British 2yo Racing - 2007 Season
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  •   Summary : Sunday, April 22nd
     
    • No 2yo race today and also none on Tuesday depite there being four Meetings. In general a quiet week upcoming with a single selling race on Wednesday at Catterick and then a claimer at Beverley on Thursday. With this rare lull in the racing the Previews over the next few days will take some time to look at how the season is developing. Which trainers are on schedule and how to classify the quality of the runners they have shown us so far? How are the first season sires faring with their initial runners? Which are the best 2yos to seen to date? The 'Update' tables in the 2007 pages for trainers and sires have been completed including all races up to the Nottingham maiden on Saturday evening for those who wish to do some of this checking themselves.
    • At the start of the last week it was noted that with an often informative Windsor maiden on the Monday followd by the Newmarket and Newbury meetings we should expect to see some better horses. After the on-course work through to end Thursday the week had left a reasonable, but not fully convincing, impression of important and quality horses. The field for the Windsor maiden had been just so-so and the two smaller, precocious, runners with previous outings comfortably filling the first two positions. Red Expresso looked a horse with a solid future but not obviously higher class and perhaps more Conditions level quality. Barraland has the size to develop with racing and be better for 6f+ but again no zing to the after-feeling.
    • A brief interlude on Tuesday to see a limited bunch of fillies at Warwick and certainly nothing to get encouraged about. Ramatni might get to average but the winner will be one to oppose in later races and not much should be expected of the others. That doesn't mean that some of them won't win along the way - there are lots of moderate races during the season after all but it will be in lesser events.
    • The six colts for the conditions race at Newmarket on Wednesday were just a solid group and mostly ready 2yos. The performance of Spirit Of Sharjah in showing an ability to quicken off an average pace (with a strong tailwind) shows he has better ability. However, on looks he's the type then ends up finishing in the 4th-6th range when upped to Group races and behind the 'real thing' types which just weren't in the field. It would be no surprise to see the four remaining maidens from that field win in due course, including the strongly supported but poor performing Orpen's Art. But not much more from them probably.
    • Similar feelings developed from looking at the 13 fillies in the Newmarket maiden on the Thursday. Let's try looking at the - RESULT - for last year's race to try to find some historical context to check the feeling. A similar sized field last year and a similar range of trainers. The winner went on to be a Group winner and the second was a typical Paul Cole 'important maiden placer' who goes backwards after the initial run. The third was a 'small and early' type who struggled in maidens and the midfield was packed with various average types winners of different hues. The second best filly was probably in 10th with Julia Fielden's (who gave us Spirit Of Sharjah this year) Bridge It Jo. 
    • Having looked back at this event from other years the lukewarm feeling they left as a group on the day seems more acceptable. It is possible that they are just an average bunch with the possible exception of the Barry Hills' pair Mookhlesa & Spinning Lucy. Mookhlesa is small but the most natural looking 5f filly in field with a sprinter's snap to her walk. She'll compete well early in Conditions/Listed events but better fillies ought to come along to make her more of the 3rd-6th type Queen Mary runners. Although always worth remembering what that if the better ones don't come along, as in 2006, then she wouldn't be out of it. Spinning Lucy is a very bright chestnut and lacks Mookhlesa's 5f muscular set-up and has more length and fluent movement. On physical grounds it is relatively easy to agree with Mr Hills' assessment that Spinning Lucy will prove the better filly. If there is one in the field she's probably it.
    • Try looking at these pictures of the second from that race in Missit and the fourth Littlemisssunshine and see what reaction you have. A sort of middling, yes - well, reaction on the day and ought to find a maiden but not much more. B2yoR hasn't given up on Romany Princess just yet after bungling the start here - she looked a notch-down lesser version of Vermilliann here although she seemed to have more of a galloping, rather than a sprint action when pressed to join the final '2f sprint' that the race developed into. Which is a worry.
    • Which all meant that going to Newbury on Friday the feeling was there that perhaps too much was being expected. Each new season you have to work to get the mental image of later season 2yos out of your mind when looking at the new crop in early season. These fillies will look better later in the season after all. But, then you see the field for the Newbury maiden on the Friday and it becomes clear that you weren't expecting too much and the 'Real Thing' just looks different when it is there. The words 'Now we're getting somewhere' form in the brain as the runners for this field walk around. Now there is a real, here-and-now, comparison to set against those mental images from Windsor & Newmarket. To put this in context the paddock review might encompass 2000+ juveniles in a season and the majority will be non-winners and various shades of not-very-good. There will be many more disappointments and tepid results than strongly positive ones. Which means that when the good results are there it makes all the rest worthwhile. Like seeing a 5-4 barnstormer after sitting through fifteen nil-nils of a quality you could have participated in.
    • There follows a run through of the field and the links from their names go to the best pictures of them on the day. A group of horses with something for everyone from big bruisers like Winker Watson through to a flighty filly like Flying Indian. Let's start with the three biggest horses, in frame terms, who finished in the first three places.
    • WINKER WATSON - Very likeable. Big, strong and raw-boned bruiser. Very mature for April both in body and mental outlook. Not particularly neatly put together but too big and strong for most 2yos at this stage and a good enough mover depite being slightly upright and broken-over at the front. Just average fitness in the race and travelled like the best horse on the day in a race which developed into a 2f sprint. Ought to be able to rate 90 (B2yoR est) and be competitive for a win at Royal Ascot. His relative size and maturity may make his less so in later season as that advantage diminishes (assuming he doesn't get much bigger..).
