Norfolk Stakes Guide 2021

A once raced colt for American raider Wesley Ward. He’s brought a strong team of sprinting juveniles over to Ascot this year and has been unlucky not to notch a win.

Lucci debuted at Belmont Park last month and visually looked very impressive by making every yard of the running and skipping clear by 3 lengths.

He looks all pace and couldn’t have won his maiden much easier for a trainer who’s won two runnings of this race.
Heads the market and warrants respect.

Mid to high draw is workable.

Another raider but this time from the other side of the Irish Sea, Cadamosto represents Aidan O’Brien off the back of a striking win on debut.

Seen for the first time at Dundalk back in early April, he showed a professional attitude to win going away from a runner up who has franked the form since by winning.

The yard has won this twice in the last 5 runnings but a very low draw is less than ideal in these big sprints.
Ryan Moore takes the ride.

Clive Cox’s runner made a perfect start to life under rules when easily winning a maiden race at Bath last month.

The form hasn’t worked out brilliantly with the 2nd and 3rd being disappointing since but Instinctive Move did put them away with ease.

The 4th however has won since. The son of Showcasing is open to plenty of improvement from his debut run but might just struggle to find his feet in this class.

Another for American trainer Wesley Ward. Debuting on the dirt over at Keenland back in April he beat stalemate Happy Soul who has advertised the form well by winning twice subsequently.

Only running over 4.5 furlongs at Keenland, the gelding showed blistering pace to pull away late on.

Interesting to note that connections have reached for a combination of a tongue tie and blinkers. Maybe to help him see out the extended trip on a stiffer course.

Form working out well back home and looks to have plenty of speed for a trainer who’s won this race before. Murphy is an interesting booking. Each way material.

A really nicely bred colt for Bryan Smart, Showcasing out of a Dandy Man mare, Project Dante showed some real grit and tenacity to see off Korker by a head at York’s Dante Festival last month.

Well named to get his debut win at the Dante Festival, he traveled into the race really nicely and showed a good attitude to repel a challenge from the 2nd place.

The 2nd and 4th have boosted the form by winning since.

A strong pedigree, a really likeable debut, a nice high draw and form that’s working out well. One for the shortlist.

A son of Kodi Bear for David Loughnane, the 150,000 guineas purchase was well clued in as to the job at hand on debut and easily made every yard here at Ascot last month.

The 2nd and 3rd haven’t done the form many favours by being overturned at short odds since but this colt couldn’t have beat them much easier having made every yard of the running.

He did run on soft ground however, so a quick surface is somewhat of an unknown.

A low draw isn’t ideal either but he’s open to progress and handles Ascot.

One of the more experienced in the field having had two starts, Second Wind has a perfect strike rate of 2/2.

Debuting at Yarmouth in April, the William Haggas trained colt did exceptionally well to overturn odds on favourite Robasta, who interestingly was beaten by Go Bears Go.

Despite shouldering a penalty for his debut success, he managed to back up the promise shown at Yarmouth to record another victory at Salisbury.

Giving weight to the whole field, he just got the better of Bosh who’s franked the form since with a narrow margin win at York.

Likes to burst out the stalls and keep things simple in front. Will be hard to peg back from a high draw and clearly in form. Interesting.

Jospeh O’Brien brings over Andreas Vesalius who’s taken 3 attempts to get off the mark this season.

Debut at Navan saw him beaten by Masseto who was a valiant 4th in the Coventry Stakes Tuesday.

A nightmare passage on his second run saw him only manage 4th again but the promising signs were there and he stayed on strongly when seeing daylight.

He confirmed that promise last month when cutting through soft ground with bundles in hand to win at Naas. The 2nd has boosted the form by winning since.

Looked more at home on deeper ground but could appreciate a fast tempo and the stiffer course.

High draw an advantage and he could improve bundles for the win.

Mentioned earlier with interlocking form with Project Dante. He went down by only a head but showed the form is worthwhile by winning on his next start.

Sent off an adds on favourite, he did enough to repay favourite backers and hold off Ninky Nonk by half a length.

Clearly progressing, he’s shown the York form is strong but looks to have a bit to get really competitive in this deeper contest.

