Three well-bred newcomers to look out for this weekend

JONQUIL

Most of the colts in Sandown’s two-year-old maiden over seven furlongs (15:00) this afternoon are making their debuts, including the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Jonquil. The Juddmonte-owned son of Lope de Vega is of note for being from the family of Frankel. He’s the first foal out of Jovial, a daughter of Dubawi, who was a useful filly for the same connections, earning a Timeform rating of 101. She won twice over six furlongs at two and a handicap over the same trip at Lingfield on the polytrack on her reappearance at three. She proved a bit better than a handicapper, though, going on to pick up some black type when placed in listed races at Haydock and Newmarket. Her best effort came at Haydock when beaten a neck over seven furlongs.

Jovial is a half-sister to several winners, including the smart Stoute-trained pair Maximal (fourth in the St James’s Palace) and Jubiloso (third in the Coronation Stakes), as well as last season’s Mill Reef Stakes winner Array. Her current two-year-old Jouncy (by Wootton Bassett) won a valuable maiden at Glorious Goodwood last month. All of these are out of Frankel’s half-sister Joyeuse (Timeform 109), trained by Lady Cecil, a speedier type than her half-brother, being by Oasis Dream, as she won six-furlong listed races at both two and three. Jonquil’s jockey Ryan Moore certainly knows the family well as he won races on both his dam and grandam.

GENEALOGY

Aidan O’Brien runs a couple of colts in the mile maiden at the Curragh on Saturday (13:45) and no doubt Ryan Moore’s mount Acapulco Bay will be fancied to go one place better than on his promising debut at the same track earlier in the month. But Ballydoyle’s other entry, Genealogy, who makes his debut with Wayne Lordan in the saddle, has a good pedigree too with the son of Wootton Bassett costing 400,000 guineas as a yearling. He’s a close relative to Artifact, a winner at around a mile in the States by Wootton Bassett's sire Iffraaj, and out of Musical Art, a fairly useful filly for Paul Cole (Timeform rating 91). While she failed to add to her two-year-old debut success in a novice at Newbury over six furlongs, she earned some black type on her next start when third in the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot.

Musical Art’s dam Musical Bar showed similar ability (rated 93) despite racing only twice for Barry Hills. She too made a successful debut at Newbury, but over seven furlongs as a three-year-old, before going down by a head in the listed Michael Seely Memorial Fillies’ Stakes at York. Among her seven winning siblings is the family’s most notable member Finsceal Beo. Trained by Jim Bolger, Timeform rated Finsceal Beo the best of her sex at two, when she won the Prix Marcel Boussac and Rockfel Stakes, while at three she completed the 1000 Guineas double at Newmarket and the Curragh after a narrow defeat in the French equivalent in between.

COUNTY MAYO

Tipperary’s nine-furlong maiden on Sunday (14:30) was won last year by Los Angeles who looked an exciting prospect on his debut and has met with his only defeat since when third in the Derby. Aidan O’Brien will be bidding to win this with a son of Camelot for the second year running, therefore, as Leopardstown runner-up Shackleton, also by Camelot, is one of two Ballydoyle representatives along with newcomer County Mayo, the mount of 7lb claimer Jack Cleary. County Mayo certainly takes the eye on pedigree as he’s another son of Wootton Bassett and out of a Galileo half-sister to Arc winner Danedream.

His dam Aspiring never ran but, bred in the purple, she changed hands for €790,000 as a four-year-old. Apart from her top-class effort to win the Arc in record-breaking time as a three-year-old, the German-trained Danedream’s other Group 1 wins included the following season’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes when she beat Nathaniel and St Nicholas Abbey. But as well as being a half-sister to Danedream, County Mayo’s dam is also a full sister to Illinois, a leading St Leger contender after his narrow defeat to Los Angeles in last week’s Great Voltigeur, and winner of the Queen’s Vase earlier in the season. His full brother Venice Beach was also runner-up in the Voltigeur (to Cracksman), having won the Chester Vase.

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