Juvenile Watch - Ascot review: Ross Millar assesses each 2YO contest

It was a vintage Royal Ascot, scorching sun, genuine quick flat conditions and an array of domestic and international talent. The one complaint would be the very obvious draw bias, I have sympathy with clerk of the course Chris Stickels and it isn’t a job I’d want, but for a premier meeting to have a bias that, at least on the first four days, appeared to handicap at least a third of the field, is unsatisfactory.

This week I’ll run through each of the two-year old races focussing on the validity of the form and trying to spot any hard luck stories or horses worthy of another chance.

The winner: Great Barrier Reef can be considered comfortably the best horse in this field given he tracked over all the way from stall three. He was always prominent and given that he covered more ground than any other horse his finishing effort was particularly impressive. A step up to seven furlongs will suit him well.

The form looks strong, but the niggling concern would be his trainers comment that he “clearly minds himself” indeed this was a different colt to the laboured winner at the Curragh in May, it could be he proves to be unreliable and given he’ll be a short-price wherever he heads next he is one I’ll try to oppose. 

Eye-catchers:Royal Heritage ran a tremendous race just six days after making his racecourse debut; he lacked the finishing kick of the winner but galloped powerfully throughout, despite being carried left by the winner. A half-brother to useful miler Lattam he might be capable of reversing this form over seven-furlongs.

One Night In Vegas had an ideal draw close to the stands rail but broke slowly and was shuffled further back than ideal, as a result he was delayed making his challenge before receiving a bump from the more sizeable Confucius, he’d have been closer without this troubled passage and is worth persisting with. He will head to the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood next.

The Harv endured the most troubled passage, finding a wall of horses hard to negotiate; he showed a good finishing burst once in the clear and would be of interest over this trip next time.

The winner: Victorious was another Ballydoyle winner who defied the draw. A winner over six-furlongs on her two previous starts she coped with the drop to five furlongs in the manner of a very classy filly, her dam sire is Galileo so stepping back up in distance will prove no problem, indeed there are many similarities between her and last year's winner True Love.

She is comfortably the smartest juvenile filly to have appeared so far and I find it hard to envisage a scenario where I’m compelled to oppose her this season.

Eye-catchers: Like the winner Senorita Bonita was not favoured by the draw, her performance can be upgraded and if avoiding Victorious she’s capable of landing a group contest this season.

Velozee improved from her debut but there’s reason to think there might be more to come, from a good draw he was forced to traverse towards the middle of the track in the closing stages and this will not have been to her benefit.

The winner: King Of Cloughan had to wait a long time before finding daylight in which to make his challenge and as a result many will assume his performance needs upgrading. However, a lack of room might have been a blessing in disguise as there was a noticeable pace collapse late on from which he benefitted.

A runner-up over seven furlongs on his previous start it would look logical to explore group races over that trip next time. Over six furlongs in a more evenly run race he would be vulnerable.

Eye-catchers:Green Sovereign was luckless in his passage and was unable to challenge until it was all too late he made giant inroads once in the clear and would be of serious interest in a similar grade next time.

The winner: A baffling race that lost plenty of interest when the short-priced favourite Aix La Chapelle was withdrawn after getting upset in the stalls. Nola Soul had taken a keen grip when winning on debut and was even keener this time, looking for sure that his inefficient style would compromise his finishing effort.

However, it’s to his enormous credit that he was able to fend off all challenges to win by a gritty half-length. Given that those in behind finished in close proximity to each other my suspicion is that this form might not be the most robust, particularly if he continues with over-exuberant early splits. I think the smart play will be to oppose him next time.

Eye-catchers: Very little caught the eye here bar On Just Terms, making his racecourse debut he showed signs of immaturity when slowly away before finishing best of all. He’d look capable of reversing this form if he were to meet the winner again.

The winner: Libertango flew home from a seemingly impossible position, in doing so marking herself out as a seriously exciting prospect. Unlike The King Of Cloughan she showed an ability to quicken into an already quickening pace having had to switch to make her challenge.

There is stamina for a mile in her pedigree and given how well she saw out this trip I’d be surprised if connections don’t explore seven furlongs later this season. She’s by some distance the best domestic filly.

Eye-catchers: Sun Goddess came to win her race despite hindering her efforts by hanging, she had no time to respond to the fast finishing winner, but at the same time it’s hard to consider her ‘mugged’. Victorious is the better Ballydoyle filly.

Light Of Dawn wilted inside the final half-furlong. Her debut win at Carlisle was just eleven-days prior so she may do better yet, possibly even dropped to five-furlongs.

The winner: I opposed Orthodox on account of the fact that he looked circumspect in the prelims before his Salisbury win, he coped with the atmosphere here well and created a big impression when charging home to win by an ever expanding three and a half lengths. 

Afterwards his, usually reserved, trainer Clive Cox struggled to hide his excitement about this colt, suggesting that a trip to France for the Prix Robert Papin, would come next. There are no question marks over this form and I’m certain he’s as good as he looks.

Eye-catchers: Social Symbol was given rather a lot to do and despite finishing with real urgency could only run into fourth, to my eye he shaped like the second best horse in the race and will be on my