Future stars out at last

Ian Heitman enjoyed a stellar month for two-year-old racing

The small number of people allowed into Royal Ascot and Newmarket’s July Meeting were lucky enough to witness some top-class racing, Stradivarius wining a third Gold Cup and Oxted winning the July Cup my two highlights. Newmarket July Festival As for the two-year-olds, two of the six Royal Ascot winners, Tactical and Dandalla, tried to add to their Ascot successes at Newmarket in the July Stakes and Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes respectively.

Tactical faced eight rivals in the

Group 2 July Stakes including Yazaman who was a length and a quarter behind Tactical in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes. Coventry Stakes runner up Qaader was sent off the 15-8 favourite for Mark Johnston and Jim Crowley with Tactical at 5-2. Aidan O’Brien’s once raced impressive winner, Swiss

Ace was at 9-2.

Qaader set a good pace in front and tried to make all of the running but was headed by Yazaman over a furlong from the finish and he could keep on only at the one pace after that. Yazaman was challenged for the lead inside the final furlong by Tactical who took the lead with 100 yards to go and stayed on well to beat Yazaman by the same margin as at Ascot, a length and a quarter. Escape Route, a 33-1 shot from the Richard Fahey yard, stayed on well to third ahead of Qaader with Swiss

Ace also one paced in fifth.

Tactical will up stepped up to Group 1 company next time, in the Prix Morny at Deauville on August 23. Yazaman is a smart colt and will be found a suitable race by William Haggas with the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York an ideal race for him, a race Haggas has won three times. Escape Route and Qaader would also be suited by the 6f of the Gimcrack.

Tactical could easily meet Dandalla in the Prix Morny following her maintaining her unbeaten record in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes over 6f. She had been one of the easiest winners at Royal Ascot winning by six lengths in the Group 3 Albany Stakes and was the even money favourite stepping up to Group 2 company. She faced strong opposition in the betting from Time Scale, who after losing her chance at the start on debut, won her next two races easily, at Chepstow and in the Listed Empress Stakes on the Rowley Mile course. Time Scale was well placed close to the pace and took the lead with two furlongs to go but she was unable to quicken from her rivals as she had done for her two wins. Dandalla made good progress from midfield and challenged her market rival over furlong from the finish taking the lead with 150 yards to go. She was always doing enough inside the last 100 yards to hold on, beating Fev Rover who finished strongly inside the last furlong to be beaten a head with Santosha running well in third.

Dandalla’s trainer, Karl Burke, has a good record with the runners he sends for the Morny, a second in 2017 and a third in 2018. Fev Rover, in the same ownership as Dandalla, should have little difficulty getting off the mark and has the Group 3 Princess Margaret as a target. Time Scale would be suited by the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York in mid-August.

The two-year-old performance of Newmarket’s July meeting came on the final day in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes over 7f, Master Of The Seas running right away from his nine rivals, eight having won on their previous starts, winning by three lengths from dual winner Devious Company with Seventh Kingdom running on to be third but never challenging. Hudson River, the first foal of high-class sprinter Mecca’s Angel, was sent off favourite for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore but was disappointing, fading out of contention a furlong and a half from the finish.

Master Of The Seas could head for the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh on September 13 and bid to give Charlie Appleby a third consecutive win in the race following Quorto and champion two-year-old Pinatubo. Master Of The Seas heads the BHA official ratings on 112 following their publication in advance of nurseries starting on July

22. He is rated 2lb ahead of Tactical and 6lb ahead of Royal Ascot winners Nando Parrado and The Lir Jet as well as Yazaman and Devious Company.

As well as the three Group races at Newmarket there were three maidens and just like the Group races, they were won by Burke, Balding and Appleby trained horses. She’s So Nice won the first of the trio for Karl Burke, a 6f fillies maiden, leading all the way and winning by half a length from Isle Of May who kept on well with Teodolina in

third.

Youth Spirit had finished behind Superlative Stakes runner-up Devious Company at Haydock on his racecourse debut but comfortably won the 7f maiden beating odds on favourite Magical Land, who stayed on from the rear having been slowly away from the stalls, by a length with Naval Crown running well in third on his debut.

Wedding Dance led home a Charlie Appleby 1-2-3 in the 7f fillies maiden, leading all the way under William Buick beating Danilova by three and a quarter lengths with Nash Nasha, a 1,000,000 foal out of the Group 1 winner Just The Judge fading into third. Listed-Group Races Two of the Royal Ascot winners, Nando Parrado, biggest priced winner of a Royal Ascot race at 150-1 in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, and The Lir Jet, in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, had been due to meet in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Deauville on July 19 but Nando Parrado suffered a small setback and was ruled out of the race by Clive Cox. The Lir Jet was left to race three rivals, Axdavali, second on his most recent start in Group 3 company at Longchamp, Ventura Tormenta, supplemented by Richard Hannon following a fifth in the Superlative and having his fourth race in the space of a month and Tiger Tanaka, unbeaten in four runs in claiming company in France.

