Juvenile Watch: Ross Millar is taking on the Gimcrack favourite

Venetian Prince shed his maiden tag at the second time of asking when winning theTattersalls £40,000 EBF Novice Stakes at Newbury on Saturday. The form of his debut sixth at Newmarket could hardly have worked out better with the second, third, fifth and seventh all winning on their next starts. He duly followed suit and took a big step forward for that initial experience, breaking smartly from the stalls and travelling comfortably at the head of the field. 

He responded well for pressure in the closing stages and never looked like getting beat, though he still struck me as a colt that is learning on the job. He also didn't appear to fully extend and briefly hung to his left under pressure.

His pedigree suggests he’ll improve when facing a mile or further as a three-year old and I’d be confident that he has plenty of improvement to come. A race like the London Gold Cup Handicap at this track next spring might well be a realistic long-term target. He isn’t flashy, but I’m sure he’ll win plenty of races. 

As with the other summer Festivals, I’ll separate the Sky Bet Ebor Festival previews into two parts. Look out for my other column later this week. Good luck, and don't forget to enjoy all the action live on Racing TV.

This doesn’t look an overly deep contest for a Listed race at the York Ebor meeting on a Saturday, with Coolmore declining to run all three of their entrants.

Dickensian has only won once from his four starts but, bar a poor effort at Ascot on his second outing, he’s been a consistent performer and his second place effort in the Windsor Castle is just about the best piece of form on offer.

He failed to cope with Lady Iman at Goodwood in the group three Molecomb Stakes on his latest run but still emerged with real credit, and is surely better than his official rating of 96 so the fact his trainer Kevin Ryan, who targets this meeting, elects to run him here rather than in a nursery boosts my confidence. This fast five-furlongs will suit, plus I’m hoping that Lady Iman will give his form a boost in the Nunthorpe on Friday.

Selection: Dickensian.

Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of Do Or Do Not, he’s talented and thoroughly consistent. I certainly wouldn’t begrudge him shedding his maiden tag here. 

However, I’m not sure this drop back in trip on a speed-based track is certain to suit and given his relatively cramped odds I’m going to look elsewhere.

Comical Point showed some good late work over a stiff five-furlongs at Salisbury to win on debut and then backed that up with an improved effort when a strong finishing fifth in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

His latest effort at Newmarket in the July Stakes was a disastrous effort as he raced far too freely at the head of affairs.

I’m prepared to overlook that run and instead prefer to judge him on his first two starts; on that basis this fast six-furlongs should suit him well and unlike the favourite he is in possession of tactical speed.

He can strike for Andrew Balding who has already bagged the Acomb this week.

Selection: Comical Point.

Royal Fixation holds the single strongest piece of form in this race by virtue of her fast finishing second to Venetian Sun in the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket last month. However, she was doing all her best work in the closing stages so at a best-priced 5/4 I’m prepared to listen to the small doubt that this speed track may not play to her strengths. I’ll look elsewhere at an each-way price. 

Come On Eibhlin has plenty to find on the figures but it was hard not to be impressed by the speed she showed when winning at Windsor, even if the wild jink away from the whip when hanging leaves a query against her temperament. The runner-up Gwen John won comfortably on her next start and I’ll be surprised if Come On Eibhlin doesn’t have plenty of improvement in her. She’s clearly held in some regard by her trainer who deemed it appropriate to let her make her debut in the Queen Mary, where to her credit she was far from disgraced when finishing ninth. 

At 25-1 she appeals from an each-way angle. 

Selection: Come On Eibhlin (each-way).

Anthelia has already captured one sales race, The Super Sprint at Newbury, and I fancy her to add this to her collection. Her finishing effort over the five-furlong trip at Newbury strongly suggests that this step-up in trip will suit her well. Her previous try over six-furlongs wasn’t strong but that came when shouldering a penalty in a race where slow early fractions meant she was disadvantaged when trying to close down fillies that had been ridden more prominently. 

Her trainer is enjoying yet another fine season with his juveniles and can land yet another good pot here. 

Selection: Anthelia.

Distant Storm was the winner of the Newmarket maiden in which Venetian Prince finished sixth in so, given how well that form has played out, it’s no surprise that he’s been well supported since the five-day declaration stage.

He’s clearly well regarded by connections, too, with trainer Charlie Appleby on record saying: “Distant Storm is one of the nicest breeze-up horses I’ve seen with an eye to the future.” 

However, given his relative lack of experience, I want to oppose him at his current price of 6-4. 

Goodwood Galaxy was one of my eyecatchers from the Qatar Goodwood Festival. He was strong at the finish when fourth in the Coral Vintage Stakes having endured an interrupted passage through the race. 

Slowly away, he was obliged to race at the rear of the ten-runner field and found himself locked away next to the rail. This meant Oisin Murphy had to wait until meeting the cutaway before making his move, and even then the gaps were not forthcoming. Instead, he had to traverse to his left before making his run, by which time it was all too late. I was impressed with his finishing effort, though, particularly inside the last half furlong. The Vintage Stakes represents a strong piece of Group Two form, and it was well boosted by the runner-up, Morris Dancer, last Wednesday when he obliterated the field in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury. 

This Group Three represents a drop in class for Goodwood Galaxy and with the benefit of experience, and the modus operandi of his trainer, it’s reasonable to think he can improve again. 

I fancy him to cause an upset under David Probert. 

Selection: Goodwood Galaxy.

I think a return to six furlongs, and a return to York, can see First Legion get back to winning ways. 

I believe he did well to make a winning debut over this course and distance in May when having to come from behind a wall of horses, and having to extricate himself from a blind pocket, meaning plenty of his rivals got first run on him. 

He eventually won with a degree of ease and ran powerfully through the line. I was therefore surprised that he was dropped to five furlongs for his next three starts, and he produced his best effort from those three outings when a fast-finishing second in the Star Sports National Stakes at Sandown where he again found himself short of racing room at a crucial time. 

He’s not matched those efforts since, but on the balance of his form, a rating of 94 does not look unreasonable for his handicap debut. 

Selection: First Legion.