It’s looking so bright for Johnston on the Downs
WHEREAS the quality two-year-olds wait for Royal Ascot, the whizz-bang youngsters invariably head for the Woodcote Stakes (2.10pm) over the fastest six furlong downhill dash in Britain. With all eight runners being previous winners, we are looking at ready-made material rather than scopey individuals who might make up into Group winners.
Mark Johnston has won this race in the past and he could again be on the mark with FULBRIGHT, who is all about speed, being a son of the Aussie trailblazer Exceed And Excel and closely related to Diadem Stakes runner-up Baltic King. Fulbright was beaten two lengths by Caspar Netscher on his debut at Beverley, but it was a lack of experience which brought about his downfall, and he showed how much he had learned from that when bolting up at Musselburgh 10 days later.
Caspar Netscher, subsequently beaten by Misty Conquest when favourite to follow-up at Newmarket, will struggle to confirm the Beverley form with our selection, who has made great strides since.
There is bound to be plenty of pace on from the start, and the race could be run to suit Norse Gold, who came from a mile back to win on his debut at Kempton. He was led out unsold from the sales ring, having only attracted a bid of 2,400 guineas as a yearling, but Norse Dancer has made an impressive start to his stallion career and people forget that he, too, won first time out as a two-year-old. He is also very well regarded by trainer David Elsworth.
It is always tough for a filly to beat a colt so early in the season, but Kevin Ryan has come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders and he had On The Dark Side well tuned up for her debut at Catterick, where, though making hard work of justifying favouritism, she was only idling in front. There is certainly more to come from this daughter of Kheleyf.
Mick Channon’s Princess Banu will definitely be the smallest in the field, but she showed that she has an engine when beating subsequent winner Royal Blush at Newmarket. She then probably bit off more than she could chew against Miss Work Of Art in a Listed race at York, but last time out she was only beaten a neck by a hotpot of Richard Fahey’s at Newcastle. Because of her size, or lack of it, this could be her FA Cup Final.
Stan Moore, who paid only 3,500 Euros for Evervescent, got him ready for the Brocklesby at Doncaster, only to have to pull out because of ringworm. Evervescent built on a promising Goodwood debut to win at Haydock, and he might be better than just a sharp early season sort.
We can forget Miss Muga, who, though a dual winner, has only won a seller and a claimer, but plating king Bill Turner has a money-spinner in He’s So Cool, who either side of winning at Doncaster and Newcastle, was only three lengths off Royal Ascot-bound Lily’s Angel at Chester having missed the break.