Newmarket hosts their annual Two-Year-Old Day on Wednesday, where six of the seven races are exclusively for juveniles. It is a fixture that has seen future stars in the past, such as Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane and Group 1 winning miler Lady Bowthorpe.
In the feature 1m2f Class 2 British EBF Ruby Anniversary Nursery Handicap (3:35), Charlie Johnston's Curran makes the journey down from Yorkshire in search of a third consecutive success. Beaten into fourth over a mile on debut, the son of Gleneagles has benefited from the step up to ten furlongs, recording a novice stakes double at Pontefract at the start of the month. He appears to be a very tough, straightforward juvenile and the expected soft ground conditions are unlikely to be a hindrance.
At a longer price, it may pay to consider Charlie Appleby's Emperor's Star. The yard is in flying form with a tremendous 50% strike rate (8-16) from the last fourteen days and this son of Sea The Stars looks like he will improve for the ten furlong trip. He is out of an unraced half-sister to top middle-distance performer Cloth of Stars and his maternal line is loaded with stamina. Gelded since a seven-furlong York fifth in late September, the juvenile broke his maiden in a sixteen-runner Chelmsford novice stakes on the third time of asking and has been tried on a variety of different surfaces. Although there are plenty of unknowns on his first start since a gelding operation, the current price of 6/1 about Emperor's Star is certainly an attractive proposition with the yard form in mind.
WIN: EMPEROR'S STAR
Richard Hughes' Palace Green catches the eye in the 1m2f Class 3 Visit racingtv.com Maiden Stakes (3:00). Although the colt unseated coming out of the stalls on debut at Newbury, he demonstrated a good level of form when beaten a length back into third at Bath on his second racecourse star. The son of Sea The Moon appeared to be going best of all at the two furlong marker, but faded in the closing stages and shaped as though there was further improvement to come. Although not at the dizzying heights of the aforementioned Appleby form, the yard is operating at a 27% strike rate and this colt appears capable of breaking his maiden over a longer trip.
WIN: PALACE GREEN
In the sole race for older horses, the 1m Class 3 Every Race Live On Racing TV Fillies' Handicap (4:10), it could be worth taking a risk on the lightly-raced Orzo for the Andrew Balding team. An impressive five-length winner on debut as a two-year-old at Kempton Park back in October 2021, she was not seen again on the track until a third at the same course in April this year. Although it would seem the filly struggles with niggling issues that keep her off the track, there is no doubting that she has demonstrated ability when racing and she could be well-handicapped in this field.
WIN: ORZO
It is difficult not to side with another Appleby horse in the 7f Class 4 Join Racing TV Now Novice Stakes (Colts & Geldings) (2:25) based on the yard form, and Point Sur is likely to be well-supported. The colt showed plenty of signs of inexperience on debut when fourth over course and distance, but shaped better than the bare result would suggest. The son of Too Darn Hot began to make headway at the halfway marker before running green when put under pressure by jockey Kevin Stott. He rallied well with the hood applied and finished within a length of the winner Sons and Lovers. Improvement is likely and the colt's Group standard siblings, New London and Al Nayyir, were both effective on softer surfaces.
WIN: POINT SUR
RACING & SPORTS SELECTIONS
RACE 1: SO LOGICAL
RACE 2: POINT SUR
RACE 3: PALACE GREEN
RACE 4: EMPEROR'S STAR
RACE 5: ORZO
RACE 6: FEIGNING MADNESS
RACE 7: MAFNOOD