Drawn low and encounters fast ground for the first time.

Another who’s notched up some experience early in the season, Twilight Jet makes the trip over from Ireland for Michael O’Callaghan.

Finishing 3rd to Andreas Vesalius on debut, he moved straight up into group 3 company for his next outing but only managed 5th behind Castle Star at the Curragh over 6 furlongs.

Dropped back down to 5 furlongs for his most recent outing, he showed why he fetched a lofty £210,000 price tag at the sales when winning at Tipperary with a bit in hand.

Moving to faster ground and dropping back to 5 furlongs really brought out the best of him and he won nicely earlier this month.

Plenty of experience behind him, connections clearly thought he was talented as he’s already had a go in group company.

Could spring a surprise but Harmony Rose, 2nd to him in the maiden, didn’t advertise the form well in the Queen Mary.

A son of Ardad who was only a length behind Robasta, runs in the Windsor Castle, on debut back in late May.

He built on that promising debut with a pleasing success at Hamilton recently. He was a prohibitive odds on favourite but couldn’t have done it much easier.

He quickened really nicely from off the pace to swoop to victory with ease by just over 2 lengths.

We’ve not really had any time to assess what he’s beaten but he did it with such ease he’s well worth his chance here.

Stall 10 isn’t the worst starting position and the Richard Fahey 2 year old might just make a bold bid.

Already 4 runs in the books this season, he showed promise for Richard Fahey on debut and confirmed that when improving bundles to win a novice event at Ripon on his second appearance.

He tried to back up under the penalty at Ripon again but couldn’t give a heap of weight away to May Blossom who just prevailed by a head.

Moved up in trip for his most recent run he encountered soft ground in a higher class of race and didn’t quite get home over the further trip, losing out to Angel Bleu who finished 13th in the Coventry.

Dropping back in trip will suit, as will faster ground but his form would suggest he’s going to have too much on his plate in this deep race.

Already 5 runs and 3 wins on his CV showed he’s been busy in the early part of the season and had the talent to back it up.

An unimpressive 8th on debut was quickly put behind him as he went on a sequence of wins to land 3 races in a row.

A low grade novice event at Wolverhampton broke his maiden and he easily denied the penalty when winning at Brighton over 5.5 furlongs only a week later.

Not given much time to recover he was churned out at Chester and ran away a convincing winner by a healthy 6 lengths under Nicola Currie.

Only given a couple of weeks respite he moved up in class and went off favourite for the Listed National Stakes at Ascot which was won by Ebro River.

The softer ground seemingly blunting his talent, he still ran with credit to finish 3rd.

Experienced and has a really impressive win at Chester behind him already.

A big price off a disappointing run at Sandown, he can be forgiven and a move back to firmer ground will suit. However, a low draw could be his undoing.

For Robert Cowell is Little Earl. Held back in 3rd on debut when encountering fast ground for the first time, he clearly appreciated being able to get his toe into the turf when easily winning at Catterick on soft ground.

Connections tried to capitalise on his preference for softer ground when running him in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown but he was brushed aside by Ebro River.

He was still 2nd and best of the rest but he’s likely going to encounter fast ground again and it’s still to be seen if it is to his liking.

Another for Robert Cowell, his colt King Of Speed showed promise on debut at Chelmsford. Despite running very green he took 3rd place and hinted that he could have a race in him further down the line.

He immediately confirmed that promise when running at Redcar 4th at the end of last month. He received a massive swing in the weights from Barging Thru who beat him on debut to reverse the form.

The form on paper doesn’t look stellar and he’ll have to take an almighty leap forward to leave that behind and get into contention here. Has a lot to do.

A once raced colt for Richard Fahey, the son of Prince Of Lir was a disappointing 6th of 6 on debut.

It was a higher class conditions race but he missed the break and tamely backed out of proceedings in the final furlong.
He’s likely to improve for the debut run but we have very little to base any fancies on.

His sire won this race in 2016 and his half brother won at listed level at 2 over 5 furlongs. He was only 5/1 for debut in an above average race so could bounce back.

Best watched however.