God Given Talent made his handicap debut at York's Ebor Festival last Wednesday, but his attention was elsewhere. The colt, starting for the first time since joining William Haggas from James Ferguson, found his eye drawn to a filly in the adjacent stall.
His racing focus evaporated, and he trailed the 18-runner field early on. With two furlongs of the six to go, he had passed only one horse. Despite traffic problems, he finished strongly into fourth, showing he is a well-handicapped horse with Group-race potential.
Command The Stars Shows Promise at York
Command The Stars also caught the eye at the Ebor Festival. After a disappointing season following a progressive two-year-old campaign, trainer George Scott had tried a hood and longer distances without success.
In the Sky Bet Mile, he stumbled and nearly fell early but recovered to travel well in midfield behind winner Blue Courvoisier, though without a clear passage. A strongly-run big-field handicap is the key for him, and he could develop into a Cambridgeshire contender at 66-1.
Monogram Impresses on Debut
The top Classic prospect of the week may not have run at York. Monogram, a two-year-old son of Kingman, was the first Juddmonte-owned runner for Joseph O'Brien and attracted interest ahead of his debut at the Curragh.
Backed into odds-on, he got up close home, showing top-class potential. Quotes of 20-1 for next year's 2,000 Guineas were understandable, and he is expected to appear in top juvenile races later in the season.
