Autumn Gold: four juveniles that have impressed

"Where are all the two-year-olds?" is the not unfamiliar cry currently being repeated by French journalists.

The visitors swept the two juvenile Group 1s on Arc day for the first time since 2010, with the leading French-trained candidates, Olmedo and Polydream, running honourably but ultimately lacking the street smartness of their Irish and British-trained conquerors.

In addition, three of the five declared runners for Friday's Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte are trained abroad.

Yes, the leading French trainers are less interested in precocity and the programme remains geared towards producing horses that are open to plenty of improvement at three.

But just below the headline events, there have been some noteworthy performances which will have connections dreaming throughout the winter.

Here are four French two-year-olds – all of whom have more than just an impressive maiden win to their name – that have brightened up proceedings since racing returned to Paris at the beginning of September.

Sacred LifeSiyouni - Knyazhna (Montjeu)

Trainer:Stephane Wattel

Hopes may not initially have been sky high for this €50,000 purchase from Arqana, at least if Wattel's decision to blood Sacred Life at Saint Malo is anything to go by.

He duly scrambled home by a short head before opening up to a five-length success in a conditions race at his local track of Deauville in late August.

His third victory came in the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon, the manner of which could not have been more impressive, while the presence of Alba Force and Aqabah six lengths and more behind gives British and Irish observers a way of quantifying what the eye witnessed.

Clock watchers will have been equally impressed, given the field ran under 12 seconds for each of the final three furlongs.

All being well Sacred Life will be aimed at the Group 1 Criterium International back at Saint-Cloud on October 29.

LuminateLawman - Kalandara (Rainbow Quest)

Trainer:Freddy Head

Another Group 3 winner and, like Sacred Life, another to have put away a smart Godolphin two-year-old with the minimum of fuss.

While the way that previous course winner Stage Magic cracked in the final furlong suggests that his running cannot be taken literally, Highclere's daughter of Lawman floated over the very soft turf (3.7 on the penetrometer) in the style of a very promising middle distance prospect for next year.

"Luminate has a lot of stamina and she loves this type of ground," said Head, who has another fine crop of two-year-old fillies this year, including Boussac runner-up Polydream and Fillies' Mile hopeful Effadah.

The Prix de Conde is a trial for the Criterium de Saint-Cloud but Head seems minded to put Luminate away for the year.

Cascadian New Approach - Falls Of Lora (Street Cry)

Trainer:Andre Fabre

Cascadian ran an excellent race in defeat to the Charlie Appleby-trained Mythical Magic on his second start, having conceded ground at the start of the Prix Francois Boutin following an easy maiden victory.

Having reportedly suffered a very slight hold up after Deauville, Fabre elected not to rush Cascadian back for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere but instead opted for Class 1 conditions race over seven furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte six days later.

Mickael Barzalona didn't have to get serious for very long and Cascadian was a length and a quarter ahead of True Romance at the line, with the runner-up also potentially one to note going forward.

Given Fabre's patience with his two-year-olds it would be no surprise if that was it for the year, though the timing would work fine if connections wanted a crack at the Criterium International.

Sahelian Sea The Stars - Sahel (Monsun)

Team Wertheimer: Maxime Guyon and racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau could have an interesting colt to look forward to in SahelianCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

Trainer:Freddy Head

Most observers will have been concentrating on the runaway winner of Deauville's Prix de Montaigu, the subsequent Godolphin purchase Wootton (a colt who holds an entry in the Prix Isonomy at Deauville next week and whose future progress will be watched with interest).

Eighth place didn't do much justice to Sahelian who, given his stout pedigree, was undoubtedly running over the bare minimum at a mile, and who paid late on for being the only horse ridden to chase the winner.

Head has since embarked on a tour of the provinces with Sahelian, handing beatings of four and six lengths to the Christophe Ferland-trained Bimini Twist at Cholet and Angers.

The second of these confidence-boosters came over 1m2f and Sahelian looks likely to stay further in time. He was not the most imposing starter in the Montaigu and it will be interesting to see how much he grows over the winter but, despite running away from the bright lights, he has already been rated 46.0 or 101 by the French handicapper.

And some maiden winners to keep an eye on...

With You is a Dansili half-sister to George Strawbridge and Freddy Head's Prix de l'Opera winner We AreCredit: Edward Whitaker

As noted above, there will be plenty of well-bred maiden winners lurking in the big yards who will be spared the rigours of a hard autumn.

Three that have caught the eye in recent weeks are:

King Of Leogrance (Michael Tabor / Jean-Claude Rouget)

The son of Camelot beat stablemate Esteve by two and a half lengths in a mile maiden at Bordeaux, which is one of the trainer's favourite venues for giving his two-year-olds experience.

Study Of Man (Niarchos Family / Pascal Bary)

Made light work of the heavy ground in a mile maiden at Saint-Cloud last month, Study Of Man is A Deep Impact full brother to the useful Tale Of Life, while the runner-up (Near Gold) bolted up by three lengths at Chantilly next time out.

With You (George Stawbridge / Freddy Head)

Yet another Head-trained filly, With You is a full sister to Prix de l'Opera heroine We Are (both are by Dansili) and was hard to miss when sauntering to a six-length success on the same Saint-Cloud card as Study Of Man.

An entry in next week's Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs does not look out of place.

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