Who will Gewan?

GEWAN (GB) 118

g c Night Of Thunder – Grey Mystere (Lethal Force)

Gewan’s 25/1 SP when winning the Dewhurst suggests that win came out of the blue, but that is far from the truth, with the powerfully built grey making a big impression when winning the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York and easy to back only after suffering a shock reverse in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, but for which he would have been among the favourites for the Newmarket contest. 

Whatever the reason he didn’t fire in the Champagne, Gewan produced a career best to beat Gstaad, Distant Storm and Zavateri in the Dewhurst and that form stacks up really well, as you’d expect of the most prestigious Group 1 in the British juvenile calendar. Gewan was acquired by Zhang Yuesheng after his Acomb win and had a remarkably similar campaign to the stable’s recent 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean, with Andrew Balding also keen to draw comparisons. The ground was unusually fast for the Dewhurst and such a surface clearly suits Gewan, so his chances in the Guineas will certainly be enhanced by a dry spring. 

Andrew Balding

ZAVATERI (IRE) 114

Without Parole – Zeroua (Siyouni)

Zavateri might not be easy to place as a three-year-old but Epsom-based owners Mick and Janice Mariscotti are entitled to dream of Classic glory for a colt who won the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh to add to a brace of Group 2 wins at Newmarket (July Stakes) and Goodwood (Richmond Stakes). He coped well with the July Course but seemed to get unbalanced when fourth to Gewan in the Dewhurst on the Rowley Mile and that would be a worry should he go back for a crack at the Guineas. On the other hand, he certainly didn’t fail for stamina in the Dewhurst and should stay a mile well on pedigree, admitting that his well-bred dam didn’t race.

Eve Johnson Houghton

DISTANT STORM(GB) 112

ch c Night Of Thunder – Date With Destiny (George Washington)

If the romance of racing is what draws you to the sport, then Distant Storm is a colt you will cheer until you’re hoarse. By Guineas hero Night of Thunder out of the only offspring of the brilliant but ill-fated “Gorgeous” George Washington, he’s related to some talented performers, but might be the best his dam has produced. Date With Destiny is well named, being the only foal of Guineas winner George Washington out of the Flawlessly. She herself was placed in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield and has produced the useful miler Classic as well as Beautiful Morning, winner of the Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh, but there is a feeling that she might just produce a superstar worthy of the rarity value of her own conception. 

Distant Storm’s best effort came when winning the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket by 4¾ lengths from Commander’s Intent, and he matched that form with a close third in the Dewhurst Stakes won by Gewan (also placed behind that rival in the Acomb), again keeping on well, and he will stay 1m well next year. His trainer knows how to get the best out of his runners, and he won’t fail at Newmarket for lack of preparation, while the sharp turn of foot he showed when winning on his penultimate start will allow him to win good races next year, even if falling shy of Classic standard.

Charlie Appleby

WISE APPROACH (IRE) 112

b c Mehmas – Sagely (Frozen Power)

At 1m gns, Wise Approach is the most expensive progeny of Mehmas to go through the sales ring and he justified the outlay with a hugely promising first season, winning the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury and much improved when adding the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes to his CV in the autumn, emulating his half-brother Perfect Power in winning the latter contest. Unlike Perfect Power, he was unable to win the Prix Morny, but he ran a fine race to be a very close third to Venetian Sun and Gstaad in the Deauville contest.

Perfect Power was able to add the Commonwealth Cup to his juvenile heroics and that race looks the most obvious target for Wise Approach, who is unlikely to stay a mile and may even cope with the drop to five furlongs given his speed.

Charlie Appleby

BOW ECHO (IRE) 111p

b c Night Of Thunder – Aristocratic Lady (Invincible Spirit)

Bow Echo is unbeaten in three starts, landing the Listed Ascendant Stakes at Haydock in September before adding the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket by a length from Humidity. George Boughey made it clear after Newmarket that he was finished for the season with the 2000 Guineas his primary target in the spring for a horse he described as “by the far the best colt” he’s trained.

It’s hard to tell quite how good he could be but his professionalism may mask his raw ability to some degree, the fluency of his wins as impressive as his demeanour. He’s earned a crack at the Guineas and his sire won that race having achieved a fair bit less than he has as a juvenile. NightOof Thunder took in the Greenham before providing a 40/1 shock in the Newmarket Classic, but George Boughey doesn’t envisage this exciting colt needing a run in a trial, so expect him to go straight to Newmarket.

George Boughey

VENETIAN SUN (IRE) 110p

b f Starman – Johara (Iffraaj)

Karl Burke had a tremendous year with his juveniles in 2025 but none made quite the same impression as Venetian Sun, who won her first four races, namely a minor event at Carlisle in May, the Group 2 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket in July and Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville in August, where she got the better of a tight finish with Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad.

Venetian Sun’s one defeat came in an unsatisfactory Moyglare Stud Stakes, where she got caught in a pocket and got racing room too late to throw down a challenge to Precise. Her reputation may have suffered a small blow that day, but the victory of Gstaad in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was a reminder of how brilliant she was on her day. She is simply too good not to aim at the 1000 Guineas and while her pedigree is a speedy one, she was going on at the end of 7f in the Moyglare and settles well enough behind the pace to think she could stretch out to a mile in May.

Karl Burke