European Classic Prospects
Van the Man
The prospects of some of this year’s top European 2yos trained outside Ireland
are placed under the microscope
Photos: Healy Racing & Peter Mooney • Words: Rory Delargy
VANDEEK 119p
gr c Havana Gray – Mosa Mine (Exceed And Excel)
No British-trained two-year-old made a bigger impression in 2023 than Vandeek, with the imposing son of Havana Grey going unbeaten through four races which included Group 1 wins in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes, beating Ramatuelle in the former after the filly had got first run, and proving his effectiveness away from soft ground when beating Task Force by two and a quarter lengths in the Middle Park.
Simon Crisford has suggested that Vandeek could stay a mile, but James Doyle described him as a “pure ball of speed” after the Middle Park, and the jockey’s immediate reaction is the more reliable indicator of where this exciting colt will go, with the Commonwealth Cup surely the primary goal before taking on his elders in the top sprints. It may be that connections start him off in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury to see whether he’ll stay seven furlongs, and the ground tends to be testing for that fixture, which is clearly no issue for him, but a tilt at the Guineas may be a step too far.
Simon & Ed Crisford
ANCIENT WISDWOM (FR) 118
b c Dubawi – Golden Valentine (Dalakhani)
A €2m yearling and full brother to useful juvenile Intricacy out of Prix Minerve winner Golden Valentine from the family of Goldikova, Ancient Wisdom is bred to be smart, and was beaten only once in five outings, that coming when favourite for the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July, which has thrown up a host of subsequent black-type winners.
Given a break after Ascot, he impressed when beating Chief Little Rock by three and three-quarter lengths in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes and was supplemented for the Futurity, which he won in the manner of a stayer without really having to improve on that impressive Newmarket success. He will stay at least a mile and a quarter next season and is unlikely to develop into a serious challenger for the 2000 Guineas, with the Derby a more likely aim, although as a Group 1 winner, he could use Newmarket as his starting point.
Charlie Appleby
ROSALLION 116p
b c Blue Point – Rosaline (New Approach)
The Listed Pat Eddery Stakes won by Rosallion at Ascot in July proved a remarkably rich source of future winners, with the next five home all gaining black-type success subsequently, and three of the field enjoying Group 1 success: Sunway (Criterium International), Ancient Wisdom (Kameko Futurity) and Rosallion, who bounced back from defeat in the Champagne Stakes to land the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on his final start, again showing a most taking burst of speed from off the pace to beat Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Unquestionable.
The concern is that he does tend to take a strong hold, and he cost himself a winning chance in the Champagne by pulling too hard in a small field. He should just about stay a mile, for all Blue Point is likely to prove more of an influence for speed, but if he is to throw down a challenge for the 2000 Guineas, he will need to learn to settle better. He would make some appeal for the French Guineas should connections opt for that path, however, and it’s worth reiterating just how well his two-year-old efforts stack up.
Richard Hannon
ARABIAN CROWN (FR) 114p
b c Dubawi – Dubai Rose (Dubai Destination)
Another son of Dubawi, Arabian Crown improved as his stamina was drawn out, his sole defeat coming on debut over seven furlongs at Sandown. He won a soft-ground maiden over the same course and distance in July and followed up in the Listed Stonehenge Stakes (1m, good) at Salisbury the following month. He then stepped up to ten furlongs for the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket for his final outing, winning by five and a half lengths from Gasper de Lemos. It was a weak contest numerically, with only four runners, but Arabian Crown’s performance must go down as impressive, for all he was allowed to dictate.
He will aim for a Derby trial in the spring and Godolphin have largely avoided running their best Derby candidates against Coolmore-owned colts at Chester, so Sandown’s Classic Trial or the Dante Stakes at York are more likely targets for a staying type who reportedly shows little on the home gallops.
Charlie Appleby
BIG EVS 114
b c Blue Point – Hana Lina (Oasis Dream)
He might not be easy to place in 2024, but Big Evs deserves his spot due to his achievements as a juvenile, when winning the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood and the Group 2 Flying Childers at Doncaster before his greatest moment in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He was unable to lead in the Santa Anita contest but showed his usual speed to track the trailblazing Crimson Advocate and forged ahead as that rival weakened in the straight. Big Evs kept on well to the line and always looked likely to hold the late charge of Valiant Force in a race dominated by European challengers.
Until Santa Anita, there was a question of whether Big Evs could show his form if unable to dominate, largely due to a disappointing effort when taking on his elders in the Nunthorpe at York, but he dispelled than notion on his final start, and that helps open up his options, for all he looks as if even six furlongs may be too far given just how quick he is over the minimum. The King’s Stand rather than the Commonwealth Cup is where he is best aimed at Royal Ascot, with either the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket or the Temple Stakes at Haydock to choose from as a starting point for the season.