    • LEGENDARY GUEST - As tall as Winker Watson but, typically for a Channon 2yo, somewhat narrower and just medium build. Fitter than the winner and showing a more lively, less focused, attitude and with two handlers throughout. Took some time to get going as the race sprinted late on but then keeping on very well. A 6f horse and ought to rate 85+ and be competitive at Listed level at least.
    • PARTY IN THE PARK - If you like them big then here's another for you. Probably not quite as tall as Winker Watson but lengthier and more heavily built. Also mature for an early 2yo but with very good scope to develop. Also not particularly neat and a bit 'boaty' but carries his size well enough. Not as ready for the day as the winner. Given the choice of the field it would have been take Winker Watson for today and this one for what he can achieve over a career. Ought to rate 88+ and it would be pretty typical of the trainer if he tries to win the Rose Bowl Stakes back here at Newbury this season.
    • HARLECH CASTLE - In the preview for the race it was suggested that he ought to be another Paul Cole 'important maiden' placer. As soon as he came into the paddock the B2yoR view had changed. Here we had a smaller but very balanced and ready 2yo but also a little mentally young. The dam can turn them out on the smaller side and they can still be useful but he seems just too small. On the plus side another ready 5f type from the dam and he ought to win at his level up to the 70-71 range. That he got left behind here by the 'big guys' is the reason why he couldn't place even off a typical Cole preparation and why the B2yoR view changed. To get placed in a group of this size and ability he have needed to be medium size at least and mentally mature.
    • MANSII - What is Clive Brittain up to? Not a question confined to this sphere, obviously, but worth asking. He normally starts running his 2yos later in the year unless he has the odd precocious or high class one that shows up well. He's run four for Mr Saeed Manana this week and they appear to have been bought to be targeted at 2yo racing. Mr Brittain does not have a good record with 2yos and in general he only manages to wangle wins with the best of them. This one medium sized and perhaps just above medium build and about the fittest in the group. Outpaced as the race quickened before plugging on. Not convinced about him and might be one to oppose next time.
    • NACHO LIBRE - Stable first string and supported from 4/1 to 3/1 as Winker Watson drifted a touch and the stable second string ended up as third favourite at 9/2 from 20/1. Just above medium size and heavily built with a good length and a fluent walk. Looked a quality types than ought to rate 80+ and in that context, and given the trainer's start with his 2yos (one win and three places prior to this race), a little disappointing in performance. Although he finished behind Mansii he did overtake that one during the race as the sprint started and he moved forward to 4th from 6th before stalling and dropping back late on. Inclined to the view that this was a tougher race than the ones that his other runners had placed in and not far behind a typical debut run for the trainer. On physical looks a much better type than Dark Angel who finished second to Spirit Of Sharjah for example.
    • FLYING INDIAN - Having seen a number of Hawk Wing's first yearlings at the sales they were a variety of shapes and sizes but included enough better types to believe he will make some good impact in later season. But, 5f winners in April wouldn't be on the list. The preview for the race suggested that Mr Balding normally runs a few competitive & precocious types in April to get his 2yos going. Not stars but usable runarounds. If you forget her pedigree and just look at her picture you'll see a neat, ready, balanced 2yo and she had a jaunty step on her to make her look more the little sprint filly. She reminded B2yoR of a filly called Red Trance who ran for the trainer and perhaps this one has a little more about her. Ought to rate 62+ and be competitive in minor maiden - probably get sent North next time. 
    • She broke a little slowly here but that didn't seem her fault. She was in stall 11 next to the rails and with 10 stall slots to a set she was on her own in one set with a 10 foot gap to the next horse. The stalls at Newbury often seem to produce a 'weak side' break among the higher numbers in these big field maidens. Anyway, she was given a happy-in-midfield debut here by a jockey who presumably knew the second outing is when she'll be in a race she can win.
    • ROUGH ROCK - Getting towards medium size  and compact in length and deep through the body. The trainer will often buy 2yo prospects who lack size and may be positively short so long as they have barrel builds and deep bodies. The sire Dr Fong gets this type and no surprise to see Mr Meehan buying them and having success at times witht he likes of Doctor Brown. Below average fitness and just an average type at best. Never got into the race in a week where the trainer's early sprint 2yos have not looked a strong group.
    • NO NINES - Definitely one for the 'What was all that about??' file. Apparent stable second string opened at 20/1 and backed in to 9/2 third favourite. Trainer had won with his second string (8/1) the previous day. Despite the 'second' tag a 40,000 guineas buy and with an 'all 2yo' pedigree. In the flesh he was what you would expect. A lot less quality than Nacho Libre but a compact, deep bodied 2yo type like Rough Rock but more precocious and a better mover. Ought to make a competitive 2yo rating around 68-71 but the punt never looked like a good idea on paddock review given the size of opposition. Gave a mother-of-many-clunkers performance by missing the break, being clueless while driven along at the back and then eased after never showing any ability to get involved. Most likely explanation a combination of inexperience and not liking the ground. The trainer has a record of bringing horses back from these debut debacles to win second go so if he's 16/1 in a weaker race he could be value. Example debacles? - well, try looking up Country Rambler and Red Ash as a starter.
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