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MANAGERS MARK YOUR CARDS

Each year we ask the Johnston Racing Yard Managers to pick three horses from their own ‘yards’ that we should look out for in the season ahead. Even in normal times it’s a speculative task. And these are far from normal times. However, our Yard Managers are an optimistic bunch and have sent us their picks of the horses to look out for when racing eventually resumes.

Andrew Bottomley

Andrew Bottomley, who manages the two- year-olds in the Warwick House yard, got the ball rolling by selecting three colts, starting with Saeed Suhail’s colt, Red Mirage: He is a big strong colt by the prolific sprinter Showcasing. He looks a real early type on looks and breeding. He was foaled in early February and has been quick to show ability and speed in his first gallops. His dam, the Listed-placed Duchess Dora, was twice a winner over five furlongs around Chester and was also Clockwise from top left: Bavardages (Nicole Costello); Rose Of Kildare (Rachel Fox-Barnett); Listed placed at that distance. I would Zabeel with Andy Larnach up think he’ll be one of our first two-year- Marie’s Diamond (Mairead Heap); Novelty (Meg Warburton) old runners this year, but he also has the scope to improve as the season Although his dam, Chaquiras, was a juvenile colt, beginning with Zabeel of character, has a beautiful stride and is filly can follow in her footsteps. She is progresses. unraced, she was a full sister to Dubai Champion: very well balanced. He is a February foal, Rachel Fox-Barnett out of Pivotal, a proven sire of speedy State Of Bliss is a colt I really like. Millennium and was also the dam of This is a big strapping three-year-old but I expect to see him having his first juveniles, and she has a very professional He’s by , who was a top-class Threading, our Lowther Stakes winner. colt, currently rated 80 by the BHA, and gallops at home around mid-April with a and relaxed attitude. Above all, she has two-year-old, winner of the National This fellow has speed on his dam’s side, owned by Jaber Abdullah. He’s a son of view to racing mid to end of May, should Rachel Fox-Barnett is shown good promise on the gallops to Stakes and a sire who had an outstanding but physically it looks like he may take Poet’s Voice, and had two starts in 2019, racing resume by then. Exceed and Excel in her first year as yard date. first crop last year, siring two Group 2 after his sire. He really is a huge rangy winning his maiden at Bath before going was a champion sprinter in , manager at Park Farm. I’m really excited about Decoding. A winners and a Royal Ascot winner. This looking colt who, again, hasn’t been on to be second at Newcastle. He is an winning over six and seven furlongs. She looks after juvenile bay filly, foaled on March 23, by Dawn colt is out of the Danehill mare Crystal asked to do anything serious yet, but he imposing individual, currently weighing My third selection is Bavardages, a fillies at Kingsley Park Approach out of the mare, Valkyrie, who was a Group 3 winner, really does cover some ground. 560kg. He is a very good looking horse lovely big horse owned by Kingsley Park and says she is spoilt Khazina, she is owned by Tactful Finance winning the Sandown Classic Trial. He’s with a very laid back temperament which 11. A son of Dream Ahead, a top-class for choice, but when Limited and Partner. This is another an April foal who isn’t quite as forward I think will help him to take his racing sprinter who won five Group 1s over six pressed picked the following fillies: straightforward filly with a good, as some, but he has been showing good Andy Larnach very well. I hope I am proved right in and seven furlongs, Bavardages had five A strong-looking chestnut is Baileys workmanlike attitude and a lovely promise in his first pieces of work. I thinking this is a very well-handicapped starts last season, but it took up to his Breathless, by Pivotal out of the temperament. She stood out very early would imagine he will really come to horse and I can see him win a sequence fourth start for the penny to drop, Bahamian Bounty mare, Baileys Jubilee. on, even when hacking, as a speedy, early himself in early/midsummer and of races when he gets started. He is ready winning his last two races over seven and She is a home-bred filly owned by Paul type, and so far on the gallops she has hopefully be on the racecourse in mid- Andy Larnach, who to race as soon as racing resumes. eight furlongs. He is a fine, good-looking Venner (G R Baileys Ltd), as was her proved just that, showing plenty of season. He was bought at Goffs, and I manages a yard of A graduate of Book 2 of Tattersalls colt, and while his wins were on the all- dam, Baileys Jubilee, who was a star ability. The dam won first time out on the think owners Alec and Barbara Kingsley Park two- October Yearling Sale is the juvenile bay weather I am sure he will handle the turf. juvenile for the yard in 2012. She won