Juvenile Watch: Goodwood thoughts, horses to follow and Saturday preview

I think we saw both a smart filly and a smart colt win at Goodwood last week. 

In the Molecomb Stakes, the Richard Hannon-trained Pershaada proved her liking for the track when destroying the opposition. She travelled much the best through the contest, with jockey Sean Levey able to sit and wait for a gap to open.

Once in the clear, she quickened up smartly, despite hanging to her left, and ran down runner-up Adonius with a degree of comfort.

In the immediate aftermath, connections strongly suggested that a tilt at the Nunthorpe – where with her sex and age allowances she would carry just 8st 2lb – was a very real consideration.

Kingsgate Native was the last two-year-old to land the Nunthorpe so the stats are against her; however, she bears more than a passing resemblance to The Platinum Queen who was runner-up as a juvenile in 2022. The sprint division lacks a bona fide star and, as such, it would certainly seem a smart play to let her take her chance.

Adonius continues to advertise the talents of his dual-purpose trainer Rebecca Menzies and ran with huge credit once again, he looks likely to now go travelling with targets in France mentioned before he heads to the US for the end of the season.

The Richmond Stakes went the way of Man’s Best Friend, he delivered an explosive late run having been short of racing room for much of the final furlong.

The power with which he travelled through the race was impressive and visually he looked like he would stay further. He only shed his maiden tag the week before at Naas and this represented a big step up on that form.

A couple of quotes from connections post race lead me to believe this was slightly surprising result for them. Trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “he came here for experience really, we thought bringing him here today would do him good, win, lose or draw.”

Ryan Moore referenced it was the first time he’d sat on him, and while assumptions are dangerous I took that to mean on either the racecourse of the Ballydoyle gallops.

Jack Cleary rode him on his debut when fourth at the Curragh behind stablemates Abraham Lincoln and Haffner, so it’s entirely possible he’s not been seen as a leading Ballydoyle colt up until this point. Running plans in the autumn will perhaps reveal more. 

LOVELY DARK ANGEL (George Boughey)

It’s not often a debutant from this yard show such signs of inexperience so the debut effort of this daughter of Dark Angel is probably worthy of an upgrade.

Racing over six furlongs at Windsor, she was very slowly away when trotting the first two strides as the stalls opened and was then forced to race at the rear of the field.

She did, however, travel well and looked likely to throw down a big challenge but when asked for an effort it took a while for her to respond, her final effort down the outside was notable but came too late.

With the benefit of this experience she’ll be a different prospect next time and looks a nailed on winner. 

Trainers are most certainly creatures of habit. Charlie Appleby won this race last year with Dance To The Music, a daughter of Dubawi who arrived with a Newmarket maiden win to her name from her sole start.

This year, his representative is Graceful Song, another once raced daughter of Dubawi who also won on debut at this track. The form of that win is yet to be tested, but she did it in good style, patiently ridden behind the leaders before quickening up well without ever looking fully extended. She’ll need to step up again, but this doesn’t look a deep renewal of this race. 

The danger might well come from Amo Racing’s Nuit d’Eclair, should they elect to turn her out again just fourteen days after a luckless passage in the Group Three Princess Margaret Stakes.

That was over six furlongs and, given she was only beaten a length, having been denied a run on a number of occasions, it’s reasonable to think this extra furlong could bring about yet further improvement. She does hold a Lowther entry though, so is a far from certain runner.

Picking this apart is difficult, with Aidan O’Brien being responsible for six of the fifteen entrants (though in reality that’s five with Man’s Best Friend surely an unlikely participant).

Great Barrier Reef would look his most likely runner and he boasts a perfect three from three record, including last time out when he was comfortably able to overcome the draw bias to land the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. He’s already a dual winner at this track and his profile is hard to fault. 

Celeron impressed me tremendously when winning the Railway Stakes over this course and distance on his latest start, it is though a case of style over substance as runner-up Tribeca and third-placed Confucius are not top-class. It will be interesting to see how he fares in this deeper race.

The most interesting runner would be Victorious. She produced the best juvenile performance of the week at Royal Ascot when scorching to victory in the Queen Mary and the form has worked out well.

Runner-up Senorita Bonita won a Group Two on her next start, in fourth was Goodwood victor Pershaada, while fifth-placed Crownbreaker won a Listed contest next time out.

Her win came against the draw bias and with a drop in trip. She’s twice won over six furlongs and a return to that trip will see further improvement.

I won’t be having a bet in the race, but if she’s declared I will be taking that as a strong vote of confidence and will instead back her for next year's 1000 Guineas as the price will collapse if (when) she wins this.