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Ten industry insiders with their two-year-olds to follow for the season

Ross Doyle, Joe Foley, Stephen Hillen and David Redvers join the panel

Ross Doyle: 'When we saw this colt at the sales for the first time we thought he was a bit special'
Ross Doyle: 'When we saw this colt at the sales for the first time we thought he was a bit special'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs UK

With the new turf season upon us, the highly anticipated 2017 crop of two-year-olds will soon be unleashed. Ten industry figures supply the insider knowledge with their juveniles to follow for the coming campaign.


John Dance, owner

Two-year-old: Bound For Heaven, b f Gleneagles - Sugar Mill (Oasis Dream)

Dance says: "Hopefully I can shake my habit of jinxing horses I nominate to follow but I'd perhaps suggest a Gleneagles filly named Bound For Heaven, in training with Karl Burke. We bought her at last year's Goffs UK Premier Sale [for £140,000] and Alan Creighton, who broke her in and pre-trained her, loved her attitude and I know she's impressing the team at Karl's in similar fashion.
John Dance: 'Albany Stakes here we come?'
John Dance: 'Albany Stakes here we come?'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth
"All that remains is to find out whether she has an engine now, hopefully we'll discover that over the next three to four weeks, but the signs thus far are good. Albany Stakes here we come?"

Julian Dollar, Newsells Park Stud general manager

Two-year-olds: Unnamed, b c Galileo - Shastye (Danehill); Unnamed, b c Dubawi - Yummy Mummy (Montjeu); Unnamed, b c Oasis Dream - Ceisteach (New Approach); Papa Power, b c Nathaniel - Mosqueras Romance (Rock Of Gibraltar)

Dollar says: "The obvious one would be Japan’s brother [sold to Coolmore for 3,400,000gns], who looked a bigger, more powerful model and could well be a backend two-year-old type. There's also the Dubawi colt out of Yummy Mummy with Godolphin [bought for 1,200,000gns] and the Oasis Dream colt out of Ceisteach who I loved as a type - he was bought by the China Horse Club and Ballylinch [for 350,000gns].
Julian Dollar: 'One of my standout yearlings was the Nathaniel colt out of Mosqueras Romance'
Julian Dollar: 'One of my standout yearlings was the Nathaniel colt out of Mosqueras Romance'Credit: Laura Green
"One of my standout yearlings was the Nathaniel colt out of Mosqueras Romance who sold in Book 2 [for 190,000gns]. He's just a beautiful, athletic horse. He was bought by Sackville Donald and is with Andrew Balding, who I don't suspect will be in a hurry with him!"

Ross Doyle, bloodstock agent

Two-year-old to follow: Lost Eden, b c Sea The Stars - Ghostflower (Dansili)

Doyle says: "When we saw this colt at the sales [bought for €200,000] for the first time we thought he was a bit special and then we brought Richard Hannon to see him and he agreed.

"He's a very athletic colt with plenty of scope for the future and his father needs no introduction as he has already established himself as one of the top turf stallions in the book.

"Hopefully we will see him appear later in the season at one of the main tracks breaking his maiden and then onwards and upwards from there."

Alex Elliott, bloodstock agent

Two-year-olds to follow: Maxi Boy, b c Oasis Dream - Lavender And Lace (Barathea); Unnamed, b c Gutaifan - Bali Breeze (Common Grounds); Unnamed, b c Dandy Man - Nancy Astor (Shamardal)

Elliott says: "I gave 380,000gns for the Oasis Dream horse at Book 1 and now he's with Michael Bell and he's meant to go nicely, he's done everything right so far. We were looking for Royal Ascot horses and he's a strong, beautiful horse and should make a real two-year-old.

"Another one I like is the Gutaifan colt out of Bali Breeze, for whom I gave €105,000 at the Orby Sale. I like Gutaifan and this colt is a very solid horse with a great action. He's with Michael Bell, too.
Alex Elliott: a big fan of Dandy Man
Alex Elliott: a big fan of Dandy ManCredit: Laura Green
"There's a Dandy Man colt I bought at Doncaster for £85,000, he's out of Nancy Astor and is with George Scott. I'm a big fan of Dandy Man, he's really starting to stand the test of time when a lot of those stallions have dropped off. He had a good year last year and Shamardal is a great influence as a broodmare sire."

Mick Flanagan, China Horse Club's European bloodstock and racing manager

Two-year-old to follow: Unnamed, b c Oasis Dream - Ceisteach (New Approach)

Flanagan says: "There's an Oasis Dream colt that China Horse Club bought in partnership with Ballylinch Stud [for 350,000gns] who we've sent to Jim Bolger. He's one we're quite strong on and I'd expect him to be early.
Mick Flanagan: 'He's a bull of a horse'
Mick Flanagan: 'He's a bull of a horse'Credit: Patrick McCann
"He's a bull of a horse, he's got a great physique and moves very nicely. He's by a proven stallion and out of a highly rated mare. He's got every chance from a breeding point of view and even more of a chance being under the tutelage of Jim Bolger, who knows the family having bred and raced the mother."

