Timeform’s Paddock Notes from Royal Ascot 2024: Standout Two-Year-Olds Emerge
As the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting concluded, Timeform’s racing expert David Cleary collated his observations from the paddock, with a keen focus on the impressive two-year-old performers.
The ante-post markets for the first two Classics of 2025 paint a contrasting picture. In the 2000 Guineas, three colts sit at around 20/1 – Cadogan and Henri Matisse, who finished first and second in a maiden at the Curragh last month, and Kingofthehighseas, a son of Sottsass trained by Aidan O’Brien who is yet to make his racecourse debut.
However, the 1000 Guineas market has taken greater shape after the Royal Ascot festivities. O’Brien unveiled two exceptional juvenile fillies who appear poised to dominate their generation, at least in the short term, with the physique and pedigree to make a significant impact at three years old as well.
“Fairy Godmother’s miraculous victory in the Albany Stakes, prevailing by just three-quarters of a length after encountering significant trouble in running, was a standout performance. She quickened strongly in the final furlong to lead, suggesting she would have won by much further with a clear passage. Similarly, Bedtime Story produced a powerhouse display to land the Chesham Stakes by a commanding 9½ lengths, drawing clear from her rivals in the final quarter-mile with the ability to extend the margin further had her rider asked her to do so.”
Both fillies possess the physical attributes to suggest they will continue to shine as three-year-olds. Fairy Godmother, by Night of Thunder, is the more developed of the two at this stage, while Bedtime Story, by the mighty Frankel out of the dual Nunthorpe winner Mecca’s Angel, possesses a scope that indicates she may improve further with time.
Elsewhere on the Royal Ascot undercard, the Coventry Stakes saw a blanket finish, with the form harder to assess due to the field splitting into two distinct groups. The paddock pick, the well-bred and imposing Angelo Buonarroti, showed plenty of promise on debut despite failing to trouble the judge.
In the Queen Mary Stakes, the heavily-backed Kassaya was denied a clear run, but remains one to watch at this level, while Oxford Rock caught the eye with her bold performance before weakening late on. The winner, Leovanni, stepped up significantly on her debut to land the prize, and looks sure to progress further.
The Norfolk Stakes provided another juvenile triumph for the north, as Ain’t Nobody, a proper sprinter on looks, produced a performance to match the Coventry and Queen Mary winners. Trainer Kevin Ryan will likely target the Gimcrack Stakes with this son of Sands of Mali.
As the new generation of racehorses begins to emerge, the Royal Ascot meeting has provided a tantalizing glimpse of the stars of tomorrow in the world of horse racing.
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