Racing: Ten to follow on the Flat

Sue Montgomery
Sunday 22 March 1998 00:02 GMT
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ANYTIME

3-y-o bay colt by Fairy King - Alidiva, by Chief Singer

Owner: Greenbay Stables. Trainer: Henry Cecil

Form: Unraced because of minor surgery on an ankle last year, but is beginning to look the part this spring. His dam has produced three Group 1 winners; Sleepytime, Taipan and Ali-Royal.

Cape verdi

3-y-o bay filly by Caerleon -- Afrique Bleu Azur (Sagace)

Owner: Godolphin. Trainer: Saeed Bin Suroor

Form: 1214. Bred for the Oaks trip but has shown enough speed to take a hand in the Guineas. Disappointed in the Cheveley Park, but a winter in the Dubai sunshine should make her feel better.

Fleetwood

3-y-o chestnut colt by Groom Dancer - Up Anchor (Slip Anchor)

Owner: Fahd Salman. Trainer: Henry Cecil

Form: 1. Most once-raced maiden winners disappear without trace, but this one won by eight lengths and finished so powerfully that it took his jockey more than half a mile to wrestle him to a halt.

Green Dance

3-y-o bay colt by Sadler's Wells - Hellenic (Darshaan)

Owner: Lord Weinstock; Trainer: Michael Stoute

Form: 2. It is only a matter of time until Europe's leading sire gets a Derby winner. This one of his sons was a respectable second over an inadequate trip, and should reward his connections' patience.

GULLAND

3-y-o bay colt by Unfuwain - Spin (by High Top)

Owner: Mollers Racing. Trainer: Geoff Wragg

Form: 421. Yet to be tested in Pattern company but improved hand over fist last year, ending with a win at Pontefract. Strong, good-actioned, handles easy ground, sure to stay at least 12 furlongs.

ONE SO WONDERFUL

4-y-o bay filly by Nashwan - Someone Special (Habitat)

Owner: Helena Springfield Ltd. Trainer: Luca Cumani

Form: 1-11. A lightly-raced, but tough, filly who finished last season on an upward curve and would not have to progress very much to trouble the best of either sex at around 10 furlongs.

PEINTRE CELEBRE

4-y-o chestnut colt by Nureyev -- Peinture Bleue (Alydar)

Owner: Daniel Wildenstein. Trainer: Andre Fabre

Form: 13-11121. Only a blindfolded blind man could miss selecting Europe's champion three-year-old, whose Arc win in record time attracted the blasphemous words "as good as" and "Sea-Bird".

SABADILLA

4-y-o bay colt by Sadler's Wells - Jasmina (Forli)

Owner: Sheikh Mohammed. Trainer: John Gosden

Form: 40211. Ended his three-year-old career with an insultingly easy win in the November Handicap, and can leave that sort of company far behind this year. Particularly effective on easy ground.

SECOND EMPIRE

3-y-o bay colt by Fairy King - Welsh Love (Ela-Mana-Mou)

Owner: Michael Tabor. Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Form: 111. The most obvious Derby prospect among last year's exposed juveniles. A particularly attractive individual with bags of scope, and should become a high-class middle-distance performer.

XAAR

3-y-o bay colt by Zafonic - Monroe (Sir Ivor)

Owner: Khaled Abdullah. Trainer: Andre Fabre

Form: 11211. Another devastatingly unoriginal choice, but if the juvenile champion continues this year as he left off last - with a breathtaking Dewhurst Stakes win - X should mark the spot in the Guineas.

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