I was pleased with the performance of last year’s selections. Of those that have run, over 50% have won at least once either as juveniles or in the early part of their 3 year old campaign. Notable successes have been Green Agenda with 4 wins and Lovely Thought that won at 16/1. Other winners at nice prices include Cecily, Apple Charlotte, Take the Hint, Cartoon and Impressible, while Monitor Closely and Rose Diamond have run with credit in top class races. Of the rest Border Patrol has already won twice and I am optimistic that there is more to come from him.
Anyway, it is time to take a look at the fifty for 2009. I have mentioned Cecily as one of the winners from last season and I am pleased to include Virginia Hall a half sister to both Cecily and multiple 2 year old winner Violette. All punters have their favourite trainers and Sir Mark Prescott is one I like to follow. He places his horses astutely and I make no excuses for including some of his on my list. As well as Virginia Hall I am including 3 more from Sir Mark’s stable, Allanna Abu, Motrice and Interlace. Allanna Abu, by Dubawi, is a half sister to Alambic a 6 times winner as a 3 year old up to 1 mile 6. Motrice a grey filly by Motivator is a half sister to a number of winners including Affaire D’Amour who won 4 times over 2 miles back in 2002. Both of these horses look the types that Sir Mark will plan to campaign as 3 year olds so some patience will be needed in monitoring their progress. Interlace might well reward our support a little earlier. This filly is a full sister to Feet So Fast who was a favourite sprinter of mine a few years back. He won 4 times over 6 furlongs in the UK including the Shergar Cup Sprint and went on to race in Dubai where he kept up the good work winning 3 more races.
Another of last year’s winners was Apple Charlotte and I have included one for those with a sweet tooth this time with Qudwah, an Acclamation filly, trained by Michael Jarvis, and a half sister to both Bakewell Tart and Macaroon. Bakewell Tart won 4 races as a juvenile culminating in a listed win at Milan where the runner up was trained by Marco Botti’s father. I backed Bakewell Tart when he absolutely dotted up at Wolverhampton ridden by a little known 7 lbs claimer called Hayley Turner!
Bakewell Tart’s wins came in 2002 and another multiple 2 year old winner that season was Steelaninch who also won 4 races before going on to race in the USA winning at Santa anita as a 3 year old. Bryan Smart trains Exgray, a half sister to Steelaninch and by Exceed and Excel a sire that the trainer seems to like. Just going back to the cake theme for a moment one of Exceed and Excel’s more successful progeny last season was Mrs Kipling – but I digress!
Marco Botti has enjoyed a successful start to his training career in the UK, not surprising perhaps given that his father has been champion trainer in Italy on numerous occasions. Botti has an interesting 2 year old in his charge called Tomodachi who is a half sister to the dual Ayr Gold Cup winner Funfair Wane and is likely to possess plenty of speed. Funfair Wane carried the colours of Kevin Keegan’s wife Jean, and staying with the footballing theme I have included Texas Queen in my fifty. This one is trained by Mick Channon, who of course was a contemporary of Keegans in the England side of the 70s. Texas Queen a filly by Shamardal is a half sister to Atlantic Sport a listed 7 furlong winner for Channon.
Mike Channon used to train Championship Point who proved a profitable 2 year old to follow in 2005 winning a couple of times and went on to win at three, four and five with his victories including the Group 3 Huxley Stakes at Chester. Godolphin train Championship Point’s full brother Arabian Falcon who could be one to look forward to.
Another of my favourite trainers is Andrew Balding, another who places his horses well. I have two of his horses in my list, Chink of Light and Tartan Trip. The former is a colt by Dr Fong and a full brother to a tough horse called Kindling that used to be trained by Mark Johnston. Kindling was a typical Johnston horse who won as a two year old but went on to better things winning 3 races in his second season including a listed contest over 2 miles. Andrew Balding also trains Tartan Trip whose dam is a half sister to Border Music. Border Music always looked a talented individual but only really came into his own when tried on the all weather. In all he won 8 times with 7 of them coming on an artificial surface.
Amanjena would have been a profitable horse to follow as a three year old last season as she won two of her 6 starts at odds of 8s and 10s both over 10 furlongs. Amanjena is trained by Andrew Balding but her half sister Seeking Dubai, by Dubawi, is with Ed Vaughan. She is also a half sister to Presto Vento a winner of 4 races over the minimum trip as a 2 year old. She is likely to be a speedy early sort but one that will need more time is Brian Meehan’s Tulle. This Sinndar filly is a half sister to Lang Shining who has been something of an underachiever for Sir Michael Stoute but is undoubtedly talented. He won the Newbury Spring Cup over a mile last season. The dam’s brother Stream of Gold won the Lincoln in 2005 before going to race in the USA where he won at Gulfstream park.
