Timeform's Top Juveniles: May 4-17

at 1:39 pm | Back to: Europe, Shared News Europe

Updated: May 20, 2026 at 5:49 pm

Cut A Dash strides clear of his rivals at York | Racingfotos.com

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The Timeform rankings return to highlight the top-rated maiden/novice winners in Britain and Ireland from the last fortnight, with a Richard Hannon-trained colt from York's Dante Festival leading the way. 

=3. BARROW BOY (IRE)
Bayside Boy (Ire) – Illumined (Ire), by Sea The Moon (Ger)
Timeform performance rating: 92

Trained by Gavin Cromwell, Barrow Boy was a dominant winner of the near-6f maiden run at Navan on May 16, fully confirming the promise of last month's debut when he chased home Tribeca (Blue Point) over the same course and distance. At the line he was over two lengths clear of his closest pursuer, once again doing his best work at the finish in the style of one who ought to stay 7f when the time comes.

In the meantime, Barrow Boy is reportedly being aimed at the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, which will be run over 6f for the first time this year. He is eligible as a son of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Bayside Boy, who is going great guns with his first crop in Europe, while his Listed-placed dam has already produced a Royal Ascot winner for these connections in the Listed Chesham Stakes heroine Snellen (Expert Eye).

Illumined herself is a half-sister to the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin winner Night Lagoon (Lagunas), perhaps best known as the dam of the multiple Group 1-winning sire Novellist and Irish Oaks heroine Magical Lagoon (Galileo).

 

 

=3. CARRY THE FLAG (IRE)
No Nay Never – Ejaazah (Ire), by Acclamation (GB)
Timeform performance rating: 92

Runner-up to Star Prospect (Starman) at the Curragh last month, Carry The Flag made rather heavy weather of it when getting off the mark at the second attempt at Naas on May 9. Sent off the 30/100 favourite for that 5f maiden, he was pushed along entering the final two furlongs before finally putting his head in front in the dying strides, ultimately getting the verdict by a head from his fast-finishing stablemate, Sun Goddess (Sioux Nation).

Nevertheless, the timefigure suggests this was a better performance from Carry The Flag than it might appear at first glance, with the promise of more to come from him when he steps up to 6f. Bought for €250,000 at Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, he isn't necessarily bred to stay much further as his dam was Listed-placed over 5f as a juvenile, while his half-sister, Secret Hideaway (Starspangledbanner), won last year's Listed Marygate Fillies' Stakes at the same trip.

 

 

=3. CONFUCIUS (IRE)
No Nay Never – Millisle (Ire), by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
Timeform performance rating: 92

Having been backed as if defeat was out of the question, Confucius made it a double for the Ballydoyle two-year-olds on that Naas card (May 9) when making all to win the maiden over just shy of 6f. He briefly looked threatened when tackled two furlongs out, but at the line he was going away again, appearing to have plenty in hand as he registered a near-four-length verdict in a 'TDN Rising Star' performance.

An unlucky loser when beaten a nose at the Curragh on April 3, Confucius remains very much a work in progress after just the two starts, but there should be should be a bigger effort in the locker when the situation demands it, with a step up in grade looking the obvious next step. Certainly, his pedigree is an ongoing recommendation as the third foal out of the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes scorer Millisle, hence his hefty price tag when bought by the Coolmore partners for 1.7 million gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

 

 

=3. SILENT BEAUTY (IRE)
Night Of Thunder (Ire) – No Speak Alexander (Ire), by Shalaa (Ire)
Timeform performance rating: 92

Another 'TDN Rising Star' performance came from Amo Racing's Silent Beauty when she made a successful debut at Yarmouth on May 13. Sent off the 5/4 favourite for that 6f fillies' maiden, she travelled smoothly throughout and proceeded to stretch clear in good style after being produced to lead two furlongs out, inflicting a four-length defeat on her seven rivals in the manner of a well above average prospect.

Like Confucius, Silent Beauty is bred in the purple as the second foal out of the G1 Matron Stakes winner No Speak Alexander. Bought for €1 million at Book 1 of the Goffs Orby, she certainly couldn't have made a more promising start to her career and all roads surely now lead to the G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, with a step up to 7f promising to suit later in the season, too.

 

 

2. AL HUDAIBA (GB)
Dark Angel (Ire) – A'Shaari (GB), by Dubawi (Ire)
Timeform performance rating: 94

Royal Ascot is also likely to be the next port of call for Al Hudaiba following his debut success at Newmarket on May 15, with the first two from that 6f novice both appealing as very bright prospects for the future.

It was Victorious Forever's Mrair (Mehmas), a £880,000 purchase at the Goffs UK Doncaster Breeze-up Sale, who was sent off the 4/7 favourite, but his inexperience proved his undoing as a very slow start left him with loads to do. Al Hudaiba, on the other hand, proved a model professional, just needing to be pushed out in the final furlong to get the verdict by a length and a half from Mrair, who produced a very encouraging effort of his own under the circumstances to pull five lengths clear of the third.

Both Al Hudaiba (94P) and Mrair (89P) have a large 'P' attached to their respective Timeform master ratings to denote that they are open to significant improvement, with a rematch in the G2 Coventry Stakes at Ascot potentially something to look forward to.

The first two-year-old runner of the season for the powerful Charlie Appleby stable, Al Hudaiba is bred to be much more than just a whizz-bang juvenile, too. He is the first foal out of a winning full-sister to the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Wuheida who, in turn, is out of the G1 Fillies' Mile and GI Yellow Ribbon Stakes scorer Hibaayeb (Singspiel).

 

 

1. CUT A DASH (GB)
Starspangledbanner (Aus) – Promising (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
Timeform performance rating: 98

Richard Hannon's Cut A Dash must be considered another likely sort for the Coventry following an impressive debut of his own at York on May 13. By far the most immature of the six runners in the preliminaries, including at the start, he nevertheless proved very professional in the event itself and looked a good prospect, sealing it with a turn of foot as he quickened clear under a hands-and-heels ride to win by nearly three lengths.

The timefigure for that 5f novice provides plenty of substance to the form, putting it right up there among the best two-year-old performances we've seen in Britain so far in 2026. Cut A Dash, who was very much the pick of the field on looks as well, possessing size and substance, should prove just as effective at 6f. All told, the Denford Stud homebred – who is out of the G3 Prestige Stakes runner-up Promising – is not one to underestimate when he tries his luck in deeper waters.

 

 

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