip a neck in the Vintage Stakes but is deemed five pounds better than that horse this rating does not seem to stack up.

120 Kingston Hill (gr c Mastercraftsman – Audacieuse (Rainbow Quest))
Unbeaten in three starts marked by a four-and-a-half length victory in the Racing Post Trophy on soft ground against ten rivals. No surprise that Roger Varian has Classic aspirations, although the pedigree suggests Derby more than Guineas. How about a grey day at Epsom?

119 No Nay Never (USA) (b c Scat Daddy – Cat’s Eye Witness (Elusive Quality))
Wesley Ward’s sprinter came over and collected the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and followed up in the Prix Morny at Deauville but he clearly will not hold any Classic aspirations. He might be back for Royal Ascot in the summer.

119 War Command (USA) (b c War Front – Wandering Star (Red Ransom))
After unexpectedly bolting up in the Coventry Stakes, he blotted his copybook when turned over by Sudirman in the Phoenix Stakes before finishing his season with victory in the Dewhurst. Whilst not necessarily top of the pecking order at Ballydoyle, it would not be the first time that an O’Brien second-string landed the spoils at Newmarket.

118 Karakontie (JPN) (b c Bernstein – Sun Is Up (Sunday Silence))
The Lagardère winner only prevailed by three-quarters of a length from Noozhoh Canarias and his three wins from four starts have all come with plenty of give underfoot. No way of knowing whether he needs it soft until he tries something quicker. The owners might be keen on a trip to Newmarket but the Longchamp form may be overrated.

117 Australia (ch c Galileo – Ouija Board (Cape Cross))
On the balance of his actual form the rating looks questionable and whilst the pedigree is excellent on paper, Ouija Board has not exactly produced any World-beaters to date. Whilst he thrashed Free Eagle by six lengths over a mile in a Group 3 race, everything points to Derby rather than Guineas. Way too late for an ante-post interest in either.

117 Outstrip (gr c Exceed And Excel – Asi Siempre (El Prado))
He contested several of the top races last term: close second to Toormore in the Vintage Stakes before winning the Champagne Stakes and coming third in the Dewhurst Stakes. His big pay day was at Santa Anita in the Breeders’ Cup. Charlie Appleby may have one of Godolphin’s better Classic prospects on his hands.

116 Noozhoh Canarias (SPA) (b c Caradak – Noozhah (Singspiel))
Chasing home Karakontie must be where he got his rating as it is hard to see anybody having noticed his record in provincial Spanish racing.

116 Sudirman (USA) (b c Henrythenavigator – Shermeen (Desert Style))
Presumably obtained this lofty rating by following home Toormore at The Curragh at a respectable two-and-three-quarter length distance rather than his Middle Park fifth behind Astaire. Three wins from seven juvenile efforts does not make him stand out as a three year old to follow.

115 Ectot (b c Hurricane Run – Tonnara (Linamix))
Two wins from three starts, the latest of which came over a mile in a Listed race at Deauville by just a neck. I must be missing something here as he is 20/1 for the Derby, so that must be money based on home reputation.


Top Ten Fillies
117 Chriselliam (IRE) (b f Iffraaj – Danielli (Danehill))
Sadly last season’s top-rated juvenile filly is no longer with us. The wins in the Fillies’ Mile and the Breeders’ Cup suggest that she would have been a strong distaff Classic contender.

114 Vorda (FR) (b f Orpen – Velda (Observatory))
She won the Prix Robert Papin against eight rivals last July before winning the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket by three-quarters of a length from Princess Noor. Subsequent no-show against Chriselliam best forgotten, so may be one to watch.

113 Rizeena (IRE) (b f Iffraaj –Serena’s Storm (Statue Of Liberty))
Clive Brittain kept his filly busy but her eight appearances included victory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Queen Mary Stakes and a respectable third in the Prix Morny before ending the campaign chasing home Chriselliam in the Fillies’ Mile. Not impossible that the old man will be doing a jig in the Newmarket winner’s enclosure.

