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Juvenile Watch: Dreamer could be real thing at Newmarket

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

Ross Millar identifies an unraced colt to look out for at Newmarket on Wednesday plus reflects on eye-catching performances by two-year-olds in the past week.

leicester

14:00 Leicester - Friday April 14

Maximum Impact romped home at Leicester

ONE FOR WEDNESDAY

Newmarket maidens often throw up decent performers and the 4.10 race on Wednesday is unlikely to be an exception.

I’ve heard from more than one well-connected source that Dorothy Lawrence is well regarded by connections.

Karl Burke has already struck with a two-year old this season meaning he will have a good grasp on where this filly ranks within his squad for this season.

Coupled with the fact that more than a few shrewd judges have nominated her sire Soldier’s Call as a contender for leading first season sire honours, she must be respected.

However, I’d marginally prefer the credentials of Amo Racing’s Persian Dreamer, who is in the care of Dominic Ffrench Davis.

Her sire, Calyx, has possibly gone under the radar in a year where plenty of high-profile first-season stallions have their first runners, largely down to the fact we only had the pleasure of seeing him race four times in an injury curtailed career.

He was an undeniably high-class animal, winning three of his four starts, including when unbeaten as a two-year old when he landed the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in emphatic style.

From just three runners he’s already bagged that all-important first winner and I strongly fancy him to be a plentiful source of juvenile winners.

Persian Dreamer is a half-sister to Queen Olly who herself was a winning juvenile debutant for these owners last season. In a race full of smart pedigrees, Persian Dreamer can continue the good start to the season for the Amo Racing and Kevin Stott partnership.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

curragh

14:00 Curragh - Sunday April 16

We’re still in the early stages of the season so ‘Performance of the Week’ seems more apt than the usual “Star of the Week’ which I’m sure will reappear at some point soon.

Porta Fortuna may have only won by a neck at The Curragh on Sunday but I loved how she went about her work in a race containing plenty of fillies with smart pedigrees. Off a slow early pace she settled beautifully at the back of the field for Gavin Ryan when afforded only a modicum of cover.

Still last with a furlong to run she quickened up impressively to find a passage up the near side rail to win cosily.

Races run at a slow tempo often favour runners positioned to the head of the field. Indeed, both the next two home (in a dead-heat for second) were prominent throughout suggesting it’s reasonable to mark up the performance of Porta Fortuna considerably.

Her dam, Too Precious, was a stamina laden performer so this trip will most likely be someway short of her optimal distance. Further progress is likely as the season unfolds.

Ultimately, though it was her professional attitude to her job that endeared to me and that’s sure to stand her in good stead for future assignments.

There were other noteworthy efforts that need noting.

Alice Haynes enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022 where she enjoyed increasing support from powerful owners Amo Racing.

Her season is already off to the best possible start as her first two-year old runner, Maximum Impact, landed the spoils in impressive fashion at Leicester on Friday.

Ordinarily winning by 12 lengths on debut would be enough to secure the ‘performance of the week’ title but the fact it was run under a flag start and given that the runner-up was arriving from the Brocklesby, which is a form line I am keen to oppose (as mentioned in last week’s column), necesitates a degree of caution being applied for now.

That said, it was hard not to be impressed by this professional looking son of the excellent Havana Grey. His dam, Natural Choice, a daughter of Teofilo stayed a mile so 6f and maybe even 7f will surely be in range later this year.

Monday also saw a notable performance as Valour And Swagger sluiced up in the Novice Stakes at Windsor, winning by a comfortable 6½ lengths.

Again, I’m going to tread carefully with this line of form. There were only three-runners and Valour And Swagger did hang severely to his left, more concerning though was his fairly numb response to his jockey, Neil Callan, as he sought to steer a straighter path.

Regardless he is clearly blessed with ability and is yet another positive result for the stallion career of Blue Point.

Valour and Swagger is the third produce of his dam Music Chart to make the track, with her other two off-spring Miss Blue Sky and One Vision sharing the same sire, Shamardal, who is of course the sire of Blue Point.

That Valour And Swagger is the first winning juvenile for Music Chart is a noteworthy statistic for Blue Point who will largely be judged on his ability to produce ‘early type’ two-year olds.

Editor's Note: Blue Storm was another winner for Blue Point at Newmarket on Tuesday.

WINNERS IN WAITING

Great finish: Porta Fortuna and Gavin Ryan (far side) beats Ellie Moore (centre) and Neo Smart (Copyright www.healyracing.ie)

I’m confident the previously mentioned Curragh maiden won by Porta Fortuna will be a bountiful source of winners in the coming months.

Ellie Moore should be followed at this minimum trip when racing on better ground than she encountered on Sunday. Her dam, Pirita (Invincible Spirit), was a 5f winner and even when bred to stamina laden sires has produced stock more blessed with speed than stamina. By Australian speedster Starspangledbanner, I’d be surprised if Ellie Moore can’t win a similar contest at this trip.

Conversely, Neo Smart, who dead-heated for second, will have been aided by the heavy ground, given her pedigree is weighted towards stamina.

Her sire, Belardo, showed his best form at a mile while her dam Neophilia was a smart twelve-furlong performer and has produced offspring who themselves delivered their best over twelve-furlongs or more.

Neo Smart wouldn’t have been aided by the slack early pace and took a while to settle. I’d be keen on her when she’s seen over 6f - ideally on ground with some cut.

Arguably the biggest eye-catcher was Mary The Priest who finished back in sixth.

She was noticeably the greenest and having started tardily raced detached at the back of the field plus was additionally the first to come under pressure as jockey, Gary Carroll, took aim for a run down the outside of the field.

It took a while for her to get organised - in that time also forfeiting ground by drifting back towards the stands’ side rail before belatedly getting the hang of things late in the day from where she demonstrated a powerful finishing effort.

Another daughter of Belardo, she too looks like 6f would suit her well. The benefit of this debut experience should mean she’s significantly more competitive on her next start, whatever the trip.

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