Flat Season 2011 horse to follow

Updated to include a couple more.

ZOOWRAA - On ante post for 1000G.She looks very classy to me and questions marks are around a need for soft ground. Hopefully this wont be the case for her and she can go from strength to strength. The 1000 looks strong on paper at present but always some reputations that get smashed early season and I think the 16s on offer still offers a bit of value. Would of liked her to still be in the care of M A Jarvis but hopefully Al Zarooni can have her ready for May.

RECITAL - Have backed ante post for the Derby only to relatively small stakes but looks a horse of real potential for the classic this year.

Great! thanks Jack.

Thats one ante post bet down! I suppose French is a good option with ground likely to be a bit softer.

Two for me, Dubai Price (NAP) and my old mate Redford (maybe not one to follow)...

Interesting list, westo...good luck with those.

I'll chip in BOURNE, whose Doncaster win on final start looks solid and should have more to offer, and JOVIALITY, a Gosden filly who was very free after missing the break on her only start and did well to finish third imo.

Conduct from the Sir Michael Stoute yard looks just the type to progress into a pattern class performer, but there is room for a valuable handicap off his current mark of 96 before stepping up in grade. He overcame greenness and a poor position to make a winning debut at Sandown, then followed up a couple of weeks later to land a 10f handicap at Newbury off a mark of 85 in convincing fashion. He was due to contest the November Handicap on the final day of the season, but connections obviously decided to hold fire and give him a winter to strengthen further before targeting a big pot. I suspect the 10f handicap at York's Dante meeting could be the starting point for him this year.

Brian Meehan's Harvest Dancer looked a colt of real potential in three outings, shaping with considerable promise when fourth in a 7f maiden at Newbury on his sole outing at two. Ran well in defeat on his reappearance last April in a Newmarket maiden and built on that successfully when landing a 1m maiden at Goodwood, running green but getting the job done nicely. He was on course for a handicap back at Newmarket but was withdrawn the night before and hasn't been seen again since; however, if over whatever was ailing him, he must be of serious interest in 7f/1m handicaps off his current mark of 84.

Heddwyn from the Marcus Tregoning stable looked a very useful sort when overcoming traffic problems to land a 10f maiden at Windsor on his debut last spring. He then ran well in defeat when chasing home London Stripe in a 10f handicap at Newmarket on 1000 Guineas day, but his only other outing of the campaign came towards the backend when a staying on third in a 1m handicap at Leicester on very testing ground. He has scope for further improvement at around 10f this term off a mark of 88.

High Constable from the Roger Charlton yard is a gelding who was absolutely hammered in the betting when only third on his debut at two, but made amends next time when comfortably seeing off the useful Greyfriarschorista in a 1m 1f maiden at Wolverhampton. His only other outing came in a hotly-contested 7f handicap at Newbury last April, finding only the useful Meezaan too good for him and having some fair sorts in behind him. However, he wasn't seen again thereafter, that despite the Britannia Handicap being mentioned as his next target, but he must be of interest in 1m handicaps this term off a mark of 92; the Royal Hunt Cup could well be his first major target in 2011.

Roger Varian could well have a very nice sort for middle distance handicaps in Pekan Star, a well-connected colt who has always been well regarded and shaped with promise when fourth in a HQ maiden in the summer of his 2yo campaign. He overcame a lengthy absence to land a 10f maiden at Nottingham last autumn and the race has been working out well since; sure to continue improving for a while yet, and his opening mark of 85 allows him to kick off at a reasonable level before climbing the ladder.

Burj Nahar is beautifully-bred colt from the family of Galileo and Sea The Stars who did what was expected of him on his sole start as a 2yo when landing a 1m maiden at Nottingham on debut, travelling well throughout and easing to the front before drawing clear to score with plenty in hand. That wasn't a great race, but the ease with which he won stamped him as a potentially high-class prospect; however, he wasn't seen at three and has clearly had his problems, but it wouldn't at all surprise to see him make up into a very smart middle distance performer if able to make it back to the track 100 per cent fit and well.

Channel Sqaudron is a full brother to the smart stayer Septimus and looked a very bright prospect when coming from a long way back to make a winning debut in a 10f maiden at Sandown last summer, looking virtually clueless throughout but finishing off strongly inside the final furlong. He was on course for the Bahrain Trophy but obviously was deemed in need of more time, and it wouldn't at all surprise to see him make up for lost time this year. He strikes me as a Yorkshire Cup prospect, and it would be a statement of intent if he were to kick off in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury in mid-April, though perhaps a conditions contest/handicap (officially rated 88) may be wiser considering his inexperience. Actually, the Further Flight Listed Stakes (14f) at Nottingham in April could well be a suitable starting point.

One other older horse to mention is a four-year-old colt called Abrasive, a son of Rock Of Gibraltar who is a full brother to the top-class 7-10f winner Mount Nelson and a half brother to several winners including Monitor Closely and Stone Of Scone. His only career outing to date came in a 10f maiden at Newbury's Lockinge meeting last May, making good headway to dispute the running before Moose Moran's experience told inside the final furlong. He wasn't seen again thereafter but is quite clearly a very useful colt, so hopefully he can overcome whatever problems have held him back since and go one better before progressing into a smart performer this year.

I couldn't be sure all of the above are in training or over whatever was ailing them last year, but all looked to have bright futures before their 3yo campaigns were curtailed for one reason or another.

Someone has just told me that Abrasive is no longer with us. Can anyone confirm this?

Tiddliwinks will win a big sprint handicap at some point this season

Well done westo.
I waied all season last year for Noafal to get back but injury sidelined him from the Michael Jarvis team. I'm hoping he's back this year but can't find anything out anywhere.

Very well done westo.
2 from 2 now, fantastic stuff. Followed you in there on sunny game, as i was a fan of that bofire knight also, and decided to follow a couple more of your horse after it won. Great logic and i will eagerly wait for the next of your horses to run.