Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 20 May 2024

Hi there

Last Friday was one of the most absorbing days of racing that I have seen in a long time.

Quite why we had an afternoon clash of meetings at three top-tier tracks – Newbury, Newmarket and York – is beyond me but there were plenty of intriguing maiden races, some of which are likely to produce Group-class performers.

Then on Saturday we had the London Gold Cup, a race that in recent years has been won by subsequent high-class winners Bay Bridge, Headman and Time Test. Roger Charlton had sent out the winner of this race three times and on Saturday his son Harry’s name was alongside King’s Gambit, who will be rated in the low 100s following this four-lengths’ defeat of Poniros.

This son of Saxon Warrior is out of a mare by Storm Cat, from a family best up to a mile, so despite the ease of his success King’s Gambit is not necessarily going to improve for a step up in trip.

Royal Ascot’s Hampton Court Stakes, over ten furlongs, looks the right race for him.

On Friday there were horses of interest all over the place.

It takes something a little bit special to win a Newbury 2yr old maiden contest by three lengths at this time of year, so I would not be too disparaging of the initial offer of 20/1 about Mr Chaplin for the Coventry Stakes.

Ralph Beckett’s son of Without Parole had shaped well when fourth on his debut over 5f at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting and he clearly relished this extra furlong.

The following 7f novice stakes for 3yr olds went to 80/1 chance Monkey Island who, despite his lengthy odds, was not unfancied by trainer Brian Meehan or the owners. The son of Starspangledbanner had shown promise on his racecourse debut at Ascot last September and his trainer had given him entries for the Royal Lodge Stakes and the Futurity Trophy.

Some trainers make frivolous entries or are obliged to enter horses on behalf of ambitious owners, but Meehan is not one of them and the gelding had been working very well at home. He rewarded those of you who follow the Sleeper section of the Weekend Card.

I was very taken by the run of French Duke, runner-up in the first division of the 1m 2f maiden stakes. It is quite rare to see an inexperienced horse fight back with such tenacity after racing so keenly, and he is bred to get further.

He will, of course, need to learn to settle but this was the quicker of the two divisions and the winner Hosaamm had run third last season to last week’s Musidora Stakes fourth La Pasionaria at Salisbury in October.

There was a great deal to like about the manner in which Rhetorical won the second division. The son of Wootton Bassett took a while to respond but there was just a hint of a turn of foot inside the final furlong and his three winning half-brothers all stayed well.

Looking ahead to the Derby, if the race weren’t the Derby it would not be attracting anything like the column inches that it is.

You can never be sure about such things, but it’s a reflection of the apparent lack of strength in the opposition that market confidence has built up again behind City Of Troy, a colt who finished 17 lengths behind the winner in the 2000 Guineas.

In fairness Ambiente Friendly was visually impressive at Lingfield but he had twice been beaten before that and the form is nothing special.

I’ll be looking at Capulet, who was very gutsy in the Dee Stakes at Chester, Dancing Gemini (who maybe aimed at France) and Voyage, but the main interest in the race is whether City Of Troy can redeem his reputation and live up to the high esteem in which he is held by his trainer.

I’m sure I will work something out by next weekend – Epsom has always been very lucky for me – but before then we have the Guineas meeting in Ireland and the joys of the bank holiday weekend at Cartmel’s first meeting of the season.

Bye for now

Marten

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