The clocks are about to change and with the longer days and drying ground, the Flat season is about to click into gear. The first 2-year-old race of the European season takes place at Lyon-Parilly on Sunday and with so much potential on show, it is time to turn our attention to the Juveniles. There will be a full preview of that opening contest on this blog, but if there is one name to look out for in the early season 2-year-olds, then it is Marnane. The famous yellow and black silks are synonymous with pace, speed and precocity and the early months of the season, when the majority of the 2-year-old races are run over 900 to 1200 metres are the best time to follow them. In partnership with the Gudayer yard, they look to have a nice book of Juveniles for 2022 and I have highlighted a few to keep an eye out for in the next few weeks.
TEXAS HOLD’EM
2-year-old Colt
Tasleet x Mulhimatty (Invincible Spirit)
A son of first-season Sire Tasleet, TEXAS HOLD’EM has a pedigree that suggests he is likely to have speed in abundance. His Sire won 5-times over 6 and 7-furlongs, including 3 wins as a Juvenile and his dam, Mulhimatty, is a daughter of Invincible Spirit and won on her debut for Charlie Hills at Newbury in 2017. Most interestingly, the grand-dam, Raasekha, who also won as a juvenile for the Hills yard, is a half-sister to champion sprinter and leading Sire Muhaarar. With so much precocity and speed in his pedigree, Texas Hold’em looks ideally bred for the early season maidens over the sprint trips, especially on better ground and as a February Foal, he is likely to be seen to good effect in the early stages of the season.
QUITE THE DILEMMA
2-year-old Filly
Dragon Pulse x Indian Navy (Elusive City)
A nicely bred daughter of Futurity stakes winner Dragon Pulse, QUITE THE DILEMMA is another to descend from a family with a speedy pedigree. Her dam Indian Navy achieved very little on the track in her 2 starts, but she has already produced 3 winning progeny, Standby for Chaos, Zain Smarts and a full-brother to Quite the Dilemma, Dragon has Landed, who made a winning debut at Saint-Cloud in 2019 before being sold to Hong Kong. Indian Navy is a sibling of 7-winners and most notably is a full-sister to Soul City, who won 4 times as a juvenile for Richard Hannon Sir, including the Goffs Million at the Curragh and was blessed with a very high cruising speed. With such a pedigree, her long term career is most likely to be as a broodmare, but it will be a surprise if she can’t pick up a win on the track for her own CV before she heads off to the breeding sheds.
BOOZE CRUISE
2-year-old Colt
Gutaifan x Last Mojito (Mizzen Mast)
This very aptly named son of Last Mojito is another to have a speed ladened pedigree. His Sire Gutaifan won the Prix Robert Papin and the Flying Childers before he was retired to stud at the end of his 2-year-old campaign. He boasts the likes of Fev Rover and National League on his roster and there is the potential that Booze Cruise could be added to that list. His dam was unarmed, but her dam, Miss Liberty won 5 times, including at listed level as a juvenile and was blessed with a blistering turn-of-foot. 31% of Gutaifan’s progeny win as Juveniles and as a March foal, Booze Cruise is another who could be forward enough to make an early strike this year.
FUNNY MONEY HONEY
2-year-old Filly
Bungle Inthejungle x Jackie Sparrow (Dandy Man)
If there is a Sire that stamps precocity on his progeny, then it is Bungle IntheJungle. Her dam didn’t achieve much in her 3 starts on the track, but the grand-dam Changari won on debut at Warwick for Roger Charlton in 2003 and has produced 5 winning progeny. Most successful of those was Company Asset, who won 5-times for Kevin Ryan including the Listed Gillies Stakes at Doncaster on Soft ground in 2018. 2 of those progeny are also progeny of Bungle IntheJungle and have shown plenty of speed as juveniles, so we can be fairly assured that this pedigree should offer plenty of early speed. Another filly who may well have a longer term career as a broodmare prospect, but with so much precocity in the family she could also make an impact, especially in early season maidens against her own sex.