St Leger Festival: Paddock Notes on the two-year-olds from Doncaster

Given he was one of the outstanding two-year-olds of recent times, Pinatubo's first crop of runners has been underwhelming. The best performance to date by one of his initial runners, according to current Timeform ratings, was the victory of Hallasan in the valuable sales race on the first day of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster last week.

Hallasan, running in the same ownership as Pinatubo, though bought at auction for £180,000 as a yearling, showed a very willing attitude and much-improved form (his Timeform rating is now 100). However, he is on the small side and it may be that he will prove best at two years.

Pinatubo himself was described by Timeform as sturdy, and while he was still high class at three, he had lost the gulf of superiority that he had over his peers at two. The majority of his offspring that I have seen so far have been on the small side, sturdy or compact, just a couple with a bit more size and substance to them. That hints at a doubt about whether they will progress at three.

Writing off a freshman sire before his first crop has got through a full season would be hasty, but Pinatubo could do with a good winner or two over the next six weeks.

Flower on fast track to top table

The sales-race runner-up Camille Pissarro is altogether a better type than Hallasan, with more substance and potentially more stamina. He is, though, perhaps a little quirky and may need easy ground to show to best advantage.

The feature two-year-old race on the opening day was the May Hill Stakes. This has been a significant contest in recent times, with Inspiral winning in 2021 and the subsequent German Guineas winner Darnation beating See The Fire last year.

The first two this year also have the potential to make an impact at the highest level, either this autumn or next summer. The winner Desert Flower, giving Godolphin a big-race double, made it three from three as she stepped out of novice grade. She's a good-looking filly with a nice miling pedigree and remains an exciting prospect. The Fillies' Mile looks the obvious next step.

January, with a couple more runs under her belt than the winner, has a record of steady progression, here producing her best effort and looking suited by the extra furlong. She's a well-made filly and appeals as a likely sort to do even better at three.

The other worth a mention from the May Hill (replay below) is another of the Fillies' Mile entries in the field, Miss Tonnerre. She was the least experienced in the line-up, with just one run behind her, and that showed in the first part of the race. However, she was doing good work in the latter stages, seeing the mile out well.

Miss Tonnerre has more to offer. She's by Night of Thunder, the same sire as the winner, but she has more stamina on the dam's side of the pedigree and left the impression she will stay further than a mile at three.

Vote Pellitory next time around

As well as the two big races, the opening-day card featured no fewer than three nurseries. The one to take from those races is Pellitory, the runner-up in the class 4 contest over a mile. Pellitory is a tall colt with plenty of scope and he could well make significant improvement once he learns to race more tractably.

When Pellitory won a novice at Yarmouth last month, he did so despite failing to settle, but his headstrong ways cost him victory last week. He was stepping up to a mile for the first time and has evidently run well over the trip, though he's not at all stoutly bred. A strong pace in a large field, perhaps back a little in trip, could well be what Pellitory needs to enable him to show all that he has.

Childers form looks a tad messy

Day two of the Leger meeting again featured plenty of two-year-old action. The best performances came from the first two in the Flying Childers. Aesterius, runner-up in the Molecomb at Goodwood, turned the tables on Big Mojo, winner that day, the pair coming clear and probably showing some improvement.

That said, the timefigure for the Flying Childers, off a strong pace, was very ordinary and, despite the way the race was run, the whole thing had a messy feel. There was divided opinion as to where the best part of the track to race was and the first two may have been at an advantage in coming towards the near side.

Aesterius has bags of speed, so it's understandable that connections are considering the Abbaye next. However, this form looks a bit behind what he'll need to produce to get in the shake up at Longchamp.

Big Ben one to follow

Benevento, winner of the listed Flying Scotsman over seven furlongs, is perhaps of more interest for next year. He's a well-made colt who has improved with each run, stepping up a furlong each time.

In another messy race, due to a difference of opinion regarding track position, one which was steadily run too, Benevento wasn't in front overall until the last half-furlong, finishing the race off well. He will stay a mile, no problem, so a return to Doncaster for the Futurity may well be on the cards.

The Flying Scotsman field overall was a good one on looks. Symbol of Honour, gelded since his last outing, at Royal Ascot, looked in good order and confirmed himself a useful performer. He looks less of a stayer than the winner, not surprisingly as a son of Havana Grey.

I liked God of War as a type. He's a powerful, sprint sort, and he faded late on, though still ran well, having a stone to find on form coming into the race with most of his rivals. He can progress again with his sights lowered a little.

Jonquil was the disappointment of the race. He had created such a good impression on debut, overcoming inexperience, but that found him out at a higher level. He was on his toes once mounted beforehand and ran green off the bridle after halfway once racing. It may be he'll be given a break till next year, to give him time to mature.

More to come from Valedictory

The fillies' maiden on the card went the way of the Ballydoyle-trained favourite Whirl. This was a valuable contest, but the form looks distinctly ordinary. Although Whirl had been beaten twice in maidens previously, admittedly in the Convivial Maiden at York last time, she didn't need to improve to get off the mark against a field mostly made up of newcomers who needed experience.

Aidan O'Brien also sent out the favourite in the valuable mile maiden on the third day of the meeting, in the shape of Scandinavia. A son of Justify out of a Galileo mare, Scandinavia had form good enough to win the previous three runnings of this race, but he didn't run close to that level, just about the first off the bridle.

Scandinavia is a well-made sort and bred to stay middle distances, so this may well prove just a blip.

The race went to another well-bred sort, the unconsidered newcomer Yabher. A good-bodied son of Sea The Stars, who was on his toes beforehand, Yabher knew just enough to edge ahead in the final 50 yards. Although there was a bunched finish, the race was run at a sound gallop and the form looks up to scratch for the contest.

The last two runnings of the race had gone to the Gosdens' yard, and the stable might well have made it a hat-trick had third-home Valedictory had half an idea. He's a strong, lengthy sort who looked to be carrying condition in the paddock. He was also clueless early on after falling out of the stalls.

Valedictory still had plenty to do with a quarter-mile to run, but made good headway thereafter and was closing under considerate handling at the finish. He will surely improve considerably.

Aftermath progression just getting going

The Gosdens had been due to saddle the favourite for the Champagne Stakes, which opened the card. Chancellor, successful on two of his three starts, was last into the paddock and first out, looking fussy in the tell-tale red hood. He became fractious in the stalls and came out the front, automatically withdrawn.

That left a substandard bunch for a race won in recent years by Chindit, Chaldean and Too Darn Hot. The winner Bay City Roller remains unbeaten, but his form looks below the level achieved by any of that trio and he would need to improve again to get involved in the Dewhurst, his possible next outing.

Perhaps the best longer-term prospect in the Champagne is another Justify-Galileo mare offspring, the O'Brien second-string Aftermath. With just a second placing at Newbury under his belt, Aftermath was thrown in at the deep end and his lack of experience showed. He looked gawky once in front and lacked the winner's turn of foot. Nevertheless, this was quite an improvement on his debut form.

Aftermath is bred to stay middle distances and could well be a smart three-year-old next summer.

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