Mick Appleby
BIG EVS (HR)
RAMATUELLE (Fr) 113
ch f Justify – Raven’s Lady (Raven’s Pass)
There is little doubt that Justify is a name we will be hearing more and more of in breeding circles, with the US Triple Crown winner looking just as imperious as a stallion, with a pair of Group 1 winners at the Breeders’ Cup in Just FYI and Hard To Justify advertising his achievements and City of Troy flying the flag for him on the domestic front.
Ramatuelle is another looking sure to make her mark at the top level in 2024, and although beaten twice in her first season, narrow defeats to Beauvatier and Vandeek carry no shame and she was a wide-margin winner of pattern races at Chantilly in between those efforts, beating the prolific Zorken by five lengths in the Prix du Bois and equally impressive in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin the following month. She led everywhere bar the line in the Morny, and Vandeek did his bit for the form when winning the Middle Park Stakes on his next start. Ramatuelle has done all her racing over sprint trips, and her dam was best at six furlongs, but stayed further, and Christopher Head’s filly has every chance of staying the mile of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains even if that proves the limit of her stamina.
Christopher Head
BEAUVATIER (FR) 112p
b c Lope de Vega – Enchanting Skies (Sea The Stars)
The first foal of a ten-and-a-half-furlong-winning daughter of Sea The Stars, whose own dam is a half-sister to German champion Elle Danzig, Beauvatier looked an excellent prospect when getting the better of Ramatuelle in a minor event at Saint-Cloud (6f, good) in May. He won his next two starts at seven furlongs with ease and started evens favourite for the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on his final start but could finish only third behind Rosallion after being left poorly placed when the race began in earnest.
Despite being beaten at Longchamp, Beauvatier showed improved form, with he and Rosallion split by subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Unquestionable. He looks a leading contender for both the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Prix du Jockey Club, with his pedigree suggesting that ten furlongs ought to suit as a three-year-old.
Yann Barberot
TASK FORCE 111p
b c Frankel – Special Duty (Hennessy)
He may be unproven over further than six furlongs but Task Force looks the most exciting of the 2000 Guineas contenders in Britain based on the prospect for improvement as a three-year-old as much as the impression he made when finishing a fine second to Vandeek in the Middle Park Stakes. That effort came after winning a Salisbury maiden and a listed contest at Ripon, and while beaten, he came through with his reputation considerably enhanced.
The product of Guineas winners, he is bred to improve for stretching out in trip and Ralph Beckett was inclined to mind him after his Newmarket run rather than send him to the Dewhurst. He looked a work in progress as a juvenile, and although no match for Vandeek when beaten two and a quarter lengths, he very much took the eye in both the paddock and the race itself, with his trainer barely able to contain his excitement for the future.
Ralph Beckett
FALLEN ANGEL 110p
g f Too Darn Hot– Agnes Stewart (Lawman)
Karl Burke had an excellent time with his two-year-olds in 2023, with 36 individual winners from just 71 runners. He did particularly well with his fillies, with Darnation and Fallen Angel both looking top-notch prospects, but while the former is almost certainly in need of soft ground, Fallen Angel is more adaptable and she produced her best effort of the season when winning the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh (7f, yielding) in September. She had to quicken twice to score and impressed in the way she responded when joined by runner-up Vespertilio, coming away to win with authority after looking to face a stern challenge.
The Moyglare form is always strong and was soon boosted when third-placed Porta Fortuna won the Cheveley Park Stakes and then ran an unlucky second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf. Fallen Angel had shown her best form on quick turf prior to her Curragh success, but looks like she will cope with anything except perhaps heavy, and she should have no trouble staying a mile on the evidence of her strong finish there. She is favourite for the 1000 Guineas at the time of writing and while there is much water to flow under the bridge by May, she certainly deserves her ante-post position based on what she has achieved to date.
Karl Burke
FALLEN ANGEL (PM)
EBEN SHADDAD 109p
b c Calyx – Galileo’s Lady (Galileo)
John and Thady Gosden had a rather thin time of things with their juveniles in 2023, with their first turf winner coming in the shape of Eben Shaddad at the end of August. The son of Calyx failed to win in two subsequent starts but showed much-improved form when a four-and-a-half-length third to City Of Troy in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on his third and final outing.
Eben Shaddad started 25/1 for the Dewhurst and failed to lay a glove on the outstanding winner but is a substantial sort who hadn’t grown into his frame at two and is sure to do a fair bit better with time to strengthen up. His pedigree is a blend of speed and stamina but with Galileo as his dam-sire he seems certain to stay at least a mile, and his unraced dam is a full sister to Shakespear’sgalley, who won at up to two miles for Joseph O’Brien, while a half-sister, Lady Speightspeare, was a close third behind Tuesday in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
John & Thady Gosden
*Ratings reproduced by kind permission of Timeform