Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 2 September 2024

A lot has been written and said about Ryan Moore in recent weeks, with some justification given the initiative and skill he displayed in the case of City Of Troy at York.

Going back many years – to 1984 – I remember speaking to Robert Sangster in the moments after Sadler’s Wells beat the older Time Charter by a neck in the Eclipse, when I suggested that Pat Eddery made the difference between success and defeat. Sangster agreed, adding that it was for those narrow margins that he employed the services of a top-class jockey.

I have never had a lengthy conversation with Ryan Moore – I am not sure that many people have – but I did sit between him and former trainer David Wilson, who used to work with his father Gary, in the corner table of the restaurant just in front of the close circuit coverage at Newmarket sales a few years ago.

We were watching the yearlings going through the ring and Ryan, who hardly said a word, was writing extensive notes in his catalogue about each yearling as it came through. He did, though, listen to what David and I were saying about their physique and pedigrees.

He struck me as being both studious and highly attentive, and it is these qualities … along with many others … that make him such an important team player at Ballydoyle.

There was, though, a time when things did not run as smoothly. I recall his early days with Sir Michael Stoute when he was prone to leave his mounts too far out of their ground but now, aged 40, he is riding with his confidence at an all-time high.

Aidan O’Brien had conceded that it was not the plan to make the running on City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International, and it took great courage for Moore to do so given what happened when he did the same in the Guineas.

Then by contrast in the Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh on Saturday, he was last of the 24 runners two furlongs out and still looked a hopeless cause entering the final furlong only to finish with a flourish that got him up on the line.

In the case of Wigmore Street it was probably a case of how things panned out, with Moore a fortuitous beneficiary. However with City Of Troy this was a case of Moore taking it upon himself to seize the initiative and risk the inevitable criticism that would follow were he to get caught.

Indeed, and this needs further work, it seems to me that in recent weeks the Ballydoyle two-year-olds are being ridden more prominently than before, very much in the American style.

From their crop of youngsters I am very taken with Dreamy, who followed up her 7f maiden win at Goodwood with a success in the 1m Group 3 on Saturday. She had been very green on her debut and still looked as if she had lots to learn here, carrying her head high, but she pulled away inside the final furlong to beat a couple of 94-rated fillies and she is bred for middle distances. The trainer has spoken of her as an Oaks filly.

I mentioned three unraced two-year-olds in my Daily Bulletin service last week.

It was public knowledge that Sarab Star was very well regarded by Jack Channon – entries for three Group 1s and the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes told as much – but he went to 65 in running on Betfair when he looked beaten entering the final furlong at Salisbury on Friday before battling back close home to win by a short-head.

The race didn’t look anything special at first sight, but with 88-rated The Actor four and a half lengths back in fifth and the race won in a new juvenile course record time it would be best not to rush to any conclusions.

I’m not sure that Sir Michael Stoute has been racing this season but he seems to have a nice team of two-year-olds and Jonquil, ridden by Ryan Moore, made a winning debut in the 7f maiden at Sandown. The third home Tycoon, a son of Kingman trained by the Gosdens, caught the eye here.

Sir Mark Prescott seldom enters a two-year-old at Group level, but we had an indication of why Consent is in the Rockel and Fillies’ Mile when she made all to win the 1m novice stakes at Thirsk. She is bred to stay well.

I get the feeling that there are some useful juveniles around this season.

Bye for now

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