The top three-year-old colt and filly in 2017, Cracksman and Enable, had won their only starts as two-year-olds. Here are a dozen three-year-olds for 2018 whose pedigrees suggest they too can build on last year’s winning debuts and have pattern-race potential.
BRUNDTLAND c. Dubawi – Future Generation (Hurricane Run)
Won 1m2f Discover Newmarket Maiden Stakes at Newmarket, Oct 25
Derby entry whose dam was by a top mile and a half performer and has already proven his stamina by winning over 10f as a two-year-old. Comes from a fairly speedy female family, though, his dam’s biggest win coming over a mile in the Desmond Stakes. Grandam was an unraced half-sister to good French sprinter Do The Honours and further back it’s the family of King’s Stand winner Cassandra Go (dam of Halfway To Heaven and grandam of Rhododendron) and Coventry Stakes winner Verglas.?Charlie Appleby, Godolphin
HERCULEAN c. Frankel – African Rose (Observatory)
Won 7f Charbonnel et Walker British EBF Maiden Stakes at Ascot, Sep 8
Brother to sire’s first group winner Fair Eva (Princess Margaret Stakes) out of a Sprint Cup winner, while grandam is a half-sister to Dewhurst winner Distant Música. Later developer than his sister, and could prove best at a mile.?Roger Charlton, K Abdullah
HIGHGARDEN f. Nathaniel – Regalline (Green Desert)
Won 1m Conundrum EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes (Div II) at Newbury, Oct 28
Half-sister to Irish 2yo 7f winner Reglisse who was second in a listed race at 1m. Dam won at 1m in Ireland and is out of the Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Rebelline whose son Recharge was second in the same race and whose brother Quws finished third in it. By Enable’s sire and from the same stable, and likely to be suited by at least 10f.?John Gosden, Mrs C R Philipson & Mrs H Lascelles
JUST BRILLIANT c. Lope de Vega – Mauresmo (Marju)
Won 1m Security Solutions EBF Stallions Novice Stakes (Div II) at Newmarket, Oct 7
150,000 guinea yearling half-brother to same connections’ Racing Post Trophy winner Marcel. Dam is an unraced half-sister to the Diadem Stakes runner-up Munjiz but more stamina further back, with grandam a half-sister to Grand Prix de Paris/Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq and triple US Grade 1 winner Annoconnor.?Peter Chapple-Hyam, P Makin
KEY VICTORY c. Teofilo – Patroness (Dubawi)
Won 7f 32red.com Novice Stakes at Newmarket, Oct 25
Half-brother to Godolphin’s recent Dubai Group 1 winner (the 9f Jebel Hatta) Blair House. Dam failed to win in France, but she was a full sister to recently-deceased Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Poet’s Voice. Sure to stay a mile and probably further too as a son of Teofilo.?Charlie Appleby, Godolphin
KINAESTHESIA f. Sea The Stars – Kinetica (Stormy Atlantic)
Won 1m B&M Installations Maiden Stakes (Div II) at Nottingham, Nov 8
Dam won 7f listed race at 2 (also placed in Sweet Solera Stakes and Prix d’Aumale), while grandam Kiswahili was also a listed winner (at a mile and three quarters in Germany). Gran grandam Kiliniski won the Oaks Trial at Lingfield and was second in the Yorkshire Oaks and became grandam of Miss Rausing’s Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Madame Chiang. Possible for an Oaks trial herself.?Ralph Beckett, Miss K Rausing
KINGS SHIELD c. Scat Daddy – Gender Dance (Miesque’s Son)
Won 7f 32red.com Novice Stakes at Newcastle, Nov 15
Fetched 675,000 guineas at last year’s Craven Breeze-Up Sale. Pick of dam’s 4 other winners was Round Tower Stakes winner Gran White Eagle, a disappointing favourite for the Middle Park Stakes next time. Dam’s two wins both on dirt at 7f/extended mile in maiden/allowance company but plenty of graded stakes winners in the family, including Grade 1 winners Sueño Empress and Prenup. Should handle turf, but likely to prove best at up to a mile.?John Gosden, Qatar Racing Ltd
LADY OF SHALOTT f. Camelot – Silent Act (Theatrical)
Won 1m Breeders Backing Racing EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes (Div II) at Yarmouth, Oct 24
80,000 guineas yearling and a half-sister to 10f winner Harold Lloyd out of a mare who won twice at around a mile and a half. Dam’s sister Roman Dynasty won the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap, while grandam Vinista was placed in several graded stakes. From Camelot’s first crop and promises to be suited by middle distances.?David Simcock, Khalifa Dasmal
PHOTOGRAPHER c. New Approach – Approach (Darshaan)
Won 1m2f Weatherbys Global Stallions App Novice Stakes at Chelmsford, Nov 9
Siblings include St Leger and Irish Derby runner-up Midas Touch (by New Approach’s sire Galileo) and 2017 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Coronet. Dam won 3 races, including listed 10f contest, and is half-sister to Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Aussie Rules out of Nassau and Sun Chariot Stakes winner Last Second. Same stable’s St Leger third Michelangelo and promising Aidan O’Brien 2yo of 2017 Amedeo Modigliani are also grandsons of Last Second. Type to make his mark in pattern company at a mile and a half or more.?John Gosden, Denford Stud
SHOWROOM c. Motivator – Lemon Twist (Marju)
Won 1m 188bet.co.uk EBF Peter Willett Maiden Stakes at Goodwood, Sep 5
French-bred colt by Treve’s sire who only cost 30,000 as a yearling. However, unraced dam has already produced Group 2 (Prix de Malleret) winner Al Wathna. Grandam Lia won 3 times and was second in a couple of listed races in France and is dam of the French listed winner Lake Palace. Will stay at least 10f this year.?Mark Johnston, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing
WILLIE JOHN c. Dansili – Izzi Top (Pivotal)
Won 7f British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Yarmouth, Oct 16
325,000 guineas yearling who was trained by William Haggas for his debut but subsequently fetched a sale-record 1.9m guineas when put through the ring again at Tattersalls in February. From Meon Valley’s famous Colorspin (dam of Kayf Tara and Opera House) family, with Prix de l’Opera winner Zee Zee Top as his grandam and Izzi Top, whose wins included the Pretty Polly Stakes and Prix Jean Romanet as his dam. Derby entry and one to look out for in a trial.?Roger Varian, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
Won 1m 32red.com Novice Stakes at Newcastle, Dec 16
Won on the all-weather late in the year and from an excellent family of US dirt performers as his half-brother Tamarkuz won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and his unraced dam is a half-sister to Stay Thirsty and Andromeda’s Hero who were both second in the Belmont Stakes – Stay Thirsty was a dual Grade 1 winner in the Travers Stakes and Cigar Mile.?John Gosden, John & Tanya Gunther
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