Ross Millar’s Juvenile Watch: Home in on Chateau

Ross has two tips for Glorious Goodwood plus nominates his star performer of the week and horses to follow in his weekly look at the two-year-olds.

Rocket Rodney is a short-priced favourite for the Markel Molecomb Stakes, having finished in front of Eddie’s Boy in both the Windsor Castle Stakes at Ascot and the Dragon Stakes at Sandown.

I wouldn’t be so sure he will confirm his superiority, though, and at I fancy Archie Watson’s colt, chalked up at 6-1, to get his revenge. The 5f trip at Ascot and Sandown represent far more of a test of stamina than races over the minimum trip at Goodwood.

Eddie’s Boy looked far more at home at Newbury last time when winning the Super Sprint, confirming to me that maybe he previously hadn’t seen out the trip that well at either Ascot and Sandown.

Having also shown a tendency to hang in the closing stages, it was also pleasing to see him run much straighter at Newbury. He looks overpriced to make it third time lucky against his familiar foe.

This week will be full of hard-luck stories so maybe it’s foolish to tip a horse in the Richmond Stakes that has a propensity for finding trouble in running. However, surely one of these days Chateau will have a race where he gets a dream run through?

He’s met trouble in running in three of his runs and yet remarkably has still managed to find a way to win in two of them. His fourth run saw him fly home to finish fourth in the Windsor Stakes at Royal Ascot, the form of which has a glow.

He looked even better when stepped up to 6f in a Listed contest at Newbury last time, despite once again suffering from a myriad of traffic problems. This is tougher and he won’t get away with finding trouble but if he can navigate a clear passage I’m confident he’ll prove to be more than capable of landing this under William Buick.

I can’t think the selection of Highbank will surprise many of you.

He delivered a hugely exciting debut performance on Saturday as he pulverised the opposition in what looked like a typically strong Newmarket maiden.

The Richard Hannon-trained The Parent was sent off a well-backed favourite after making a promising debut at Sandown, but he was readily swept aside by Charlie Appleby’s son of Kingman.

Highbank broke smartly and travelled professionally in rear. As they entered the last two furlong he was travelling by some way the best, but was stuck behind horses coming back to him.

His jockey, Jack Mitchell, had to rush him into a gap and then immediately snatch him up, before moving out to get a clear run home. Such a manoeuvre could reasonably have unbalanced Highbank, but he coped perfectly before showing a great burst of pace to accelerate clear.

His dam, Bristol Bay, was by Montjeu and has thus far produced progeny who have shown their best when racing over a mile or further, the best of them being Bay Of Poets – a Listed winner for Appleby.

Highbank galloped powerfully through the line and it looks like a mile will be well within his range.

In the immediate aftermath, his trainer nominated the Solario Stakes, at Sandown, as a likely target. Personally, I would be tempted to try him back in trip at six-furlongs, such was the speed he showed, with possibly the Middle Park back at Newmarket a logical end-of-season target. It’s foolish to get carried away on the back of one performance, particularly before the form is tested, but Highbank rates as an exciting prospect.

Also, a quick mention for another son of Kingman who also made a winning debut.

Nostrum made a good impression despite looking somewhat raw at Sandown. He showed a high cruising speed and demonstrated an equally good attitude to gallop powerfully through the line despite getting to the front sooner than ideal.

He’ll have no trouble getting further in time – his dam was placed in a Group Three over ten furlongs when trained by Amanda Perrett – and as with all Sir Michael Stoute-trained juveniles you can be sure there will be plenty of natural progression.

Piccadilly Circus (William Haggas)

Having broken slowly from the stalls, this son of Australia raced with a degree of awkwardness in the early stages of the 6f maiden won by Buccabay at Ascot.

He then lacked a bit of tactical pace in the middle part of the race meaning that the gap his jockey Tom Marquand was aiming to run into was taken by another runner.

He was one of the first to come under a full drive but eventually found his stride and finished to good effect to run into third place.

His dam, Piccadilly Filly, is a daughter of Exceed And Excel and raced at sprint trips herself, as have her three offspring. But Piccadilly Circus is by a far more stoutly bred sire than those of his siblings and a step up to 7f should see him capable of winning a similar contest.

Blue Yonder (Richard Fahey)

Slow starts have compromised this son of Gutaifan in each of his three races.

At Beverley, on his first start, he found himself with plenty of ground to make up. I was impressed by his effort from three furlongs out before he understandably weakened late on.

His second start showed a significant step forward as he made good late progress to stay on into third place over 6f at Hamilton. His most recent start at Chester, when a well-beaten seventh of nine, can be forgiven as he once again slowly away plus he didn’t handle the tight track.

He’s been given an opening mark of 65, which looks reasonable, especially after Catch The Paddy, who he finished five lengths behind him at Hamilton, bolted up on his nursery debut off a mark of 82 and has since been raised a further 8lb.

I expect Richard Fahey to find a winnable contest for him over six or seven furlongs in the near future.