Joe Foley, Ballyhane Stud and Clipper Logistics racing manager

Two-year-old to follow: Endless Joy, b f Showcasing - Funny Enough (Dansili)

Foley says: "She's owned by Clipper Logistics and we bought her off Whitsbury Manor Stud at Book 2 [for 90,000gns]. We've had a lot of luck with Showcasing and she's another very nice example, she's a very athletic filly.

"She's a half-sister to Laugh A Minute, a good horse by Mayson with Roger Varian, and from a family I like. Even though she's a late-April foal she showed plenty of precocious speed at home with us in pre-training.
Joe Foley: 'We've had a lot of luck with Showcasing'
Joe Foley: 'We've had a lot of luck with Showcasing'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth
"She looks sharp and knew her job well and looks like she could go early. She's been with Archie Watson for about six weeks now so we're looking forward to seeing her run."

Stephen Hillen, bloodstock agent

Two-year-old: Zabeel King, b c Frankel - Vital Statistics (Indian Ridge)

Hillen says: "He's a full-brother to Group 3 winner East, who was also second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last November. I bought him with Kevin Ryan at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale [€400,000] and we liked him then. We know the pedigree well, and we'd a fair idea East would be useful before we bought her brother."
Stephen Hillen: 'We know the pedigree well'
Stephen Hillen: 'We know the pedigree well'Credit: Laura Green

Matthew Houldsworth, bloodstock agent

Two-year-olds: Lady Kermit, b f Starspangledbanner - Empress Theodora (Dansili); Unnamed, b c Kodiac - Scotch Bonnet (Montjeu)

Houldsworth says: "Lady Kermit came from Doncaster and is a very good-looking filly. The brief was to find something early and she looks exactly that. She's gone to the right man in Archie Watson. I know she's due to run in April and I think she'll be quite decent.
Matthew Houldsworth signs for a yearling in the Doncaster ring
Matthew Houldsworth signs for a yearling in the Doncaster ringCredit: Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs UK
"The Kodiac colt is from a family we've had a lot of luck with, Geoffrey [Howson, business partner] bought his half-sister for just 3,000gns and her first three foals were all stakes horses. This colt is very good-looking and is by a stallion who's proved he can get proper two-year-olds as well as high-class older sprinter-milers.

"I think this colt will be more of a mid-season horse given his pedigree, he's out of a Montjeu mare after all, but he has an awful lot of quality."

Jill Lamb, bloodstock agent

Two-year-old: St Ives, b c Cable Bay - Galaktea (Statue Of Liberty)

Lamb says: "He's a colt by Cable Bay in training with William Haggas, and I think he'll be an early horse. He's a good, strong, forward-looking two-year-old who's been showing a bit of class. We're always dreaming of Royal Ascot at this stage, so we'd be hopeful that he'd be out by the Guineas meeting and then on to something bigger."
Jill Lamb: 'We're always dreaming of Royal Ascot at this stage'
Jill Lamb: 'We're always dreaming of Royal Ascot at this stage'Credit: Laura Green

David Redvers, Tweenhills owner and Qatar Racing manager

Two-year-olds: Unnamed, b c Kingman - Alexander Queen (King's Best); Unnamed, ch f Amaron - Rondinay (Cadeaux Genereux); Laurel Wreath, ch f Hot Streak - Crown (Royal Applause); Unnamed, ch f Hot Streak - Stroll Patrol (Mount Nelson)

Redvers says: "Possibly the smartest horse we've had anything to do with, as a physical at least, is the Kingman colt who cost €850,000 at Goffs. I'm a massive fan of his, I saw him at John Gosden's on Wednesday and he looks very special indeed. He was as good a physical as I saw at last year's sales.
David Redvers, with assistant Hannah Wall, signs the docket for the Kingman colt at Goffs
David Redvers, with assistant Hannah Wall, signs the docket for the Kingman colt at GoffsCredit: Sarah Farnsworth
"I also bought an Amaron filly for the Tweenhills fillies syndicate at Baden-Baden. Amaron is a first-season sire by Shamardal and was champion miler in Germany. She's got a beautiful pedigree and also looked extremely smart when I saw her at John Gosden's. She was bought with the Bozo brothers, Henri and Ghislain, for €160,000.

"I've been very encouraged by a number of the Hot Streak two-year-olds, including Laurel Wreath [in training with Clive Cox], who was bred close to Tweenhills by Robin and Scarlet Knipe at Cobhall Court Stud. She was a cracking foal, strong and well balanced. She's the half-sister to stakes horses Revelstoke and Global Applause.

"There's also a gorgeous Hot Streak filly who sold as a yearling for €100,000 and goes into training with Hugo Palmer. She looked fast and is out of the Group-3 placed Stroll Patrol, a half-sister to last year's Dick Poole Stakes winner Yourtimeisnow."

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