Ordinarily, a Class 4 maiden on a Thursday afternoon wouldn’t set the pulse racing. However, several seemingly low-key maiden events have developed a healthy habit of producing future stars. One such contest took place at Sandown on 24th July, as a pair of regally bred sorts from the powerful Godolphin and Juddmonte operations locked horns.
Both the Charlie Appleby-trained Catullus and the John & Thady Gosden runner Publish had shown plenty of promise in defeat on debut. The latter, in particular, appeared unfortunate not to prevail, having missed the break, met trouble in running, and switched wide inside the final furlong. Despite all that, he still only lost out by half a length to another Appleby youngster, Pacifica Pier. On the back of that effort, the market made Publish the 4/7 favourite for the Martin Densham & Peter Deal Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes. Could he build on that debut promise? Or would another runner in those famous blue silks get in his way?
Juddmonte Win the Battle
Barely a hundred yards into the race, the market leaders locked horns, with Publish and Catullus vying for the lead from the off. And there the duo remained, travelling nicely at the head of affairs deep into the straight as those behind began to struggle. At the 1f pole, the giant stride of Publish began to prove decisive, as James Doyle’s mount forged ahead for a comfortable 1½-length success.
Martin Densham & Peter Deal Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes Full Result – Sandown, 24th July 2025
| Pos. | Horse (SP) | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Publish (4/7F) | John & Thady Gosden | James Doyle |
| 2 | Catullus (9/4) | Charlie Appleby | William Buick |
| 3 | The Joker (14/1) | Jane Chapple-Hyam | Silvestre De Sousa |
| 4 | Chapter (33/1) | Charles Hills | Marco Ghiani |
| 5 | Robert Anstruther (80/1) | Henry Candy | Rhys Clutterbuck |
| 6 | Fahidi (12/1) | Andrew Balding | Oisin Murphy |
| 7 | Domination (28/1) | Clive Cox | Clifford Lee |
| 8 | Bosom Pals (80/1) | Tom Dascombe | Pierre-Louis Jamin |
| 9 | Fans Favourite (18/1) | Hugo Palmer | Lewis Edmunds |
| 10 | Fletcher (300/1) | Jim Boyle | Connor Planas |
| 11 | Westender (100/1) | David Menuisier | Cian Horgan |
Still showing signs of inexperience, this remains a most encouraging effort. Joint trainer Thady Gosden sounded positive about the horse’s future prospects in the aftermath, stating:
“He could be a nice one for next year, he’s certainly got the scope and stature for it.”
The layers were equally enthused, with the strapping colt slashed into a general 16/1 for the 2026 2000 Guineas following this display.
A Maiden with an Impressive Roll Of Honour
The 2000 Guineas might appear a lofty target at this stage. This was, after all, only a Class 4 Maiden event. However, this particular race has developed a reputation for identifying future Pattern-class performers, with recent winners including:
- Ruling Court (2024) – Stormed to a 5½-length victory in this on debut before progressing to claim the 2000 Guineas in 2025
- Arabian Crown (2023) – Like Publish, Arabian Crown won here on his second start. He then added Listed and Group 3 wins to his juvenile CV and won the Group 3 bet365 Classic Trial as a three-year-old
- Nostrum (2022) – Formerly sporting the Juddmonte Silks, Nostrum was one of the talking horses of 2022, having won this race and the Listed Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket. While he never fully delivered on the hype, he did land the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at three
- Kameko (2019) – Kicking off with a win in this race, this Andrew Balding star suffered defeat in Group 3 and Group 2 company but rounded off his juvenile season with an impressive success in the Futurity Trophy Stakes. Returning in 2020, he claimed Classic gold in the 2000 Guineas on his seasonal return and later added the Group 2 Joel Stakes before heading into retirement
Other Early Guineas Contenders
By Irish 2000 Guineas winner and English 2000 runner-up Kingman, and out of the mare Nay Lady Nay, a Grade 2 winner over a mile in the US, Publish is nicely bred for a Guineas contender. However, he is far from the only colt to thrust his name into the mix at this early stage. Initially installed as the 10/1 favourite by a small number of firms, Publish now sits behind the first three horses listed below according to most bookies:
- Albert Einstein – The first of three Aidan O’Brien colts towards the head of the market and the clear favourite with most firms. Two from two in his career to date, this giant son of Wootton Bassett is spoken of in glowing terms by his trainer
- Gstaad – Also unbeaten in two outings, Gstaad shot towards the head of the market following a three-length win in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes. By Starspangledbanner, he’s more speedily bred than a typical Guineas winner but has looked the part at the track
- Saba Desert – This son of Dubawi looks the pick of Charlie Appleby’s typically strong juvenile team. Successful on debut at Sandown, he backed that up with a 1¼-length victory in what looked a strong renewal of the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket
- Italy – Sharing a sire with Albert Einstein, Italy kicked off with a win in a hot Leopardstown maiden before finishing second to Saba Desert at HQ. However, several things went against him that day, and he hit the line strongly at the end of that seven-furlong affair. With more time to develop, he may turn the tables on his Newmarket conqueror over 1m. Currently available at similar odds to Publish and definitely in with a shout
No surprise to see Coolmore and Godolphin dominating the early Guineas betting. However, if there is a horse to upset the dominant forces of the Classic scene, Publish could be the one. It will be fascinating to see how this market changes in the months ahead.