112 Indonesienne (IRE) (b f Muhtathir – Mydarshaan (Darshaan))
Unfancied when winning the Prix Marcel Boussac on soft ground, she is clearly no slouch and has a middle-distance pedigree. I make no secret of my liking for the Marcel Boussac runner-up but this filly could still turn out to be top draw as there were several unexposed fillies in that field.

112 Miss France (IRE) (b f Dansili – Miss Tahiti (Tirol))
Victorious in the Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket in a photo from Lightning Thunder but it was five lengths back to the third and another five to the remote favourite Radiator in fourth. Just how good is that form though?

112 Tapestry (IRE) (b f Galileo – Rumplestiltskin (Danehill))
Was runner-up in the Moyglare Stud Stakes after victories in her first two races; and with her connections certainly not one to discount this term given some improvement over the winter and her excellent pedigree. No surprise that she currently heads the Oaks ante-post market.

111 Kiyoshi (b f Dubawi – Mocca (Sri Pekan))
Third in the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes suggests that she needs to improve markedly over the winter to feature in anything but sprinting as her Albany Stakes win from Sandiva and Joyeuse does not look too hot now.

111 Princess Noor (IRE) (b f Holy Roman Emperor – Gentle Night (Zafonic))
Won the Princess Margaret Stakes for Roger Varian after a patchy career start but chasing home Vorda in the Cheveley Park was her finest hour. She has to find a bit over the winter if she is going to contend.

110 Lesstalk In Paris (IRE) (b f Cape Cross – Top Toss (Linamix))
Runner-up in the Prix Marcel Boussac when strongly fancied having collected easily on her other two starts. One that will be worth keeping an eye on as a three year old but I expect that she will not be travelling to Newmarket and there is no ante-post market on the Pouliches the following weekend.

110 Lightning Thunder (b f Dutch Art –Sweet Coincidence (Mujahid))
Well beaten favourite in the Rockfel after chasing home Miss France in the Oh So Sharp Stakes. Does that tell us that the form is not that good or am I being overly cynical.


A Selection Of Others
113 Berkshire (IRE) (b c Mount Nelson – Kinnaird (Dr Devious))
Won two of his three starts when taking the Chesham at the Royal meeting and beating just four opponents in a disappointing Royal Lodge Stakes. His pedigree looks more middle distance than Guineas but with course-and-distance form in the book he may take his chance in the first Classic.

112 Geoffrey Chaucer (USA) (b c Montjeu – Helsinki (Machiavellian))
Not sure how he managed to get such a lofty rating beating just four rivals in the Beresford Stakes as the form looks nothing special but at least they know he stays a mile.

111 Be Ready (IRE) (ch c New Approach – Call Later (Gone West))
A three-length win from Barley Mow in a Listed race to remain unbeaten in two starts does not look that special but this could turn out to be Godolphin’s Derby contender so he will be worth looking for in the big race entries. Will he use the Guineas as a Derby trial?

111 Kingman (b c Invincible Spirit – Zenda (Zamindar))
Have to confess that I am holding an ante-post ticket on this fellow for the Guineas; but the big concern is the knee chip surgery that curtailed his campaign (missed intended run in the Lagardère). Arazi was never the same horse again after a similar operation so we will have to wait and see how John Gosden’s Solario Stakes winner fares when they get him back on the track.

107 Lucky Kristale (b f Lucky Story – Pikaboo (Pivotal))
From lowly beginnings in a maiden auction, she ended up winning the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes and the Lowther Stakes, so clearly George Margarson’s filly is no back number although she did not beat a top-class field at York.

105 Ihtimal (IRE) (b f Shamardal – Eastern Joy (Dubai Destination))
Six two year old starts featured a third in the Fillies’ Mile after victories in the Sweet Solera Stakes and the May Hill Stakes. This year has started with a UAE Guineas/Oaks double on tapeta at Meydan and will presumably see her take her chance at Newmarket where she has to have a great chance with form already in the book.