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Ones to watch
Spotted by the Trackside team this summer and autumn here is a selection of well-bred two-year-olds, names to keep an eye on as exciting prospects for 2025
ALOBAYYAH
Ghaiyyath-Aquatinta (Samum) T: William Haggas
O: Rabbah Bloodstock Limited
B: Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
A late-season Yarmouth-winning debutante can never be dismissed and Alobayyah immediately entered the notebook following an emphatic success in a mile fillies’ novice run at the track in late October.
Bought for 110,000gns in the Tattersalls October Book 2 Yearling Sale 2023, the filly is a similar stamp to her first-season sire Ghaiyyath and boasts a strong black-type German pedigree.
Whilst the Kildangan Stud-based stallion has only achieved five individual winners in the UK and Ireland to date, these include the Group 2-placed Stanhope Gardens and the exciting Gethin, who earned the highest Timeform rating of the season so far for a debut juvenile when scoring at Nottingham.
It could be a landmark year at stud for Darley’s Ghaiyyath in 2025, with the first crop expected to progress as three-year-olds and Alobayyah is poised to be part of it.
ANGELO BUONARROTI
Justify-Curlylocks (Galileo)
T: Ralph Beckett
O: Amo Racing
B: Orpendale/ Chelston/Wynatt
Angelo Buonarroti entered the “stand out” list from the moment he entered the Royal Ascot pre-parade ring for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes.
It was clear to see why connections were happy to throw the colt in deep waters on his debut – the Justify colt displayed a professionalism well beyond his years.
Angelo Buonarroti, who was a €1 million purchase from the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, fills the eye with his scope and quality, and exploits on the track have matched his looks.
He finished a respectable ninth in the Coventry Stakes (G2) before victory in the Convivial Maiden Stakes at York. The striking chestnut then found the undulations of Newmarket’s dip a little challenging when staying on for third in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes.
He looks a tailor-made middle-distance performer for next year. Take the Derby ante-post odds, you heard it here first!
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE
Too Darn Hot-Precious Ramotswe (Nathaniel)
T: John & Thady Gosden
O: Godolphin
B: Hascombe & Valiant Stud
The importance of the All-Weather for a Classic campaign was brought to the fore this season with Godolphin’s Notable Speech recording three victories at Kempton before taking the 2000 Guineas on his Turf debut.
With that in mind, it was interesting to see Devil’s Advocate record a seven-and-ahalf length victory at Chelmsford over 1m2f in mid-October on his second career outing.
A well-balanced son of Too Darn Hot, Godolphin purchased the colt for 350,000gns as a yearling and he boasts a stamina-laden page being out of Group 3 Bronte Stakes winner Precious Ramotswe.
It would be a tough ask for Devil’s Advocate to match the exploits of the fellow Godolphin-owned Classic winner, but the son of Justify was a second top-priced lot at this spring’s Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, and he could just be money well spent combination of speed and stamina within his pedigree and obvious potential makes him an interesting proposition for next season.
HUMAM
Kodiac-Her Honour (Shamardal)
T: Andrew Balding
O: Al Shaqab Racing & Partner
B: Peter & Hugh McCutcheon
Autumn’s Two-Year-Old Day at Newmarket tends to throw up an exciting prospect and this year’s fixture was no exception, with multiple winners across the card earning quotes for next year’s Classics.
Humam, third in the 7f novice contest, caught the eye and our Trackside Paddock Notes comment reads “Powerful colt, deepchested and will come forward”.
A half-brother to the Charlie Fellowestrained Group-winning sprinter Vadream (Brazen Beau), the colt took a keen hold in the early stages and stayed on well to finish third behind Treble Tee, subsequently touted as a possible 2000 Guineas horse.
Humam demonstrated a relaxed and professional attitude, but any future pre-race antics would not be a major concern – Vadream was well-known for her exuberant gymnastic displays in the preliminaries.
NIGHTWALKER
Frankel-Sleep Walk (Oasis Dream)
T: Sir Michael Stoute (John and Thady Gosden)
O: Juddmonte
B: Juddmonte Farms Ltd
With trainer Sir Michael Stoute now retired it was little surprise to see the fellow Newmarket training combination of John and Thady Gosden announced as 2025’s prospective handler of the Juddmonte Farms bred and owned filly Nightwalker.
Out of an Oasis Dream half-sister to the St Leger winner Logician (handled by the same yard), the grey progressed considerably in physical appearance from his win at Yarmouth to placing third in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket on Dewhurst day.
He remains a “work in progress” –with a green attitude in the paddock and conformation that suggest further improvement is likely – but there is little doubt that a Group success would be well-within his capabilities as a threeyear-old
RADIO STAR
Starspangledbanner-Vives Les Rouges (Acclamation)
T: Ollie Sangster
O: Nbr 6, Carr, Gill & Partners
B: Liam Phelan
First noted in the Trackside Paddock Notes at Glorious Goodwood, “Will have some growing to do but stands out as a compact, sprinting type. Excellent attitude for a filly having her first run”, Ollie Sangster’s Radio Star presented like a filly who could pick up an end-of-season nursery before a successful three-year-old campaign.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner is a half-sister to useful sprinter Rohaan (Mayson) – who only found winning form in the December of his juvenile campaign before taking multiple Group races at three. While she might not reach the heights of her esteemed half-sibling, there is definitely more to come from Ollie Sangster’s filly and she might stay in training over the winter.
SMOKEN
Too Darn Hot-Miss Marjurie Marju)
T: Ralph Beckett
O: Andrew Rosen, Marc Chan & Mrs S Rogers
B: Highview Bloodstock Ltd/A Swinburn
The maiden at Nottingham held during mid-October has an excellent record for producing a future Group performer, with both St Leger victor Eldar Eldarov and Champion Stakes hero King Of Steel making successful debuts in the contest.
Trainer Ralph Beckett also boasts an impressive strike-rate at the course and so it was perhaps notable that he chose to send his Too Darn Hot filly Smoken for the EBF mixed sex maiden, rather than targeting the fillies’ equivalent on the same card.
Out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Soviet Song, Smoken hails from the family of Marsha and demonstrated her liking for a softer surface when following up in the mile Listed Montrose Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket in early November.
Her page makes it difficult to identify future targets, but the filly clearly operates on slower ground, which could be a key asset next season.
TROIA
Kingman-Umniyah (Shamardal)
T: Ed Walker
O: Fittocks Stud and Andrew Bengough
B: Fittocks Stud and Andrew Bengough
Desert Flower may have taken the headlines on Fillies’ Mile day at Newmarket (give us a four-page spread on her, she’s a team favourite), but there was plenty to see on the supporting card.
The Ed Walker-trained Troia had previously caught the eye on debut when taking a 6f Newbury maiden in comfortable fashion.
Subsequently declared a non-runner on soft ground for two later assignments, the daughter of Kingman was unfancied in the market for the 6f Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes on good-to-soft, but she out-ran expectations powering through the line to steal fourth behind Merrily.
A big-bodied filly, who looks like she’ll develop physically over the winter, it would be no surprise to see Troia turn up and perform commendably in one of the Guineas trials on faster spring ground.
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