When any new stallion has his first racecourse runners there will always be great interest. In fact when Cunco became Frankel’s first it made the national news headlines. Toronado’s first crop are making their way on to the racecourse this year and one that looks an interesting long-term prospect is Topical (2.05), who should get off the mark at Thirsk on Monday.
Al Shaqab, the stallion’s owners, are keen to make the point that he recorded a faster time than Frankel when winning both the Queen Anne Stakes and Sussex Stakes. He was clearly a superb thoroughbred and he looks sure to do well in his current career at Haras de Bouquetot; and the Goodwood winner Watan got him off to a fine start.
Topical, who is owned by The Queen, was expected to need his first couple of runs, where he showed a fair degree of potential, but there will be long faces at Balmoral if he fails to register his first success in the opening six-furlong novice stakes at the Yorkshire course.
Both of his outings to date, in strong maidens at Sandown and Newmarket, were run over seven furlongs and each time he was in a prominent position a quarter of a mile out only to fade in the final furlong. He should have no problems on Monday as Richard Hannon, his trainer, has dropped his charge back in distance to six furlongs, which should be right up his street.
The obvious danger to the nap selection is King Of Tonga, who won at Redcar last time, but having to concede six pounds to Topical should prove too much.
Charlie Hills’s stable appears to be on an even keel again and his maiden filly Dependable (2.50) can open her account in the Nelson Fillies’ Handicap at Leicester.
The daughter of Reliable Man has not troubled the judge in any of her three runs but put in much her best effort last time at Windsor in an above-average novice stakes over a mile and a quarter. She stayed on encouragingly, suggesting a longer trip would greatly help her, and Hills has found an interesting mile-and-a-half race for her handicap debut. She has been given a mark of 70 to start with, which looks fair judged on what she has achieved, but given the potential she has over longer trips, it could be a very favourable mark.
There are two evening meetings, at Windsor and Bangor, and the once-raced Petrastar (8.00) is an interesting runner at the former.
Clive Cox ran the son of Passing Glance at the Thamesside track 28 days ago and his starting price of 16-1 suggested not too much was expected first time out. However, he ran a colossal race to be beaten a nose, the minimum official distance. If he had not hung left when making his challenge in the final half-furlong he would surely have won. For that reason he looks a winner without a penalty and he must be the best bet on Windsor’s six-race card.
Three runners that will be scrutinised by not just the racing world but the British news media in general are Mark Johnston’s trio at Leicester. Should either The Last Debutante (2.50), Stellar Comet (3.50) or Agadeer (4.50) oblige, the Middleham maestro will become the most successful trainer ever, measured by number of British winners.
Thirsk 2.05 Topical (nap) 2.35 Fuente 3.05 Bedouin’s Story 3.35 Granny Roz 4.05 Fisher Green 4.35 Star Shield 5.05 Mustaqbal 5.35 Sir Derrick
Leicester 2.20 Quiet Waters 2.50 Dependable (nb) 3.20 Del Parco 3.50 Over The Guns 4.20 Sophosc 4.50 Rux Ruxx
Windsor 5.30 Dreaming Of Paris 6.00 Luxor 6.30 Ghalia Al Thumama 7.00 Shaheen 7.30 Porto Ferro 8.00 Petrastar
Bangor 5.40 Lester Kris 6.10 Zoltan Varga 6.40 Beach Break 7.10 Craigmor 7.40 Silk Run 8.10 Pretty Reckless
Tips by John O'Hara
