Three things we learnt at Newmarket on Wednesday

Charlie Appleby’s well-bred Frankel colt made light work of his three rivals in the 1m2f maiden on his third start, cantering to a 15-length victory under William Buick, and whilst he was entitled to win comfortably having been sent off the 1-7 favourite, he could hardly have been any more impressive. This was a fourth win in the race over the past five years for the yard.

Last of five on debut, Study Of Words was then second at Goodwood on soft ground last month and that form does at least look relatively strong as the third and fourth have both since won.

His grandam Discourse was a wide margin of the Sweet Solers Stakes on her second start and was tried in the 1000 Guineas on her final start, whilst he is also from the family of this year’s Group Three Princess Royal Stakes winner Silent Love.

She should have every chance of staying further and it will be interesting whether or not Charlie Appleby’s colt takes in a handicap on his next start or if he dips his toe into Stakes company.

There is no doubt that the Charlie Johnston-trained Explosion had proved a shrewd purchase for the Kingsley Park Owners Club, having been picked up for just 6,000gns as a yearling at Tattersalls in December.

He was unlucky not to land the hat-trick in the most valuable race of the day, the 1m2f nursery handicap, having been first past the post by a head, only for the stewards to reverse the placings with Brian Meehan’s Bourbon Blues due to interference.

Johnston’s juvenile, who despite his cheap price tag, is out of Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Pleascach, was up 8lb for his win at Chelmsford and showed a good attitude to ‘win’ the race. This was not strongly-run, but he is another that is ground versatile and is likely to stay further. He can continue to be competitive off this sort of mark.

The penultimate race on the card, the one-mile novice, was won in good style by Ed Walker’s Golden Knight.

The son of Camelot made all the running and looks like he may live up to the billing of the race’s ‘Future Stayers’ title as he was not stopping running past the winning post and his pupil assistant Matty Hicks indicated post-race that he should stay a mile and a quarter at least next year. This contest was won by Hurricane lane in 2020, whilst Almaqam finished fourth two years ago.

Golden Knight is superbly bred, from the further family of Group One winners Dank and Sulk and it was hard not to be impressed by the manner of his victory over some well-bred debutants from the yards of John and Thady Gosden, and Andrew Balding, as well as the previous dual runner-up Poetry Of Time.

“He did everything very professionally and relaxed nicely in front”, said Hicks. “It looks like he’ll stay well and he took a while to pull up. Kieran was very happy with his temperament. He’s been to the breeze-ups [€220,000] and is a big scopey horse for next year.

Hicks added: “We’ve not pressed him at home yet but we knew he was a nice type. He should stay ten furlongs next year and potentially further.”