'He's done amazingly well' - trainers assess their Two Year Old Trophy runners

Saturday: 3.35 Redcar
William Hill Two Year Old Trophy (Listed) | 6f | 2yo | ITV4/RTV

Instead of assessing handicap ratings from a group of well-matched horses, the Two Year Old Trophy brings together a complete mix of talent from the juvenile division. We aren't treated to a maximum 23-runner field this year, but the gap between the highest and lowest-rated two-year-olds still adds up to 36lb.

Due to the weight conditions of the race – determined by the median price of a sire's yearlings sold in Europe and North America in 2020 – the top-rated Chipotle and Vintage Clarets get to race off extremely favourable terms.

Chipotle, who boasts an official rating of 101 and has run in Group company on his last three starts, receives 1lb from 97-rated topweight Last Crusader due to the latter's sire (Oasis Dream) recording a median sale price of £36,750 compared to the £13,978 of Havana Gold (Chipotle's sire).

Vintage Clarets, who is rated 100, will carry just 8st 9lb thanks to Ardad's £11,660 median sale price.

On figures it's hard to oppose Vintage Clarets, who represents 2017 and 2019 winning trainer Richard Fahey. However, his form has clearly dropped off since he was third in the Coventry at Royal Ascot and, although this is his easiest assignment since, you have to take on trust that he's still firing late in the season.

Symphony Perfect and Mojomaker finished fourth and fifth respectively in a similar race at York in August and, although they're 14lb and 17lb wrong at the weights with Vintage Clarets, both seem to be holding their form well. The same can be said for Anadora, who goes back up to 6f.

The standard of form quickly drops off as you look further down the market, but punters who seek a juicy price may want to consider once-raced maidens Atomise and Poetikel Piece. The latter, a daughter of Mayson, attracted support at big odds earlier in the week and will carry just 8st 1lb.
Race analysis by Tom Collins

Confidence behind Chipotle

Richard Fahey, who trained two of the last four winners in Darkanna (2017) and Summer Sands (2019), again fields a strong contender in Vintage Clarets.

Successful at Beverley and Ayr in the spring, the son of Ardad has run well since in much stronger company, including when sixth of 22 in Newbury's Super Sprint, four places behind Symphony Perfect, who reopposes.

Favourite for that race was Chipotle, who enjoyed a luckless passage as 15-8 market leader and could fare no better than ninth.

It would be no surprise if the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained colt, who contested the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes in August, managed to reverse that form with the second and sixth, particularly as it appears he has fared much better in the draw.

Johnson Houghton said: "We're going to Redcar in search of quicker ground. He should be able to get really involved there. In fact, I'd like to think he could be winning the race.

"He's done amazingly well all year. He has good form with Vintage Clarets from Newbury, where he didn't get the best of runs, and they're both at the top of the market."

A notable feature of races at Redcar this season has been the number of times when there has appeared to be a discernible advantage for horses racing close to the far rail from low draws.

Chipotle is drawn in stall six, while Vintage Clarets and Symphony Perfect may be inconvenienced by much higher berths in stalls 13 and 14 respectively in the 15-runner line-up.

What they say

Karl Burke, trainer of Last Crusader
He's in very good form. Kieran Shoemark, who rode him at Chantilly last time, came back and said he hated the soft ground. The run was too bad to be true. He's got a nice draw and I'm hoping for ground that is good or just on the easy side – he does have a bit of a knee action.

Dave Loughnane, trainer of Mojomaker
He was impressive at Sandown in June and has been running in tough company ever since without disgracing himself. He hasn't always enjoyed the clearest of runs. On his day he's perfectly capable in this sort of race and I'm hopeful of a decent show.

Tom Dascombe, trainer of Lordman, Mot And The Messer, Glittering Choice and Roman Dragon
On ratings Mot And The Messer is the best of the four, although Roman Dragon is around the same price in the betting. They're both drawn low [stalls one and two], which looks to be in their favour. Glittering Choice goes there because we've paid the entry fee and she deserves a crack at some of the good prize-money. It's the same story with Lordman. Why not have a go at a race like this rather than keep him in training for another month to run for £1,000 somewhere?

Richard Hannon, trainer of Symphony Perfect
She hasn't put a foot wrong all season and seems to love these big sales races. She'll go on any ground and hopefully she can pick up some prize-money again.

David O'Meara, trainer of May Blossom
She's got no weight and, although it's only her second time at six furlongs, she's often run as though she'll benefit from it.
Reporting by Richard Birch

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