Ribchester half-brother among a fascinating Godolphin two-year-old challenge

Much of the focus of this week’s Newmarket Craven meeting focuses on the developments of the Classic crop but there is still room for an intriguingly-bred two-year-old to make a mark.

Godolphin’s two trainers are already testing the waters with their juveniles and Charlie Appleby and Saeed Bin Suroor are responsible for half of the eight starters in the Montaz Restaurant British EBF Novice Stakes (2.25).

Cases can be made for every one of the quartet, with perhaps the most newsworthy of the blue army belonging to the latter trainer, who launches the career of Ribchester’s half-brother Electrical Storm.

Ribchester himself was a private purchase by Godolphin following his second in the Gimcrack Stakes, going on to claim four Group 1s including the Queen Anne and the Lockinge along with a plethora of other admirable efforts.

He now stands at Sheikh Mohammed’s Kildangan Stud while his dam, the Marju mare Mujarah, has now rejoined the family empire. She was owned and bred by his brother Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum but bought by Andrew Thompson in 2011.

Ribchester’s trainer Richard Fahey managed to coax a solitary win out of his Arcano half-brother Golconda Prince, while a three-year-old half-sister by Raven’s Pass was registered in the care of Bin Suroor but has not been spotted on the racecourse.

Electrical Storm has even more regal breeding as he was sired by the all-conquering Dubawi. The fact his jockey will be wearing the second-string white cap should not be taken as a negative, particularly with Ryan Moore donning it.

Bin Suroor’s official first choice is Brazen Beau newcomer City Walk, but Appleby’s pair have even more intriguing pages.

Well Of Wisdom, partnered by the stable’s number one William Buick, is an Oasis Dream-sired son of Allessandria with an ominously good recent pointer as his half-brother Avilius clinched two Australian Group 1s within the space of a week last month. That gelding’s Pivotal brother Saint Baudolino was placed in both the Prix du Jockey Club and Grand Prix de Paris.

Appleby landed this race with subsequent Windsor Castle winner Sound And Silence a couple of years ago and he also fields Kodiac colt Full Verse, a 600,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase. There ought to be confidence about his precocity as he is the first foal of Queen Mary winner Anthem Alexander, who has also given birth to a Dark Angel yearling for Mountamstrong Stud.

Should all four find themselves in need of the experience, George Scott’s Brocklesby runner-up Strong Power is placed to take advantage.

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