a racecourse, as did her half-brother, the Richmond have a real nice prospect. year-old and older colt Landela, by Exceed and Excel out of I have sat on him a few times recently Listed race in France and finished second Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s horses, selected two the Alhaarth mare, for whom Shadwell up the canter and he gives me a lovely in the Lowther Stakes and third in the Continued on p.18 Tribal Art is a February colt by . three-year-old colts and Stud paid 140,000gns. This colt has a lot feel. Cheveley Park, so I am hoping that this 16 17 Continued from p.17 “Having done well over the , he’s a horse that enjoys his work with the odd cheeky squeal, which I to see, Listed winner Round Two (by Teofilo). especially from a gelding. He’ll have I’m really excited about this filly and I’m some nice targets over the summer, hopeful that she, too, could win first time hopefully gearing up for another tilt at the out and enjoy a successful campaign this Cesarewitch. year. With Rose of Kildare in my yard, it’s Novelty, a bay filly by no surprise that I’ve gone for the Make out of the Dubai Destination mare, Welsh Believe filly, owned by the Kingsley Park Angel, is owned by Kennet Valley 14 partnership. She may not be the XIII. I rode her early on biggest of fillies, but she has a heart as and she stood out to me. She is a very big as a lion and has been full of good mover and since then she has been surprises. She’s a filly that just keeps impressing everyone who has ridden her. giving, and with back-to-back victories in She is a half-sister to the successful Group 3 class, you can only be excited Scarlet Dragon (by ), who won for what this filly has to offer this season. five times on the Flat and was multiple The four-year-old filly Natalie’s Joy is Group-placed. She is a lovely big strong owned by Merriebelle Stable and Mr S filly with a good attitude and she loves to Chappell, and this filly by Lope de Vega get on and do her job. I am really Streak Lightning (Sophy Scott) burst onto the juvenile scene in 2018, looking forward to seeing this filly get to winning a fillies’ maiden by six lengths at Decoding (Deirdre Johnston) the track and hopefully do well for her Goodwood and the Listed Rose Bowl connections. trait; his full brother, Sofia's Rock, was trip, I think he’ll prove a fun horse to Stakes at Newbury. Natalie’s Joy had very similar. He's settled well at home follow for the season. only one outing last year with injury He is a wonderfully strong, athletic- much work at home, due to being a late now and, with a step up in trip, looks to The three-year-old gelding You Owe ruling her out for the rest of the season. looking three-year-old, and I think this foal, the cheeky and attitude that Mairead Heap have a bright future. Me, by Champs Elysees out of the She is a big, impressive stamp of a filly exciting son of New Approach will thrive this small, but mighty horse displays fills An unraced three-year-old, Streak Giant’s Causeway mare, Elpida, and who has really caught my eye since I over the middle-distance trips. I’m me with great confidence that when the Lightning is a chestnut colt by Night of owned by Paul and Clare Rooney, is a started at Kingsley Park. If she can hopeful he can hit the ground running and time comes to gallop, he will shine! Thunder out of the Danehill Dancer mare, half-brother to Sporting Chance, by rediscover her earlier potential she could make up for lost time as a two-year-old. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s Eye Mairead Heap, whose Emreliya. I thought I'd go for this colt, Kodiac, the winner of the Group 3 Prix prove a really nice asset to the yard in Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s Of Heaven, is an Exceed and Excel colt yard at Kingsley House owned by Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, Eclipse at Maisons-Laffitte in 2018. This 2020. Overwrite, a three-year-old Zebedee out of the Shamardal mare, Risen Sun, has older colts and as he’s by Night of Thunder, a surprise fellow hasn’t been in my yard for long, colt, slammed a large field of novices on whom Mark trained to land a Hamilton geldings, struggled to winner of the 2,000 Guineas in 2014, but reading through his form I think he is his third and last run at Brighton last maiden on her racecourse debut. Closely narrow her choices beating the likes of Kingman and potentially generously treated off a mark year, making all to score by six lengths. related to Desert Safari, trained by Mark down to just three, but Australia. A lovely solid individual who of 69. He looks the type to have Liam Conway His groom and regular rider is Travelling himself, this big, strong colt has always ultimately she plumped seems to enjoy his work, this colt is going improved from two to three and I’m Manager, Mark Billingham, and he has been a favourite of mine. Eye Of Heaven for the following trio: well at home and, fingers crossed, will be looking forward to