Top 40 Prospects winner Sardinian Warrior (5/1)

Ascot staged their first meeting of the 2025 turf season on Wednesday and Top 40 entry Sardinian Warrior (5/1) made a seamless transition into Pattern company when winning the Listed Paradise Stakes. Unbeaten in three runs at Southwell last term, the four year old was racing on grass for the first time and Kieran Shoemark's mount produced a fine performance to beat the 113 rated Docklands by half a length. Sat in behind a strong gallop set by the free going Harper's Ferry, John & Thady Gosden's runner hit the front over a furlong to travel before keeping on well to beat Harry Eustace's former Royal winner. Entered in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, he is a highly progressive colt who should be competitive in Group company next time. 

Gulya, who is featured in the Maidens In Waiting section of AOTF, was unfortunate not to win the fillies' novice stakes over a mile. Silvestre De Sousa was keen to get some cover on Roger Varian's runner during the first half mile and, as a result, found himself locked up on the far rail. Waiting for a gap to open, the daughter of Night of Thunder had to sit and suffer until it was too late. Once in the clear, she finished strongly being denied by a short head. Those clients who snapped up the 6/1 which was initially on offer on Tuesday afternoon, will feel frustrated. Entered in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, she is evidently a smart filly and capable of developing into a Pattern filly. I would be tempted to run her in another maiden / novice event and then aim her at the Sandringham Handicap at the Royal meeting - a strongly run mile on the straight track at the Berkshire track willl be ideal. 

Stablemate My Cloud made no mistake in the one mile handicap which rounded off the card making a mockery of an opening mark of 80 in the process. An impeccably bred colt being a half-brother to multiple Group 1 winning miler Palace Pier, the son of Blue Point was a wide margin winner at Newcastle last Autumn. Given a confident ride here by Kaiya Fraser, the four year old came with a sweeping run on the near side before powering clear to win hard held by three and a half lengths. Providing his jockey with his first winner at the track, Roger Varian commented on page 110 of AOTF: "He is a very talented horse who I like a lot. If we can keep him sound, he is on a very good mark. A mile is his trip and he will be suited by top of the ground on turf." The Royal Hunt Cup over the same C&D (18th June) is likely to be his target with one more run beforehand.