The Lir Jet was a warm favourite to add a second Group 2 to his name and raced close to the pace set by Ventura Tormenta and Christophe Soumillon. All four had a chance with a couple of furlongs to go, Axdavali the first to crack a furlong and a half from the finish, Ventura Tormenta was strongly pressed by The Lir Jet entering the final furlong with the latter taking the lead with 150 yards to go. Ventura Tormenta battled well and regained the lead close to the finish to win by a short head, maybe the hard race he had at Ascot had left its mark on The Lir Jet, with Tiger Tanaka only a neck away in third. This was the third time since Richard Hannon took over from his father in 2014 that he has won the Robert Papin, previous winners Kool Kompany went on to finish second in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes in 2014 and Gutaifan finished second in the Group 1 Prix Morny in 2015 so one of those races looks likely for Ventura Tormenta next. The Lir Jet is a very smart sprinting juvenile and a return to Deauville for the Prix Morny should see him run well again.

Of the six Royal Ascot races, the Queen Mary has worked out the best, five fillies going on to win their next starts including Listed winners, Sardinia Sunset, Marygate Stakes at York, Dickiedooda, Tipperary Stakes at Cork, Happy Romance in the Super Sprint at Newbury, as well as novice winners Caroline Dale and Star Of Emaraaty.

Mother Earth gave Dandalla’s Albany Stakes form a boost when she easily won the Group Three Fillies’ Sprint Stakes at Naas in early July, drawing

clear inside the last furlong to win by four lengths from Sussex Garden. The pair were declared to run in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh on July 19 but Sussex Garden along with More Beautiful were taken out of the race due to ground conditions. That left a field of four and the market through it was a match between 10-11 favourite Frenetic, impressive winner of a Listed race at the Curragh 22 days earlier and Mother Earth at evens, with Inner Beauty at 20-1 and Aloha Star the 33-1 outsider of the quartet.

It looked for much of the way that the market would be spot on with Frenetic setting the pace with her market rival close up with the other two happy racing in touch. The race changed when Aloha Star was switched to the outside of the two leaders a furlong and a half from the finish and she quickened well for Chris Hayes, challenging Frenetic inside the last furlong and taking the lead with 75 yards to go. Frenetic battled all the way to the line but Aloha Star got the verdict by a head to provide Fozzy Stack with his biggest two-year-old success with Mother

Earth a length and three quarters away in third and Inner Beauty a further three quarters of a length last of the four. Although only four lengths separated the four runners, it is likely to prove strong form.

The previous day at the Curragh, Irish Oaks day, there was even bigger surprise in the Group 2 Railway Stakes when 66-1 shot Law Of Indices held off the strong challenge of Lucky Vega inside the last 100 yards to win by half a length, Chris Hayes again aboard, this time for Ken Condon whose last Group winning two-year-old was in 2016. There were a couple of disappointments in this race, favourite, To Glory and Merchants Quay never managed to challenge finishing fifth and fourth respectively. It is likely many from this field will meet again in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on August 9 when preference would be for Lucky Vega to come on top for Jessica Harrington.

Back in the UK, Sandown and Newbury have held three Listed races between them in the last few weeks. The Dragon Stakes over 5f Sandown on July 5 saw Gussy Mac finish well the rear of the field and take the lead off Significantly with 25 yards to go and continued the good run of form of the Roger Teal trained horses, the yard celebrated their first Group 1 six days later courtesy of Oxted in the July Cup.

The National Stakes, also over 5f at Sandown is normally run at the end of May but due to the late start of the flat season, was held on July 16. Ubettabelieveit, impressive when winning at Doncaster on his second start, comfortably made the jump into Listed company, travelling strongly throughout the race on the outside of the field, leading with a furlong and a half left to go and only had to be pushed out by Oisin Murphy to win by a length and a half from Wings Of A Dove, who had finished 14th in the Queen Mary on her previous start. Ubettabelieveit provided his trainer Nigel Tinkler with a first Listed winner since 2000 and he is likely to stick to Listed company for his next start with his trainer looking at the Roses Stakes at York’s Ebor meeting which begins on August 19. Looking further ahead, Ubettabelieveit should be figuring in the 5f Group races later on the year, the Flying Childers at Doncaster and-or the Cornwallis at Newmarket.

Just as in the Dragon Stakes when favourite Risk Of Thunder finished last, the favourite for the National Stakes, Eye Of Heaven, also finished last. Eye Of Heaven had also been the favourite for the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot but faded to be ninth of the 12 runners on that occasion. He got very warm at the start at Sandown and was too keen in the race fading a furlong and a half from the finish, Frankie Dettori easing him inside the last furlong. It will be interesting to see what Mark Johnston does with Eye Of Heaven next.