see how he runs this been more than bullish about this strong, has such a genuine character inside the The four-year-old colt, Marie's ready to go once this season eventually year. The first nomination athletic colt since mid-January. That fills frame of a very powerful horse, Diamond, owned by Middleham Park gets started. A two-year-old bay filly by the from Liam Conway, me with even more confidence. It would something I believe will take him far this Racing. was a tough, consistent juvenile Medaglia d’Oro stallion, Violence, out of manager of a yard with be fantastic to see him progress into those season. I am sure that this horse will be picking up a Group 3 at the Curragh Renesmee, is owned by the Qatar-based older geldings at valuable black-type races. very quick and should excel (no pun before finishing a great second in the Ed Telfer Al Wasmiyah Stud. This filly was bought Kingsley House, is intended!) over six furlongs. I am really Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. at Arqana’s August Yearling Sale for Love Destiny, a looking forward to watching him His three-year-old career was a little slow €85,000. She has a great attitude, and is strapping son of Lethal progress.” to start but got going nicely when he very straightforward. She is pleasing us at Force, owned by Mick Doyle: Sophy Scott One of the classiest horses on my yard picked up a conditions race, followed up New yard manager Ed home after doing her first piece of work. This strong, athletic-looking colt won this year is a colt out of You’ll by a Listed win, but was unfortunately Telfer, in charge of a twice from five visits to the racetrack Be Mine, owned by Mohamed Obaida. cut short last August when he was pulled Kingsley Park yard of during his two-year-old career and his Sophy Scott, winner of He is a full brother to Eminent, who up with an injury. I feel like this little juvenile colts and older losses were in very good handicap the David Nicholson landed the Group 3 Craven Stakes and horse has the attitude of a tough wee geldings, fillies and Kim McGiven company. With a good winter on his back Best Newcomer Award the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at terrier, and he’ll be right up there in all colts, chose a trio from and already looking a picture I hope he at the 2019 Godolphin Deauville in 2017. As he is a late foal, his races this season having wintered across the generations, improves with age and time just like his Stud and Stable Staff May 18, he’s still to complete any well and having shown his tough attitude teaming a juvenile filly with a three-year- Kim McGiven, whose speedy sire. Seven furlongs looks right Awards, is manager of gallops. However, he has approached all first time out this year, when he ran a old gelding and a four-year-old gelding: Kingsley Park yard has up his street and I think a drop back from a Warwick House yard of his current work with a positive and good third in the Lady Walfruna Stakes Mountain Ruler, a four-year-old older fillies and a mile would do him justice off an of juvenile colts: willing attitude. Looking at his pedigree, (Listed) at Wolverhampton. gelding by Ruler Of The World and geldings, chose two attractive mark of 77 for his three-year- A flashy colt, Love Is Golden is by I would expect this horse to run well over Salamanca School, Dr Jim Walker’s owned by East Layton Stud, has run fillies and a gelding: old career. out of the Hernando mare, a mile. three-year-old colt by Rock of Gibraltar, twice this year. He ran very green at The four-year-old An unraced three-year-old gelding, Holy Moon, owned by Crone Stud Farm, was lightly raced as a two-year-old, but Chelmsford first time out, but impressed gelding Summer Hatheem is by New Approach out of the and has always shown great enthusiasm So there you have it -- a small he showed a lot of promise in all his runs, me at Southwell, when he galloped all the Moon, is by Sea The Moon out of the Raven’s Pass mare, Alonsoa, and is toward his work at home from day one. selection of horses chosen for you by winning third time out in very heavy way to the line to finish a good second Hernando mare, Songerie, and is owned owned by Hamdan al Maktoum. The dam He’s a half-brother to the fantastic Group our Yard Managers. Here’s hoping conditions at Nottingham. Hopefully he there. I think this fellow has a good by The Originals. He improved all last won her first two starts as a juvenile, 1-winning mare, Sea Of Class, so, fingers Covid-19 is conquered soon, and that can build on that. He was a very gassy, attitude and he seems to be improving. year, winning three times before finishing including the Listed Star Stakes at crossed he can follow in his big sister’s racing can resume before too much of strong horse which seems to be a family When handicapped and stepping up in a creditable third in the Cesarewitch. Sandown, and Hatheem is her first foal. footsteps. Although having not done too the 2020 programme is lost. 18 19