Eleven two-year-olds take part on good to soft going.
One horse with a big reputation is Charlie Hills' Qutob. This bay colt is a son of Acclamation. A pretty expensive purchase at £160,000 for Hamdan Al Maktoum. This March foal was a warm favourite over course and distance. He had a stiff rival in James Street. Punters thought Qutob had victory in the bag, but a combination of Qutob wandering off a straight line and a determined challenge from Hugo Palmer's James Street saw a short-head defeat. Both horses hold a host of Group entries, so it was a very satisfactory debut although all who bet must have felt frustrated. From a statistical point of view, this horse has strong clues.
I'm interested to see how Mick Channon's Converter goes. The betting suggests this son of Swiss Spirit needs the run or not expected. However, he is well regarded by owner Abdullateef Al Zeer. This breeze-up purchase cost 52,000 guineas. If backed, there could be some hope although very few of Channon's debutantes win when priced over 8/1. He may well be backed into that price guide.
Other horses of interest include Camber who finished a respectable fourth on racecourse bow. Debutantes Make A Wish & With Envy both hail from trainers who can win at the first time of asking.
Conclusion: In truth, Qutob looks a very tough horse to beat. He is akin to a winner without a penalty. Group Horse details this colt as one of the best in Hills' stable. The debutantes will need to be primed and talents to lower the colours of the jolly although a few are considered fair types. Converter is best judged by the betting. Best watched if weak in the market. I can see this going the way of Qutob.
Related stories: Converter Shows Class to Win on Debut for Mick Channon