Hot To Trot: Is Jonjo about to unleash a superstar?

First published Saturday, October 5

Flat trainer: Roger Charlton

Roger Charlton could ask ante-post 1000 Guineas favourite Quadrilateral to test her classic credentials in the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket on Friday, and one thing certainly in favour of the exciting filly is the form of the yard.

Since Quadrilateral displayed a sensational turn of foot to win at Newbury, Charlton has had five winners from only 21 runners at an excellent strike-rate of 24% (at the time of writing), including a Group 1 success in Germany with Aspetar.

Charlton has had some high-class horses in recent years, including the likes of Al Kazeem and Decorated Knight, and Quadrilateral is the latest top-level prospect to emerge from Beckhampton. She looked a filly right out of the top drawer when taking her unbeaten record to two, storming clear under hands-and-heels riding to score by nine lengths.

Quadrilateral is not all Charlton has to look forward to at Newmarket next week, however, he also has a leading contender for the Cesarewitch in True Destiny. He hasn’t always been the most straightforward but he has an impressive strike-rate in handicaps, winning five of his 12 starts in such company, and produced a career-best effort on his latest start at Goodwood to finish third behind Timoshenko, seeing out the extended two miles and four furlongs well.

Jumps trainer: Jonjo O’Neill

Jonjo O'Neill has had a relatively lean time of things for the past couple of seasons, his tallies of 64 and 56 well down for a man who has often passed - or at least threatened to reach - the century mark.

However, he has already had 21 winners this season, at a strike-rate of 15% compared to 12% the past two terms, and has his string in good order, sending out four winners from his last 19 representatives (at the time of writing), with the vast majority running to form.

Joly Maker, who won at Southwell on Tuesday, has four entries in the coming week and is well worth watching out for after getting off the mark. He jumped soundly in the main and found plenty when challenged, winning in the style of one with more to offer.

Point winner Papa Tango Charly cost £440,000 when sold at Aintree in April, topping the sale and smashing the previous record, and he could make his eagerly anticipated debut under rules in a bumper at Worcester on Thursday.

Under The Radar: Sylvester Kirk

Sylvester Kirk has had only one winner in the past fortnight but that doesn't tell the full story as only two of his last eight runners have finished outside the first three. From his last eight representatives he has had runners hit the frame at 25-1, 16-1 and 12-1, so his string are clearly in decent nick.

Necoleta - the filly who finished runner-up at 25-1 last Saturday - holds four entries next week and would have an obvious chance based on her latest effort, when she shaped as if capable of defying her lowly mark.

Rocket Dancer actually failed to meet expectations in a Chelmsford maiden last time, but he had excuses, being trapped wide, and is better judged on his previous run at Leicester, when he shaped with a degree of promise to finish runner-up. He is entered in nurseries at Windsor on Monday and at Nottingham on Wednesday.