James Horton is the latest trainer to talk Dan Briden through his two-year-old team.
Dan offers pedigree guides to the strings of all the leading trainers and gets insight from many of them on the horses and their prospects for the year ahead.
He also speaks to leading owners, racing managers and bloodstock agents to leave you as well prepared as you can be for the newcomers to the Flat racing scene.
Previously published as a book, it's digital content this year and links to the previous instalments are below too.
More trainer interviews...
Pedigree guides...
AL WASL STORM (IRE)
19/2 gr c Affinisea - Dearborn (Martaline)
Owner: Green Team Racing Sales price: €7,000 (Ahmad Alshaikh)
First foal of an unraced daughter of a Listed-placed French 5-7.5f winning (97) half-sister to Group 3-placed UK/US 7-9f winner (including at Listed level) Bourbonnais (107).
“This colt isn’t shaping up to be anything like his immediate pedigree would have you believe. He is a very likeable colt who is really pleasing us and should be running in 1m races come the autumn.”
BELTADAAY
2/3 b c Adaay - Purest (Shamardal)
Owner: Nelson Mandela House Sales price: 16,000gns (Horton Racing)
Full brother to Italian 5-6f 2yo winner Lory di Toni (87) and a half-brother to useful French 5-6.5f winner Purest Time (100). Dam an unraced half-sister to Group 1-placed UK/HK 7-10f winner Champions Gallery (113) out of an unraced sister to Oaks and St Leger winner User Friendly (128).
“A strong, hardy two-year-old type who had a little setback in the spring. He goes very well and should be ready to run in the middle of the summer over sprint trips.”
CASSANDRAALEXANDRA (IRE)
13/2 b f Mehmas - Hecuba (Hector Protector)
Owner: J Tuthill & Partner Sales price: n/a
Half-sister to Irish 6f 3yo Listed winner Shanghai Glory (110), Irish 7.5f 3yo Listed winner Choose Me (109; later dam of Group 1 winners Creative Force (6f; 120) and Persuasive (1m; 123)) and 2023 Irish 7f 2yo winner Guildenstern (90). Dam a 10f 3yo winner (93) who was a half-sister to German 12f Group 2 winner Bad Bertrich Again (116) and 10f Group 3 winner Prolix (116).
“This filly wouldn’t be the biggest, but she has a wonderful pedigree and a fantastic attitude to boot. She will be our first two-year-old runner at Newmarket on Saturday (May 18) and though we’ll learn more about her after that outing, I would like to think she’ll be more than capable of winning a maiden/novice.”
CYNTHIA (IRE)
9/2 ch f Sottsass - Leah (Le Havre)
Owner: Cynthia Syndicate Sales price: 48,000gns (Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock)
First foal of an unraced half-sister to Irish St Leger winner Duncan (121), Doncaster Cup winner Samuel (119), Park Hill Stakes winner Gretchen (109p) and Listed-placed 1m 2yo winner Deirdre (101) out of a 1m 3yo Listed winner/1000 Guineas fourth (111).
“This filly is all about next year over middle distances, but she’s a likeable individual who I hope we can get a run into at the backend.”
FOUETTE (IRE)
13/3 b f Acclamation - Spring Leaf (Footstepsinthesand)
Owner: A Partnership Sales price: 50,000gns (Horton Racing)
Half-sister to 2023 12f 3yo winner Kittykarma (72). Dam a French 9.5f 3yo Listed winner (107) who was the daughter of a French 1m 1f 3yo winning half-sister to Derby Italiano winner/Irish Derby runner-up Gentlewave (120).
“This is an attractive, athletic filly who does everything incredibly nicely. She is ready to go anytime now and will start over 6f though will probably get 7f in time. We think an awful lot of her.”
IS I RIGHT (IRE)
19/4 b c Waldgeist - Alphabetique (Zamindar)
Owner: Sleeve It Ltd Sales price: €10,000 (Sleeve IT Ltd)
Half-brother to Listed-placed Italian 7.5f 2yo winner Azul Bahia (96). Dam a maiden (75) half-sister to Group 3-placed 7f 2yo winner Alamode (99) out of a maiden (78p) daughter of dual Champion Stakes winner Alborada (122).
“This colt was quite weak as a yearling hence the low price, but he is maturing nicely now. He will probably be running towards the end of the summer over 7f.”
LADY OF THE CHAMP
3/2 b f Twilight Son - Rosabelle (Mayson)
Owner: Champion Of The Thames Racing Sales price: 8,000gns (WC Equine)
Third foal of a fairly useful 5-6f winner (93) who was a half-sister to Group 2/Listed-placed dual 10f winner Natalie Jane (109) and useful 10-12f winner Bishop Roko (105).
“This looks a sharp two-year-old filly who is about a month away from a run. I imagine she will start off over 6f.”
