My Timeform: Three newcomers to follow

Timeform highlight three horses who shaped well in defeat on their debut recently and earned the Horse In Focus Flag.

Anfaal (Timeform rating: 69p) – third, 5f 2-y-o novice, Kempton, Monday 10 April

All bar one of the nine runners in this novice were making their debut and the market proved the best guide with victory going to the 11/10 favourite Action Point. But Tom Clover’s filly Anfaal was another of the more fancied newcomers and she duly produced a promising first effort, catching the eye with her progress late on. She looked to have done plenty of work beforehand but things didn’t go her way early on as she was hampered at the start. She then ran green when pushed along two furlongs out, but she made good progress in the final furlong to be nearest at the finish, two lengths behind the winner. A daughter of Dark Angel who cost 37,000 guineas as a yearling, Anfaal is from the family of high-class six/seven-furlong performer Iffraaj and is sure to improve.

Crystal Mariner (Timeform rating: 79p) – third, 1¼m maiden, Pontefract, Tuesday 11 April

Pontefract’s ‘High-Rise’ Maiden Stakes is named after Luca Cumani’s 1998 Derby winner who began his classic-winning season with a victory over this course and distance. It remains to be seen if Crystal Mariner ends up at Epsom too, but he holds a Derby (and Dante) entry and was the shorter-priced of two colts making their debuts for Sir Michael Stoute. Stablemate Perfuse fared the better of the pair in second but Crystal Mariner shaped with plenty of encouragement in third under quite a considerate introduction in the very testing conditions. Having missed the break, he travelled fluently before making steady headway in the last half-mile, keeping on under hands and heels to finish just over five lengths adrift of winner Knockbrex. A 160,000 guineas breeze-up purchase, Crystal Mariner comes from a family the yard has had great success with in the past, notably his dam’s top-class half-sister Crystal Ocean, a son of Sea The Stars like Crystal Mariner himself.  

Shamwari (Timeform rating: 78p) – third, 1¼m+ fillies’ maiden, Dundalk, Tuesday 11 April

Aidan O’Brien won this fillies’ maiden with the long odds-on favourite Red Riding Hood but she wandered badly in the closing stages, probably costing a better placing for Shamwari, trained by his son Joseph. Sent off second favourite, the daughter of US triple crown winner Justify (like the winner) nonetheless fared best of those making their debuts, shaping promisingly. Soon chasing the eventual winner despite missing the break, Shamwari was ridden over two furlongs out and was about a length down and held when hampered entering the final furlong, losing out on second by a neck to Letiza as a result but still only a length behind the winner at the line. A granddaughter of Oaks winner Imagine (herself a half-sister to Derby winner Generous) from a family that’s produced plenty of good horses for Ballydoyle, Shamwari is well up to winning a maiden at least.