Notes & Angles: Watch out for Kevin Ryan's juveniles

After a relatively short edition last week I’m going to throw in plenty of suggestions for your Racing TV Tracker after eye-catching efforts this past week, starting with four handicappers who look well treated in the short term followed by a few horses that have caught the eye in novices and looking capable of winning in that company.

In addition, I feel a beaten favourite is worth another chance as well as an angle for you to keep an eye out for over the coming weeks. Let’s get to it!

Debut winner winner C’Mon Kenny showed plenty of ability in two bumper outings at Ludlow earlier this year and looks a likely type to take off in Flat handicaps from an opening mark of 69.

Campaigned over inadequate trips of up to a mile so far, he could hardly have shaped better with a view to going up in distance when fourth at Chester on Saturday. In rear early on, he took a while to get organised as they turned for home but was making plenty of late headway despite being under only light pressure and finished with a ton left in the tank.

He’ll be a very obvious one next time if switched to handicaps, but I’d be amazed if he doesn’t prove himself to be very well-handicapped once up in trip.

The fact that William Haggas started Companionship over ten furlongs in Listed company this season - and that she went off a single figure price - tells you that her excellent trainer felt that she had plenty of ability and would stay middle distances.

She disappointed on that occasion at Newbury, but testing ground on her seasonal return could easily have been to blame and I thought she shaped nicely with a view to going back up in trip on a sound surface when third at Newmarket on Saturday. Reasonably well-positioned and just a couple of lengths off the early pace, she was unable to pick up quickly enough as the race began to develop but kept on willingly and did her best work late.

Her time figure compares favourably to her mark and I suspect she’s going to prove better than her rating of 81 once she gets another crack at ten furlongs.

No Nonsense was an unlucky loser at Newmarket on Thursday and looks ready to strike soon after only being nudged up 1lb for his close second.

A troubled passage – partly brought about because of a tardy start - meant he was unable to capitalise on a mark that has dropped from a career-high 102 to a perch of just 85 here, but he did very well to make up the ground that he did late on.

No Nonsense is not the most reliable and may be the type that needs things to drop right, but he has a good deal more ability than his mark and won’t be long in hitting the target if he stays in this form.

The losing sequence is racking up for Proud Archi, but he’s looked in good form in his three starts this term away from testing ground (which he doesn’t seem to handle) and his second last time at Beverley was his most encouraging start of the campaign.

Taken back from a wide draw, he sat last early on in a steadily-run race and clearly wanted to go quicker. His poor position was compounded by a slightly troubled passage and he did well to get as close as he did, eventually going down by less than a length.

He’s in at Thirsk on Wednesday and given his good course record should go well, but I suspect he’s not far away from breaking his losing run whatever the result there.

I was really impressed with the way Inspiral (John & Thady Gosden) picked up from the back of the field in a winning debut at Newmarket on Saturday and, given her top connections and smart pedigree, I expect to see her in a higher grade fairly soon. Green early, she was poorly placed in a race that wasn’t run at a strong tempo and at a track that favoured prominent racers over its three-day meeting but still won with a bit up her sleeve. She appeals as a smart prospect.

Back in fourth, I thought Victoria Grove (Henry Spiller) also shaped with considerable promise. Her sights won’t be set quite as high as the winner and I think she’ll be up to going close in a similar race next time with this run behind her. Like Inspiral, she was green and poorly placed early on but kept on nicely and looks sure to find significant progress with this behind her.

Moving to the three-year-olds, I liked the run of Ensemble (Roger Varian) at Newmarket on Friday evening. A substantial filly in the paddock beforehand, she looks to have matured well from two to three and is likely to be a bit sharper for what I thought was an encouraging run, coming from further back than ideal to split the market principals. Bred to be useful, she can win a race like this before progressing further.

I think Mo’assess is another three-year-old who should be up to taking a novice after what I felt was a very promising debut at Nottingham on Thursday. Well back early, I was impressed by the way he made up his ground down the outside up the straight into what appeared to be a quickening pace (Timeform closing sectional for the final 3f was 106.7%). His effort petered out slightly late on, but he was still going away from those that were just behind him at the line and looks up to going close next time.

Kevin Ryan has enjoyed plenty of success with his two-year-old’s this term (15 winners so far) and the last week has been particularly fruitful for those having their second start of the campaign. Dark Moon Rising (Beverley), Spitting Feathers (Carlisle), Guest List (Chester) and Gis A Sub (Pontefract) all hit the target at the second time of asking, while Catch Cunningham was off the mark on his third start at Newcastle on Saturday. Before any of those had won, Atomic Force struck in Group Three company in France having previously won on her second start of the season at Hamilton.

For all that a few are winning at the first attempt, it’s clear that the Ryan youngsters are progressing plenty for their first run and it’s well worth taking a close look at those having their second outing. Additionally, I suspect that the general progression shown by the yard’s juveniles this term means they could have a decent time of things in nurseries as well.