One of the best horses trained by Mark Johnston was of course the filly Attraction and he now trains her first foal, by Cape Cross called Elation. If she is anything like as good as her mother, a winner of the English and Irish 1,000 Guineas as well as the Coronation Stakes, she will be one to follow.
Michael Bell has a half sister to Attraction in training Titivation. This one is by Montjeu, a son of Sadler’s Wells and may need middle distances and soft ground.
Another filly that rather caught the imagination of the racing public was Speciosa who won the 1,000 Guineas for her unfashionable trainer Pam Sly. Speciosa’s sister, Specific Dream is with Sir Michael Stoute so could hardly be in better hands.
There are a couple more from the same stable that I am going to be looking out for. Island Dreams , a Giant’s Causeway filly and half sister to July Jasmine who won as a juvenile for the stable, and King’s Parade who is out of a half sister to Tante Rose, rather a favourite of mine who won the Haydock Sprint Cup.
Another relation to Tante Rose is Dubawi Heights, trained by Simon Callaghan, and as the name suggests by the first season sire Dubawi.
Indian Ink won at Group 1 level both as a two year old and in her 3 year old campaign. In fact she absolutely romped away with a particularly strong renewal of the Coronation Stakes to win by 6 lengths in her favoured soft ground. Kaizan, a half sister to Indian Ink, and also to a one mile winner Navajo Joe, is in training with Michael Bell. He is by a first season sire Azamour and will probably do better as a three year old.
Miss Chaumiere is another filly with Michael Bell and has an interesting pedigree. She is by Selkirk out of Miss Corniche who I remember winning a 10 furlong listed race at Yarmouth at 9/1. She was trained by Geoff Wragg who of course retired last year. Wragg also trained Miss Eze who won as a juvenile last year and is a half sister to Miss Chaumiere. Usually the family are named after villages or landmarks in the Nice area of France but I believe that Chaumiere is a type of maison usually found in Normandy.
The giant Gentleman’s Deal won 9 of his 19 career starts with 8 of those wins coming on the all weather. He was certainly no mug and his wins included the Winter Derby. Michael Bell has the half sister Westernize.
Perhaps the horse I am most looking forward to is Brian Meehan’s Pin Cushion who comes from a family I have followed solely for years. The dam Frizzante won the July Cup and is a half sister to talented sprinters Zidane and Firenze. Pin Cushion is by Pivotal and is surely bred to win races. A lot of his progeny seem to prefer some cut in the ground.
Not many handicappers manage to graduate to winning at Group level but one that did was Macadamia. Trained by James Fanshawe she won the Royal Hunt Cup in 2003 and a few weeks later took the Group 2 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket. John Gosden trains her daughter, Kona Coast who is by Oasis Dream a winner of both the July Cup and the Nunthorpe.
At the time of penning these notes Sariska is a leading fancy for the Oaks having won the Musidora at York in good style. Zigato, a half brother to both Sariska and Gull Wing a listed winner at 14 furlongs, is with John Gosden and is another by Azamour. Zigato will probably need time to be seen at his best given his pedigree.
John Gosden is enjoying another tremendous year and it makes sense that he is well represented in my fifty. One fairly obvious Gosden filly to add to the list is American Spirit a half sister to Derby winner Authorized and also to the quite useful Empowered.
You will remember the brilliant filly Airwave that used to be trained by Henry Candy. She possessed a blistering turn of foot beating Russian Rhythm to take the Cheveley Park as a two year old she also won in each of the subsequent 3 years including the Temple Stakes. Her half sister Cloud’s End, also half sister to Kangarilla Road, is with William Haggas and is another by Dubawi.
Simianna was likable sprinter a few years back. She always gave of her best and had a liking for Chester where she won a listed race in 2004. She was trained by Alan Berry who also has her son Anna’s Boy. He is one of two on my list from this yard, the other being Red Roar a half sister to another stable star in Look Busy who at the time of writing has won 9 races over the minimum trip including a Group 3 at The Curragh.
I have decided to include two horses that are out of dams that are half sisters to George Washington. An added bonus is that they are both by sires that I like. Half Sister (R Hannon) by Oratorio and On The Cusp (M Jarvis) by Footstepsinthesand.
You will have noticed that I am including a number of horses by Dubawi who I think could be a successful sire. One thing to note about Dubawi is that he won all 3 of his starts as a juvenile so may well get his share of 2 year old winners. Another from this source is Afsare trained by Luca Cumani . He is a half brother to Trip the Light who won 3 times last season as a 3 year old and stays 14 furlongs.
