Juvenile Watch: Charlie Fellowes nominates his late bloomer

It’s a constant surprise to me that the industry continues to gravitate towards fast and early types, especially given that many horses who go on to be elite performers often don’t make their racecourse debuts until late in their juvenile year, if at all. 

This column’s “Late Bloomers” has been a good source of future winners over the past few years, and I hope this year will follow that trend. 

First up this year is Charlie Fellowes. 

Around this time last year, he nominated Morawig as a horse that would make up into a better three-year old. He was bang on the money as the son of Make Believe made a winning return at Yarmouth at 11/1. No pressure then, Charlie! 

“We’ve got a nice bunch of two-year olds this season headed by Luther who has progressed with each run and on Saturday comfortably won a listed contest at Haydock. 

“He’s certainly got a physique that suggests he’ll improve again next year, but seeing as he’s already had three runs I can’t nominate him for this. 

“Instead, I’ll suggest Moonrunner (Sixties Icon x Librettista). He’s a lovely big scopey horse and it may be that he doesn’t get to the track this year, but he looks the part and I’m confident he’ll be worth waiting for.” 

On the day when he announced that this would be his final season in the training ranks, it was fitting that a Sir Michael Stoute-trained juvenile delivered a supremely impressive performance. 

Formal, a daughter of Dubawi, had looked impressive when making a winning debut on good to firm ground at Newbury in July and the form of that win had been well boosted with the third and fourth-placed fillies winning on their next starts. 

However, the contest at Leicester looked sufficiently deep and not only did she have to carry a 6lb penalty but she had to do so on markedly softer ground. 

Her task was made significantly easier when her main market rival, Orchid, stood in the stalls and forfeited ten lengths. Yet it was hard not to be impressed by the ease with which she travelled and how she quickly put the race to bed when asked for her effort approaching the furlong pole. 

Ryan Moore didn’t have to overly exert himself to push her out to a cosy two-and-a-half length victory. She missed a prior engagement at Goodwood on account of soft ground so it’s reasonable to assume that her performance here was despite the ground, not because of it. 

She holds an entry in the group Two Rockfel Stakes this month and would surely have leading claims if being sent for that, especially as neither Fairy Godmother of Bedtime Stories hold an entry. 

I wonder, though, whether she’d run there on soft ground? 

Yes, she handled conditions well at Leicester but in a higher grade I’m sure Stoute will be keen to give her optimal conditions. He’s made his career on patience and prioritising the future of his horses over anything else. Many in his position would be desperately keen to try and land one more Group winner, but that certainly won’t feature in his considerations. 

Regardless of what else Formal does this season, she looks sure to improve with time. Her dam, Veracious, also trained by Stourte, progressed with time, winning a group Three in the autumn as a three-year old before going on to land the Group One Falmouth Stakes as a four-year old.     

Mother Mara (Ralph Beckett) 

She made her debut at Haydock last week in a race carrying £40,000 prize money. She looked thoroughly professional through the early stages of the race, travelling nicely having broken alertly from the stalls. 

However, her lack of experience showed as the tempo quickened. She struggled to pick up and then became unbalanced as her jockey, Rob Hornby, pressed for more. 

She did belatedly get organised inside the last half furlong and made steady, if unspectacular late progress. 

Mother Mara comes from a family that are predominately sprinters, though her half-sister, Miss Harmony, by Tamayuz, was a winner over 10 furlongs. 

Physically smart, she has the length and elegance of her sire Mohaather and on this evidence another furlong would serve her well. I’ll be sure to follow her closely and I expect her to make up into a smart performer next season.