Juvenile Watch: weekend round-up and a horse to follow

Charlie Fellowes has provided winners from this feature in each of the last two seasons, here’s hoping he can keep that streak going.

Fellowes said: “I have a few backend two-year olds still to run with a number of them showing the right signs. However, at this point, it’s a striking chestnut colt Luansobe that excites me most. He’s an athletic mover and catches my eye every morning in his work.

"He’s a son of Kameko, a young sire I have plenty of time for, while his damsire Red Jazz should bring plenty of speed to the mix. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.”  

Puerto Rico arrived at Doncaster still holding his maiden tag after five starts; the fact that he was able to win this in dominant style gives a strong indication that this was not a vintage renewal of this Group Two contest.

Sean Levey kept the tactics very simple from the front and set no more than fair early fractions. Puerto Rico quickened well and, despite rolling around under pressure, he was drawing away from runner-up Oxagon at the line.

Both second-placed Oxagon and third-placed Cape Orator ran well and both might well improve for an extra furlong, but with that said, I don’t see either of them as potential Group One colts.

The market spoke strongly in favour for Benvenuto Cellini ahead of this Group Two and, in truth, if you’d backed the Frankel colt, you never had a moments worry.

Christophe Soumillon, deputising for the injured Ryan Moore, settled the Killarney maiden winner in second place, a length off the lead, with the striking chestnut travelling visibly well.

His turn of foot was impressive when asked to go and pick up leader Hardy Warrior, and once he got to the front, he lengthened clear with a powerful finishing effort.

He will be in the mixing pot now for races such as the Futurity at the close of the season, though given Aidan O’Brien suggested he could be a horse for next year's French Derby, it would be no surprise to see him get a trip to France instead.

Again, this wasn’t the deepest contest, yet it is hard not to be impressed by this performance.

It is perhaps noteworthy that Soumillon switched to Benvenuto Cellini after the withdrawal of his intended mount Montreal; it’s therefore feasible to suggest that his reputation has been boosted despite not setting foot on course.

A well-executed race by the triumphant of Ballydoyle fillies, with apparent second string, Precise, coming home in front. She had last been seen winning the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood and that form had been well boosted by third-placed Aylin winning the May Hill on her next start.

With stablemate and apparent first string Composing cutting out the running, Ronan Whelan had the daughter of Starspangledbanner settled in behind the leaders on the outside of the field.

Initially, it looked like the third of the three Aidan O’Brien-trained fillies, Beautify, was going to come home best, as she travelled well into contention, but she had no answer to the final late burst of Precise. 

Composing weakened into fourth and was perhaps not suited by having to make her own running, while Karl Burke’s raider Venetian Sun was a touch disappointing in third.

She was certainly victim of some clever team tactics from the home side, as they had her boxed in against the rail, but nevertheless she didn’t travel with her usual zip and unusually for a filly with six-furlong form, she struggled to quicken when asked.

She did, however, show her customary grit to battle into third when belatedly getting some racing room. It would be harsh to judge her on this particularly as it may have come soon enough after her Prix Morny victory. It will be interesting to see where connections head next.

This was by some distance the most exciting juvenile contest of the weekend. Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton has continually made bold calls for Zavateri this season - firstly when dropping him into the July Stakes on the back of his maiden win and then again here, when opting to take on Ballydoyle in their own back yard.

On each occasion, she’s been richly rewarded - maybe other trainers who operate more conservatively should take note?

Charlie Bishop who sat just in behind the favourite Gstaad through the early stages gave her colt an excellent ride. As a pair, they burst to the front with two furlongs to run, engaging in a fierce tussle all the way to the line.

Gstaad lost little in defeat and as the bigger more scopey horse, he might well progress past his conqueror with time. Indeed, there is every chance the pair might face off again in next month's Dewhurst.

Looking further down the line, the third-placed Italy would interest me most, again, as he had when runner-up in the Acomb, he pulled too hard through the early stages when racing wide and without cover, yet  he still moved powerfully for a long way, with his finishing effort only dwindling late on.

A sizeable son of Wootton Bassett, he will be a different proposition if learning to relax.