The Cole Porter song Miss Otis Regrets has been sung by artists as diverse at Edith Piaf and Lonnie Donegan; Nat King Cole and Brian Ferry. I certainly had no regrets when I backed Miss Otis on her racecourse debut at Windsor in 2006 as she won at 20/1. Her half sister Wigan Lane is with Richard Fahey and there are already some promising reports about her.
I have included two horses trained by Hughie Morrison that have a common link in that they have connections with winning sprinters.
Imperial Warrior is related to several winners including Wyatt Earp A winner of 8 races and I think he could be an early type so watch out for him in the next couple of weeks. Queens Grace should be another speedy type as the dam is a half sister to Sakhee’s Secret while the second dam is a half sister to Indian Trail. By way of a contrast one that is likely to take a fair bit more time is Henry Cecil’s Channel Squadron. This colt is by Sadler’s Wells and is a full brother to the high class stayer Septimus.
One of the trainers that I like to follow is Michael Jarvis and his filly Marrayah has an interesting pedigree. She is a half sister to a couple of two year old winners and her dam is an unraced half sister to the Group 1 winners Youmzain and Creachadoir. Another exciting prospect is the Oasis Dream colt Frozen Power. This Godolphin 2 year old is a half brother to the dual Guineas winner Finsceal Beo.
Henry Candy has had a great deal of success with his sprinters notably the likes of Corryborough and Oldjoesaid. One that could well carry on the tradition is Felsham a half brother to Oldjoesaid with a pedigree that is all speed.
The next pair are trained by John Dunlop Queen of Wands a half sister to the 3 year old winner King of Wands and Persian Heroine a half sister to several middle distance winners including Persian Lightning. Both these are likely to be longer term prospects.
Asian Heights had his injury problems and possibly never really reached his full potential but he was very smart on his day and his wins included the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes. Michael Bell trains Mountain Guest whose dam is a half sister to Asian Heights. This one comes from a family that improves with time.
There are few better trainers of 2 year olds than Richard Hannon and one of his that I think could win a race or two for us is Calypso Star. He is an Exceed and Excel colt who is a half brother to Ebn Reem who won as a juvenile and also as a 3 year old.
Illustrious Blue was something of a Goodwood specialist winning at the Sussex track 5 times. A versatile horse that won over trips from 7 to 10 furlongs he performed with credit on his visits to Dubai and earned his win in listed company in the Letherby and Christopher at his beloved Goodwood. Tom Tate now trains Leviathan a half sister to Illustrious Blue and also to Mullein a winner over 6 furlongs by Oasis Dream. Leviathan is another sired by Dubawi.
The next on my list is Opus Dei, quite well named as he is by Oasis Dream out of a mare called Grail that won over 12 furlongs in France. She is a half sister to Three Valleys that was a leading juvenile in 2003 winning both the Coventry and the Middle Park Stakes although he was disqualified from the latter for failing a drugs test. He was also runner up in the Dewhurst to Milk it Mick and eventually ended up in the USA winning 3 times at trips around a mile on firm ground. Opus Dei, trained by Alan McCabe is hopefully one that can be followed religiously!
Monitor Closely was on my list last season and although only winning once and that at skinny odds he has performed well in the highest company. William Haggas trains the half brother Abrasive. This one is beautifully bred being by Rock of Gibraltar and is also a half brother to the giant Stone of Scone and a full brother to Eclipse winner Mount Nelson.
Linngari was a listed winner at Haydock before going on his travels and winning in Dubai as well as winning at Group 1 level in Milan and Munich. His half brother Lingapour is with John Oxx and is one I have high hopes for. He is likely to be best on fast ground.
The classy Spacious won the Group 2 May Hill stakes as a juvenile and of course last season finished 4th in the 1,000 Guineas. John Gosden trains her full brother Tower who is also a half brother to Artimino.
You need nerves of Steel to follow unraced 2 year olds and some might say that this sort of list involves more than a degree of guesswork. It is fitting then that the last two horses on my list are Nerves of Steel (Paul Cole) and Guesswork (William Jarvis). Nerves of Steel is by Oratorio and is a half brother to Echo of Light a group 2 winner at Longchamp over a mile and also a Group 3 winner over both 9 and 10 furlongs when trained by Godolphin. Guesswork is a half sister to several winners. She is by Rock of Gibraltar and the dam is a half sister to 9 winners including Court Masterpiece who won the Sussex Stakes on his last appearance on the UK beating Soviet Song with Echo of Light back in 6th.
When compiling my list I ended up with 51 and as I really didn’t want to leave any of them out I will give you a bonus selection.
Jeremy Noseda trains Frivolity, a half sister to Byron, winner of the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes as a juvenile and the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood the following year. Frivolity is by Pivotal so clearly has the pedigree required to win races.
Good luck!
Picture by kind permission of the artist Jane Dunn
ahorse 