Eyecatching entries this weekend including Beautiful Diamond and Vandeek
By Matt Brocklebank
15:55 · MON May 20, 2024
We nominate a handful of horses who are out to shine at Goodwood and Haydock this weekend, including Vandeek and Native American.
NATIVE AMERICAN - Betfred Silver Bowl Handicap, 1.15 Haydock
Richard Fahey has always had a high opinion of Native American and I think it might be wise to give the horse a bit of a pass for his comeback run over nine furlongs in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket.
Drawn in stall one to start with, he promptly missed a beat as the stalls opened and was very much on the back foot from that point on, James Doyle ultimately bringing the son of Sioux Nation home in his own time towards the centre of the track.
Two very nice subsequent winners - namely Caviar Heights and Lingfield Derby Trial hero Ambiente Friendly - have already emerged from that race and it's interesting to see Native American now switched to handicaps for the first time off his rating of 101.
That doesn't look such a bad mark at all seeing as he was only sixth lengths behind Guineas runner-up Rosallion when thrown into the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere over Arc weekend and it's not hard to image a slight drop back in trip working out well for him here at Haydock.
When Beautiful Diamond won on debut in a Nottingham maiden last summer, trainer Karl Burke underlined the fact she'd not been at the yard very long (was the talk of the Goffs UK Breeze-Up where she made £360,000) and that the daughter of Twilight Son was a long-term prospect, not just a two-year-old.
The fact she went on to be third in the Queen Mary, before signing off for the year with a non-staying effort in the Lowther and a Listed success at Ayr, is tantamount to her ability and I like how she shaped on her Newmarket comeback against older horses in the Palace House Stakes.
This weekend's engagement looks even harder still but she was keen at HQ and I'd expect her to improve a good deal for the run, in which case she could be a major threat to the likes of Rogue Lightning and Live In The Dream, who are yet to be seen this year and must concede the younger filly almost a stone in weight.
WARDA JAMILA - William Hill Height Of Fashion Stakes, 2.05 Goodwood
Andrew Balding has already won an Oaks trial with Secret Satire in the Musidora and while the Height Of Fashion Stakes can't really be classed as such these day, it wouldn't be a shock to see the same trainer causing a bit of a surprise in the 10-furlong Listed race at Goodwood.
The market is going to revolved around impressive, once-race Newmarket maiden winner Sea Just In Time, but I was quite struck by Warda Jamila in an Ascot handicap two weeks ago and she deserves a shot at this sort of prize.
Warda Jamila is a Calyx half-sister to the same stable's Gold Cup runner-up Coltrane and could be more effective over even further in time but she's clearly got a bit of her sire's natural speed too based on the recent good-ground win, when seemingly keen enough in the early stages yet still capable of scooting away to win by two and a half lengths. I would be dangerous to assume she'll be outclassed if stepped up in grade this weekend.
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VANDEEK - Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Sandy Lane Stakes, 2.25 Haydock
Behind City Of Troy, Vandeek is no doubt one of the most hotly-anticipated colts to make their three-year-old debut and while we all know that doesn't always necessarily go to plan, Saturday's Sandy Lane looks a fine starting point for Simon and Ed Crosford's charge.
What's not to like about Vandeek? He was clearly another brilliant Breeze-Up (625,000 guineas) and delivered on that promise with four sprint wins from four starts last season, including top-class success in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes.
The Newmarket form looks only okay but he bolted up by two and a quarter lengths from Task Force that day and his earlier win at Deauville is excellent - the 1000 Guineas third Ramatuelle was second, with the likes of Breeders' Cup runner-up Valiant Force back in fifth, Saturday's Newbury winner Elite Status seventh and Commonwealth Cup Trial scorer Jasour (who reopposes here) back in eighth.
Jasour looks an improved model since and is likely to try and stalk and pounce as he did at Ascot earlier in the month, but he still has some way to go to get close to Vandeek's level - providing he has trained on of course...
Ed Crisford with Vandeek in his stable
SPACE LEGEND - British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat Stakes, 3.45 Goodwood
I'm maintaining a positive view of Meydaan following his third to Ambiente Friendly at Lingfield but a two-two turnaround looks tight enough if they're looking to run him at Royal Ascot and there must be a chance he skips this engagement.
If that's the case it looks an open race and the lightly-raced maiden winners Royal Power and Space Legend are going to demand a huge amount of respect.
The well-bred Godolphin horse could be anything at this stage but has no turf experience as of yet, whereas Space Legend hacked up in a Leicester maiden, evidently improving on his highly promising debut second at Chelmsford in mid-December. The Chelmsford runner-up Bold Style was narrowly beaten in Listed company at Newmarket recently and the William Haggas-trained Space Legend could turn out to be well above average.
A smooth-travelling son of Sea The Stars, he should stay this trip comfortably and his Group 2 Edwards VII Stakes entry at Ascot doesn't look too fanciful at this stage.
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