Cosmic Year and Nightwalker look top prospects.
On a promise-filled day, it was an enjoyable afternoon for both Sandown and Yarmouth, most particularly among the notable talents that are being acclaimed in the racing scene. It came in the form of, arguably, the best performance from any of the Sir Michael Stoute-trained horses racing on the day with the conquest of the Novice Stakes at Sandown by Cosmic Year. Ridden by the acute Oisin Murphy, Cosmic Year's promising debut has naturally led to early speculation, and bookmakers are already offering odds of 33-1 for the 2000 Guineas, which only fuels bright hopes for this young talent.
Cosmic Year is a 5-2 favourite and is by the celebrated sire Kingman out of the accomplished racemare Passage of Time, both of whom are esteemed names in the Juddmonte lineage. Acting for Juddmonte, Barry Mahon was rather pleased to see the first outing of Cosmic Year, giving greater delight in that Harry Charlton had singled him out as a prospect with a big future. "It was nice to see that when he was asked for his effort, he had a change of gear. He looks an exciting prospect," Mahon said, alluding to the pedigree that replete also supports their hopes.
Meanwhile, back at Yarmouth, Nightwalker collected the prize for Cosmic Year, taking the EBF Future Stayers Maiden Stakes. Ryan Moore rode the Stoute-trained Nightwalker on his birthday; this was a big step forward after an excellent third in his debut. The victory served as an appropriate icing to what had already been a sweet day for Juddmonte: another protégé from an excellent generation. This was described as one of the best races ever by Mahon, an improvement on Nightwalker. "I think Nightwalker was just very green on his first run but showed improvement this time," he said. The 6-5 favourite proved too strong for the strongly-backed Ultrasoul, who has previously run well in York's Convivial Maiden.
This latest win cements Nightwalker's position as a promising horse for the future, with plans to extend his racing career into next season. Regarding both wins, Mahon also emphasized how experience would greatly matter for these young athletes as they prepared for the competitive stakes races ahead. "When you get to spring next year, the Group Ones start coming thick and fast. If you don't have experience, it can be tough," said Mahon, keen on a thoughtful approach to their training and race strategy. Not all was plain sailing, however, for the Judmonte team.
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Cosmic Year (Kingman) makes an impressive start to his career with a convincing debut win under @oismurphy for @HarryJCharlton 💥@Sandownpark | @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/YxjfS7E6DU
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 18, 2024
Jonquil, the Sandown debutante who had shown such promise, was disappointed in the Flying Scotsman at Doncaster. "Ryan just felt he was very flat, and he was beaten at halfway," said Mahon. "We will put it down to him being flat and the race coming too soon." It is revealing that Mahon is prepared to be so frank. Indeed, to revert to Pascal, one must expect the unexpected in racing. It was a cracking day all round for Juddmonte on Wednesday as two of the team's most promising juvenile stars cut through the gloom with emphatic victories. And every time they win, excitement grows over the future, and racing fans will be eagerly awaiting the kind of development that these rising stars make, as they face the trials to come.
