-
Before 2005 the first Listed race of the season was either the 'Hilary
Needler' at Beverley or the National Stakes at Sandown in late May or early
June depending how the dates fell. In 2005 we had two new ones introduced
in May with the 'Aubigny Stakes' at Goodwood and the 'Marygate Stakes'
at York's Dante meeting which is confined to fillies. Listed races are
a fourth tier of better races below the 'Pattern Race' events which cover
the Group Races (split into 3 levels). The reasoning behind the need for
these new early races was never clear and their competitiveness suspect
given that we have seen a little over 300 juveniles to date out of a season
total which will near 3,000. They would appear to be a 'Precociousness
Championship' when the best race ought probably to be about finding the
best talents and not just those suited to unusual corners of the equine
ability spectrum.
-
The two winners of the York race for fillies have been Bow Bridge (from
Gamble In Gold & Ooh Aah Camara) in 2005 and Gilded last year (from
Amber Valley & the (still) maiden Cassiara). Gilded went on to win
a moderate Queen Mary in a thin year for fillies but was well beaten by
Sander Camillo stepped up to 6f and the quality of that form looks less
good given Sander Camillo's later effort. The other fillies wouldn' be
real Listed class even later in their 2yo seasons let alone as older horses.
-
The first winner of this race was Strike Up The Band who beat a field which
included one later Listed placer. He won at Group 3 level at 2yo back at
Goodwood. Last year the race was moved to the later May meeting at Goodwood
and the title hidden away in the ridiculous "Bxkxr Txlly Trophy (registered
as the Aubigny Stakes)" construct. A less than long lasting sponsorship
and we have a new sponsor this year who seems to have let the 'Aubigny
Stakes' part have joint billing. Successful in 2006 was Sonny Red on soft
ground and he only ran once more when 4th at Royal Ascot. The field behind
him were well below Listed level other than Elhamri who finished last.
-
So, a move back to earlier May this year and a pretty thin field and difficult
to see how this qualifies as a decent Listed group in real terms and not
that strong in 'Precociousness Race-off' terms. There were 12 entries for
this race and just 6 runs. The six that don't are Cracking
(runs in the Lily Agnes) & Fat Boy
(ran in Ascot Conditions last week) for Richard Hannon; Artdeal
(runs in the Lily Agnes); Eastern
Romance (runs in Class 2 maiden at Chester); Grand
Fleet (presumably the best of Mark Johnston's early 2yos) & Janina
(debut winner). It's easy to get the impression that the Conditions events
were providing enough competition for early May 2yos and the two new Listed
races not adding a great deal other than a chance to avoid each other.
-
Although lacking depth we do have a solid 2yo that stands out amongst those
that have run with Spirit Of
Sharjah. After his win at Newmarket his trainer said he had been beating
her older horses at home and she had expected him to win depending on how
good the others were. They didn't include a really useful type and he was
able to beat them comfortably. Settling well enough after slightly pulling
early and 2 lengths off the leader at halfway before showing an ability
to quicken to pull away in the final furlong. He faces a similar undulating
track here and it usually pays to follow horses that show an ability to
quicken after settling because it is a pretty rare quality (the only other
we have seen really quicken so far this year has been Cake who won the
fillies' conditions race at Salisbury STO). It is easy to visualise him
pulling away in the final furlong from those that we have already seen.
-
Of those that have run it should be easy to dismiss Baytown
Blaze (if she runs) and Affirmatively
as not good enough to compete for the win. The second of those won a moderate
Windsor auction last time and didn't impress doing it from a good draw.
The later win of Tan Bonita who
finished third to her doesn't add anything because she won an even worse
race at Catterick on Tuesday. Ten Down
is more of a puzzle because Jamie Osborne has Mount
Pleasure (conditions winner at Ascot) and Group
Therapy (Novice winner at Thirsk) highly rated in the 2yos to have
run so far. Since they weren't entered for this race you could suppose
that Ten Down is better than they are. B2yoR would probably go for the
alternate view that this is Ten Down's highlight and the other two are
likely to be targeted at better races, probably at Royal Ascot. Ten Down
has looked a small and truly precocious type in his 3 runs and doesn't
really get home in a strongly run 5f and if he lead would set it up nicely
for Spirit Of Sharjah.
-
The two most interesting runners are Romany
Princess & Kingsgate
Castle because they are unusual by their trainer's standards. Richard
Hannon won both of these early Listed races in 2006 (with Gilded &
Sonny Red) and in 2005 had a second with Gamble In Gold at York and a 5th
in this race with the colt Green Pride. He had three entries with Fat Boy
not running after failing at Ascot last week (with the jockey reporting
he "stopped quickly") and Cracking in a lesser race at Chester the previous
day (perhaps because the trainer thinks he can win that and he usually
runs his best colt at Windsor in mid May).
-
Circumstantially that ought to mean that Romany Princess is thought to
be high up on his list of early 2yos and perhaps Cake will run in the fillies'
Listed event at York. At the sales Romany Princess was highly rated and
thought capable of being above average which makes it gratifying to some
extent that she's here. But, you have to explain what went on at Newmarket
on her debut when she was well behind Affirmatively. On the plus side she
was first string on jockeys although at only a little shorter SP than Quick
Sands (who finished in front of her and then only 4th in a maiden at Warwick
this week after market support). In her defence she made a slow start and
looked inexperience and it was a positive that jockey Hughes thought it
worth bustling her onto the back of the group. As highlighted before in
these previews (in relation to Cracking who snapped together STO) if he
looks interested then it means there is some ability there. She was soon
left behind as the pace quickened in the final two furlongs and seemed
to show a more galloping than sprint action. So, one to be interested in
and with a better debut would have the class profile to compete with Spirit
Of Sharjah in receipt of 8lbs.
-
Trainer John Best normally runs 2yos in maidens or auction races on debut
which makes Kingsgate Prince's participation fascinating. He was also entered
in the Class 2 maiden at Chester. He was an expensive purchase for the
stable and his dame has visited both Kyllachy (sire of this one) and his
sire Pivotal twice and produced just a minor older winner to date. This
makes the higher price more significant in expecting a better physical
type. The trainer normally operates a 'two team' system with 2yos with
the very early debuts by cheaper 2yos being very ready and often placing
(his only runner so far with Hucking Harmony has been third on both runs
including in the first race of the season). His later debuts, often from
June onwards are usually uncompetitive and often part of the set-up for
winter AW campaigns and/or 3yo careers. Think of winter AW winner Kingsgate
Prince for the same owners or Hurricane Spirit in 2006 before his winter
improvement who both showed little in turf season juvenile runs.
-
What type of debut to expect here? Likely to be a reasonably competitive
one but not good enough to deal with Spirit Of Sharjah and he would probably
need to be well above average to pick up Ten Down in the final furlong.
|