The Listed race at Newbury was the Rose Bowl Stakes over 6f where Method was the well supported 5-6 favourite to add to his very impressive debut win at Doncaster, four and a half lengths in front of subsequent Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge second, Fev Rover. Ryan Moore had been aboard Method on debut but despite riding at the Newbury meeting, Martyn Meade opted for champion jockey Oisin Murphy to do the steering, leaving Moore without a ride in the race. Seven horses lined up in opposition to Method, including Windsor Castle fifth, Mighty Gurkha and Dragon Stakes fourth, Tanfantic.

Mighty Gurkha gave trouble at the start, as he had done at Lingfield on debut, but eventually consented to go into the stalls and he had good pace under Hollie Doyle. Method raced in

midfield and was keen in the early part of the race before travelling strongly from halfway and challenging Mighty Gurkha a furlong from the finish, taking the lead with 100 yards to go and drawing clear in good style, beating Mighty Gurkha by two and a quarter lengths with Imperial Yellow a further three and a quarter lengths away in third. Nearly 18 lengths covered the eight runners and the time Method recorded was a good one, the eighth fastest 6f twoyear-old race at Newbury since 2010 (over 150 races in that period), so Method’s future looks bright.

The Woodcote Stakes on Derby day lost its Listed status in 2017 and was dropped to a conditions race. The 2019 running went to champion two-yearold Pinatubo and course officials will be hoping this year’s winner, Twaasol can follow Pinatubo by remaining unbeaten and winning a Group race.

Only five lined up for this year’s race, Twaasol and Chesham Stakes fifth, Modern News going off the 9-4 joint favourites. The race was effectively only a four-runner contest as the only newcomer Calcutta Cup lost ground with a slow start and never figured. Inhaler, winner on his debut at Pontefract, had the run of the race from the front and led until a furlong and a half from the finish when the lead changed hands, firstly Mutazawwed led for 100 yards, then Modern News took the lead before Twaasol finished best of all down the outside to lead with 150 yards to go and beat Modern News by a length and a half. Twaasol’s trainer, Owen Burrows doesn’t have too many juveniles run in Listed-Group races, one winner from eight runners, Enjazaat in the Ripon Champion Two-Years-Old Trophy and that could be where Twaasol runs next. Maiden-Novice Races Having failed to get too involved in the Woodcote, Calcutta Cup faced 14 rivals in a 7f novice race at Newbury on July 18. This race saw a couple of half a million guineas yearling purchases, 11-4 favourite Rushmore, a half-brother to Group 1 winner Mrs Sippy and Legend Of Dubai, the first foal out of dual Group 1 winner Speedy Boarding. Together with some well-bred homebred colts, namely Barn Own and Maximal, this is a race that should produce plenty of next time out winners.

Shanghai Rock, trained by Richard Hannon, travelled strongly but was headed a furlong and a half from the finish by Maximal who made good progress under Ryan Moore and went a couple of lengths clear inside the last but he couldn’t quite hold off the challenge of Guru who took the lead on the line, a nose separating the pair with three lengths to Legend Of Dubai. Calcutta Cup ran well in fourth having raced close to the pace. Rushmore made up ground from the rear late on but never challenged, his trainer Andrew Balding has an excellent strike rate with his runners second time out, six winners from 11 runners this year at the time of writing, so he can be expected to go very close next time.

Guru was just the second juvenile winner of 2020 for John Gosden and he looks sure to progress. Maximal very nearly made it three winners from three two-year-old runners for Sir Michael Stoute, following a double at Kempton on June 23, courtesy of Ville De Grace and Never Say When.

Also at Newbury on July 18 was a 6f fillies maiden which saw the wellbacked Richard Hannon newcomer Fly Miss Helen get off the mark at the first attempt. She finished well to beat longtime leader Sarsaparilla by two and a quarter lengths. This was the second well-supported winning newcomer from the Hannon yard in recent weeks, Chinidit won a slowly run race at Doncaster on July 5 and while that form was let down by the third, Zookeeper, at Yarmouth on his next start, Chindit should be able to win again.

The Yarmouth race Zookeeper ran in was won by Harold Shand, trained by Richard Spencer, who held on well inside the last 100 yards from Spanish Colt and Miss Chess. The latter named is a half-sister to French Oaks winner Fancy Blue and is trained by Ed Vaughan who recently announced his intention to retire from training citing poor prize money as the main reason. The Listed Dragon Stakes and Rose Bowl Stakes were worth just £9,924 to winning connections, the lowest Listed race values since 2012.

Owner John Dance has invested plenty into the sport in recent years, sponsoring the Group 1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster at the end of October and having owned one of the best fillies of recent years, Laurens. He saw a couple of nice prospects make winning debuts recently. Toussarok, trained by Mark Johnston, was supported into 5-4 favouritism for his debut at Newcastle and beat Inhaler by three quarters of a length. Rhythm Master, trained by Richard Fahey went off at 16-1 at Haydock on July 17 but was very impressive, drawing clear inside the last furlong to win by four and a half lengths.