Flying Childers Stakes - St Ledger Meeting Day 3

1.35 Doncaster
Polypipe Flying Childers Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2YO only)
Winner £45,416 - Draw Advantage: High
Picks: Zebedee (win), Keratiya (each/way)
Artic Feeling: Made winning debut at Southwell in March and proved most consistent since; Went in again in small field event at Musselburgh but work to do to reverse form with New Planet from last meeting at York.

Bathwick Bear: Took form to new level when winning 6f listed race at Ripon recently by neck from Mayson (holds useful form, Chilworth Lad behind as well); Behind New Planet over this trip at York prior to that.

Black Moth: Won maiden at Bath in June and minor event at Beverley in July; Behind Bathwick Bear last time and that form needs a lot of improving on, despite the stable’s 2 year olds being in very good form.

Cocktail Charlie: Won on Ripon debut and very useful effort when short-head second to Excel Bolt at Musselburgh in June; Needs more but drop to 5f should help (pulled too hard behind Bathwick Bear last time).


Dinkum Diamond: Comfortable success in maiden was greatly improved on when winning listed race in nice style at Sandown; Came up short in Norfolk although he wasn’t at best that day (had sore joints afterwards);Respectable run in Nunthorpe but that form hard to rate too highly at the moment.

Face The Problem: Rattled off 3 straight wins in July, completing hat-trick with 6-length nursery win; Even allowing for the fact he sweated and was on the wrong side of the course (major disadvantage, 2nd of only 4 in group), was rather disappointing in listed race at York latest and this is certainly a tougher test.

New Planet: Well thought of (subject of really strong support for winning debut) and took another step in right direction with game success in York listed event last time; More to come, which will be needed in this tougher event.

Zebedee: Looked like a class colt when bolting up on first 2 runs; Came up short in Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, but was up in firing line all the way and may have suffered from not getting enough cover; Unbeaten in 3 since, readily landing listed event, Molecomb Stakes and Timeform Millions race, all easily; Drop back to 5f should help and powerful turn of foot a potent asset; May be one to beat.

Electric Waves: Gets better with every run, taking maiden at Warwick, nursery at and then Newbury listed event last month; May have more left in him and form of latter event working out well, so one to give serious thought to.

Karatiya: Won pretty easy race in the Provinces first time out but showed that did not offer much of a test when getting caught due to greenness next time out; Improved for experience of that when coming with blistering late run to nail Irish Field in photo finish (possibly little lucky to get there when she did), benefitting from getting cover in race (Form got a big boost in shape of Prix Robert Papin win for runner up);Flopped at 6f latest but if forgiven that run, major player as she’s well up to this level.

Ladies’ Choice: Proved her shock maiden win was no fluke when Pushing Queen Mary second Meow to a short head in listed event at the Curragh last time; Will need a lot more than that to get seriously involved though, despite class of winner on last run.

Meow: Superbly-bred sort who showed herself one of the best 2-y-o fillies when second in Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, before a gutsy win in Curragh listed event last time (beat Ladies’ Choice by a neck); Much better than bare form implies as she had been given a long break (reportedly heaved a furlong out) and leading player here.

The Thrill Is Gone: in the frame in all 4 starts since winning her maiden at Lingfield in June, having been exposed when third behind Electric Waves at Newbury last time; More is needed than that and we may have seen best of her.


VERDICT: A strong renewal of this Group 2 where a good half dozen can be given a decent chance, namely the bang in form ZEBEDEE, whose lightning turn of foot could be the clincher, with an each/way saver on KERATIYA, who has the same turn of foot and might be best forgiven her flop last time over 6f. Queen Mary second Meow should be spot on for this, while York listed winner New Planet and Newbury scorer Eclectic Waves will have more to come.