Juvenile Watch: Ross Millar's youngsters to follow and more

As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m keen to ensure this section doesn’t become a weekly homage to Godolphin- and Coolmore-owned juveniles.

So this week, up until Sunday, I was feeling relatively content that while Gstaad had  been impressive at Navan on Saturday (see below), this was a week where I could steer clear of the two big names. Then came Charles Darwin’s win at Naas, and I was forced to evolve my thinking.

A strong and striking individual, much like his full-brother, Blackbeard, this son of No Nay Never had shown good progression in his first two starts, building on his debut fourth place when appearing to appreciate the step up to 6f when winning on his second start at Navan, on soft ground.

This drop back to the minimum distance and the quicker conditions did pose some questions, but nevertheless, he was sent off at the markedly prohibitive odds of 1/14, largely due to the fact that each of his three rivals were making their racecourse debuts.

Under Ryan Moore, he exited the stalls smartly before putting his experience to good use by settling nicely at the head of the field in no more than an even gallop.

He travelled much the best through the race, but required a degree of force from his pilot to find top gear, briefly showing signs of immaturity as he looked unbalanced and hung to his left, before belatedly changing leads and then quickening up nicely. 

It was a smart performance that still left room for improvement and fully justifies his place at the top of the market for the Norfolk Stakes; he’s a best-priced 7/2. 

Timeform have him ranked, at this early stage of the season, fully 9lb clear in the division, with what they described as an “outstanding figure” of 109. 

There is plenty of time between now and Ascot, but I suspect I’d be trying to oppose him in the Norfolk on the Thursday.

Yes, the nature of the track at Ascot will play to his stamina over the trip, but the image of him briefly floundering at Naas sits more prevalent in my mind, in a large field he may not get away with such immaturity and if summer ground were to prevail I could see it all happening a stride too fast for him, much as it did for big brother Blackbeard in the 2021 Coventry Stakes where he was a fast finishing fourth.

As a point of interest, Ascot was his fourth career start, as it will be for Charles Darwin.

Gold Digger (Trainer: Richard Spencer)

She made her debut over 6f at Yarmouth and, having broken slowly away from the stalls, she travelled very stylishly at the rear of the field before slicing through the pack to get to the front without Jamie Spencer needing to resort to his whip. She won by half a length, though in reality, she was value for much more. 

A £260,000 Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up purchase, she clearly has a smart turn of foot and her trainer suggested she’d be aimed at the Albany, for which she must surely feature on any shortlist.

First Legion (Trainer: Richard Hannon)

He was a 500,000gns breeze-up purchase and duly delivered on his debut at York, despite not enjoying a seamless passage through the race.

Breaking smartly, he over-raced in the early stages, positioned on the wing of the field thus requiring jockey Shane Foley to take him back in behind runners.

This invariably meant he needed to wait for gaps to appear before delivering his challenge and, when they weren’t forthcoming, he had to switch wide and did well to close down those that had enjoyed first run, ultimately drawing away at the line.

This was promising debut from a colt from a yard where natural progression is virtually assured, however, Shane Foley isn’t a regular jockey for the Hannon team and gave First Legion a markedly stronger ride than you would normally associate with a newcomer from the stable; as such the progression that comes may not be so obvious.

Gstaad (Trainer: Aidan O’Brien)

A son of the much underrated Starspangledbanner, he made a pleasing debut when winning at Navan on Saturday.

He was the apparent stable second string behind odds-on favourite True Love, a filly that had finished runner-up to Group Three winner Lady Iman on her own debut.

Yet there is little reason to think there is any element of a fluke about the result. A half-brother to Group One-winning juvenile Vandeek, he was too strong for his stablemate in the final half-furlong and appeared to relish the stiff finish at Navan.

He’s yet another that his exceptional trainer has at his disposal for the Coventry at Royal Ascot.

Caitrinho (Trainer: Eve Johnson-Houghton)

A son of first-season sire Nando Parrado, he required rousting along on leaving the stalls on his debut at Newmarket, before travelling well through the mid-part, he did though again show greenness when asked for his effort by jockey Charles Bishop and forfeited ground by hanging away to his right.

He was ultimately well beaten by Logi Bear (highlighted earlier this year in Winners In Waiting) but year on year Eve Johnson-Houghton unearths a handful of decent juveniles and I’d be disappointed if this colt wasn’t up to winning races this season.