With all the Group 1 clues in Europe done and dusted, Adam Houghton reveals which two-year-olds are top of the class on Timeform ratings in 2023.
City of Troy (Timeform rating 125p)
City of Troy looked a top-notch colt in the making when maintaining his unbeaten record with another dominant success in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last time, fully confirming the promise of his Superlative rout from three months earlier.
Sent straight to the front by Ryan Moore, City of Troy travelled smoothly throughout and again impressed with his strength at the finish, drawing right away in the final furlong to land the spoils by three and a half lengths from the previous Group 3 winner Alyanaabi.
City of Troy’s performance was as good as any in the Dewhurst in the last decade and he’s understandably a short-priced favourite for next year’s 2000 Guineas and Derby (and barely in double figures for the Triple Crown), all in all a most exciting prospect who could develop into one of the greats, if all goes well.
Henry Longfellow (120p)
Like stablemate City of Troy, Henry Longfellow went unbeaten in three starts in 2023, producing his best effort when gaining a third successive course-and-distance win in the National Stakes at the Curragh in September, justifying odds-on favouritism with the minimum of fuss.
Henry Longfellow proved a class apart from his rivals in that Group 1 in the absence of City of Troy – withdrawn at the eleventh hour due to the rain-softened ground – hitting the front two furlongs out and keeping going well from there to beat the useful Islandsinthestream by two lengths.
Bred to be suited by at least a mile and a quarter, Henry Longfellow is another potential top-notcher for Ballydoyle to go to war with in 2024, behind only City of Troy in the ante-post betting for the 2000 Guineas and Derby, with the French Classics also options should connections wish to keep them apart early in the season.
Vandeek (119p)
Vandeek went one better than any other horse in this list by winning twice at the top level in 2023, becoming the tenth winner of the Prix Morny this century to follow up in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.
Unbeaten in four starts overall, Vandeek saved his best performance for last when putting a smart field to the sword in the Middle Park, making smooth progress from rear to lead a furlong out and then quickening clear to win by two and a quarter lengths with plenty in hand.
Likely to prove best at sprint distances, Vandeek’s connections have already ruled out a tilt at the 2000 Guineas and the Commonwealth Cup – for which he heads the ante-post betting at a general 4/1 – looks the obvious target in the first part of next year.
Ancient Wisdom (118)
Ancient Wisdom returned from 11 weeks off with a much-improved display to win the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month, proving well suited by the step up to a mile as he forged clear in the closing stages to win by three and three-quarter lengths in emphatic style.
Supplemented for Saturday’s Futurity Trophy on the back of that success, Ancient Wisdom didn’t need to match his Newmarket form to make the breakthrough in Group 1 company at Doncaster, dictating just a modest gallop and battling back well when headed briefly entering the final two furlongs to win by a length and three-quarters.
Beaten just once in five starts, Ancient Wisdom will stay at least a mile and a quarter as a three-year-old and the Dante Stakes has already been mooted as a potential starting point for him when he puts his Classic credentials to the test in the spring.
Bucanero Fuerte (117)
Bucanero Fuerte had plausible excuses when ending his two-year-old season with a well-held third behind Henry Longfellow in the National Stakes, the combination of softer ground and a strongly-run race on his first try at seven furlongs seeming to find him out.
He’s better judged on the form he’d shown the time before when running out an impressive four-length winner of the Phoenix Stakes at the same course, always front rank and having matters in hand entering the final furlong.
Bucanero Fuerte was a precocious juvenile, notably winning the first two-year-old race of the Irish Flat season back in March, but he has the physique to train on well as a three-year-old, albeit with stamina to prove if lining up in the 2000 Guineas (should stay seven furlongs but not guaranteed to last out over a mile).
Rosallion (116p)
Rosallion was much improved from his debut when winning the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July and that turned out to be one of the strongest two-year-old races run all year, with the next five home all going on to win at Listed level or above.
There was a bump in the road for Rosallion when he finished only third on his next start in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, but he resumed his progress with a decisive victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp when last seen, ultimately winning by a length having stayed on strongly to lead in the final 50 yards.
Rosallion will need to settle better than he did at Doncaster and Longchamp if trying a mile next year, but he’s certainly made a very promising start to his career and it’s hard to argue with his position as the shortest-priced contender among the home team for the 2000 Guineas.
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