LIBERATE
25/1 b f Study of Man - Be Free (Selkirk)
Owner: Miss K Rausing Sales price: 3,000gns (Richard Frisby Bloodstock)
Half-sister to fairly useful 7f-1m winner Aqua Libre (86). Dam a maiden (60) daughter of a once-raced maiden (65p) sister to 10f 3yo Listed winner Approach (105; later dam of French 10/12f Group 1 winner Coronet (120)) and Listed-placed 8.5f 2yo winner Intrigued (105p) and a half-sister to Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Aussie Rules (123).
“A lovely filly by a stallion who is going very well at the moment. She is a big, scopey individual who on paper is more of a three-year-old. That said, she is doing everything well and could be ready to run by the backend of the summer. I would’ve thought she will begin over 7f”
LOUIE’S FOLLY
17/1 ch f Nathaniel - Souila (Speightstown)
Owner: Louisa Stone & St Albans Bloodstock Sales price: n/a
Second foal of an unraced half-sister to US 11f Grade 2 winner Mrs Sippy (115) and Listed-placed 8-10.5f 3yo winner Phantom Flight (115) out of a US 12f Listed winner (105).
“This is a scopey, athletic filly who has a lovely pedigree - I actually trained the dam’s half-brother, Phantom Flight, who was Listed class. Although she is another who will do better at three, she is doing everything right at the moment and should be running by the end of the summer.”
MAKE LOVE
26/4 b f Make Believe - Lovee Dovee (Galileo)
Owner: D Redvers, Woodside & Miss G Harrison Sales price: 27,000gns (Horton Racing)
Half-sister to fairly useful dual 6f winner Piz Nair (88). Dam an Irish 1m 3yo winner (92) who was a three-parts sister to Group 2-placed 7-12f winner Highest Ground (116) and a half-sister to French 1m 3yo Listed winners Maria Gabriella (106) and Night of Light (111).
“A scopey filly out of a Galileo mare and there’s a lot of him about her. She is a likeable filly who works very nicely and will start over 6f next week at either Kempton (May 22) or Haydock (May 24).”
STORM CREATION
3/3 ch f Night of Thunder - Biblic (New Approach)
Owner: Newsells Park Stud Sales price: n/a
Second foal of an unraced half-sister to 1m 3yo Group 2 winner/2000 Guineas runner-up Dubawi Gold (123), UAE 7f/1m Group 2 winner D’bai (119), Irish 1m 3yo Listed winner Fort Knox (111) and Listed-placed Irish 10f 3yo winner Savannah Storm (105).
“This filly is out of an unraced mare who was quite highly thought of when in training with William Haggas. Dubawi has worked well with the family, so the Night of Thunder mating was a sensible one. She is still quite immature but is progressing all the time, and I think she’ll be one for 7f races during the second half of the season.”
YES HONEY (IRE)
8/3 ch f Waldgeist - Bebhinn (Street Boss)
Owner: Horton Racing Ltd Sales price: €23,000 (Horton Racing)
Half-sister to fairly useful Irish 7f 3yo winner Spilt Passion (84). Dam an Irish 6f 2yo Listed winner (101) who was the daughter of a 6f 2yo winning (73p) close relation to French 5.5f 2yo Group 2 winner/Cheveley Park Stakes third Ocean Ridge (115) and half-sister to Listed winners Fokine (7f; 114) and Polar Circle (6f; 92).
“This is a likeable filly who is going along very nicely for one who I didn’t think would be overly early. I imagine she will be ready to run over 7f in about a month.”
UNNAMED (FR)
12/2 b c Showcasing - Exceed Loose (Exceed And Excel)
Owner: Hamdani Racing Sales price: 32,000gns (Horton Racing)
Second foal of a Listed-placed Italian 6-7f 3yo winner (99) who was a half-sister to Italian 7.5f 2yo Listed winner Ifrachy (94) out of an Italian 1m Group 3 winner (106).
“A very strong, well-made colt who was a very lazy worker early on, but he has really pulled himself together in the last few weeks. He is just about ready to run and will start off over 6f. A very likeable individual.”
UNNAMED
21/3 b f Siyouni - Rawdaa (Teofilo)
Owner: Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah Sales price: 200,000gns (Vendor)
First foal of a Group 1-placed 8-10f winner (118) who was a three-parts sister to 1m 2yo Listed winner Classic Legend (94) and the dam of 1m 1f Group 3 winner Certain Lad (116) and a half-sister to 7f Group 3/Listed winner Jallota (116).
“I was at Sir Michael Stoute’s when the dam was racing and she was very unlucky not to win a big one. This filly is a strong, good-sized individual who will need a bit of time like her mother, but she’s thriving all the time and pleasing us in all that she does. I wouldn’t know when she will be out, but you’d have to be very hopeful about her given the pedigree.”
UNNAMED
9/2 br f Twilight Son - Snowdon (Iffraaj)
Owner: Redgate Bloodstock Sales price: 35,000gns (Vendor)
Half-sister to 2024 dual 6f 3yo winner Wren Officer (76). Dam a 1m 3yo winner (83) who was the daughter of a US 10f Listed winner (110).
“This is a lovely, big, scopey filly with a lot of power and strength. She is coming along nicely but probably won’t be ready to race until the middle of the summer.”
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