Donn McClean's Horses To Follow: October 5th to 12th

Before we dive in, some basic rules for a horses to follow list is to keep them in a tracker and on your radar for the next three runs, bearing in mind ideal conditions across variables like venue, ground, opposition and price are satisfactory to you as a punter. This column should help you build up a list that proves profitable under those circumstances, provides timely reminders to reduce repeated form study and assist with your enjoyment of a season be it National Hunt or Flat racing in the UK and Ireland and sometimes beyond.

Midnight Mile - Newmarket, October 7th 2022

There was a lot to like about the performance that Midnight Mile put up in winning the Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket on Friday. Smartly away on the far side, she was restrained early on by Oisin Orr so that she was just about last of the 11 runners after they had gone two furlongs. She came under a ride on the far side as they quickened inside the three-furlong marker, and she had to check at the two-furlong pole, as Crystallium moved across onto the far rail in front of her. Switched to her left, her rider had to wait for a few strides for the gap to develop on the run to the furlong marker, but when it did open up and he asked her to pick up, Midnight Mile responded well. She showed a nice turn of foot to go willingly through the gap, and she stayed on strongly to get up and beat Lose Yourself by a head.

Richard Fahey's filly probably would have been an unlucky loser if she hadn't got there, given that she had to check her run at a crucial stage of the race. As well as that, she raced towards the far side, probably not the fastest part of the track. The first two home in the opening race on the day, the Cornwallis Stakes, raced towards the centre of the track from stalls 12 and 11, respectively, while the two fillies in the places in the Oh So Sharp Stakes also raced out in the centre of the track from stalls six and 11. On top of that, this was just Richard Henry's filly's second run and her first since she won a novice stakes at Doncaster in July. By No Nay Never and out of a three-parts sister to Yesterday and Quarter Moon, she is an exciting filly. She could do even better if and when she steps up in trip.

Via Sistina - Newmarket, October 7th 2022

Via Sistina did really well to stay on as well as she did to finish second in the Group 3 Pride Stakes. Last into the stalls, she was slow from the gate, with the result that she was last early on, so she did well in a race in which the winner and third raced in first and second places early on. Last of the 13 runners still as they raced to the two-furlong marker, she still travelled well at that point, and she picked up nicely when Jamie Spencer asked her to. She did hang to her right in among horses, with the result that she delivered her challenge over towards the far side and almost got there. She got past last year's winner Ville De Grace, and she just failed by a neck to catch Creative Flair, who made all the running, with the first three finishing almost three lengths clear of the rest of the field.

It was a big run by the Fastnet Rock filly on just her second run this season, her first since August. It was also her first for George Boughey since joining from Joe Tuite. And it was just her seventh run ever. It was a career-best performance, and there should be lots more to come. She handles this good ground well, but she won at Goodwood in May last year on soft ground, so she will be of interest if she runs again this season.

Gozen - The Curragh, October 8th 2022

Gozen put up a good performance to finish second behind Lumiere Rock in the Group 3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday. Taken back in the field early on from her outside draw and settled in sixth of the seven runners, Michael O'Callaghan's filly travelled well through her race. She made nice progress on the outside, widest of all, around the home turn and into the home straight. She came under a ride at the two-furlong marker, and it took her a couple of strides to pick up. She did well, though, to make ground into a quickening pace. She was seventh of the seven runners passing the furlong marker, but she kept on really well from there, passing five of her six rivals and finishing just a length-and-a-half behind the winner Lumiere Rock, who was providing her rider Mikey Sheehy with his first Group race winner.

It was a race in which the pace held up well. The winner made all the running, the third filly raced in second from early and the fourth filly raced in third from early. Gozen was the only filly who was able to get in among them from the rear, and she finished second, keeping on best of all, coming widest and latest of all. She was in front at the pull-up. She had finished off her race well on her racecourse debut, too, when she just got up close home to land a seven-furlong maiden at The Curragh, winning by a short head from Basil Martini, who won the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes next time. She coped with the step up in trip to a mile here well, and she should be able to build on this. She has the physical scope to progress as she gets older.

My Eyes Adore You - The Curragh, October 8th 2022

My Eyes Adore You put up a good performance to finish second in the listed fillies' race at The Curragh on Saturday. Nicely away from stall 14, she travelled really well through her race on the near side for Andrew Slattery. She and the winner, Are We Dreaming, who raced out in the centre, were the only two fillies who were still on the bridle passing the two-furlong marker, and when her rider asked her to pick up, My Eyes Adore You picked up well. She got the better of all the other fillies who raced around her on the near side, but she couldn't reel in Are We Dreaming, who raced out in the centre.

It was still a fine run by Fozzy Stack's filly. There was a lot to like about the manner in which she travelled through her race, and she went to the line willingly. She has only won one race, a maiden at The Curragh back in May, but she has run well in defeat on several occasions, including when she was only beaten a length by Perfect News in the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes at Naas in August. She handles this easy ground well, and she will be of interest if she races again before the end of the turf season.

Eeetee - York, October 8th 2022

Eeetee did well to finish fourth in the 10-and-a-half-furlong handicap that closed proceedings at York on Saturday. Held up early on and tucked in from his high draw, he came under a ride early in the home straight but picked up at the two-furlong marker as he moved towards the near side. He had to chart his way through traffic, but he finished off his race well to take fourth place behind Titian.

It was another good run by David O'Meara's horse. He had won two of his previous three races, but this was probably a career-best effort. He only joined David O'Meara at the start of this season, but he has run 10 times for him now, and he retains a nice progressive profile. This was a race in which the pace held up well - he did best of the hold-up horses - and he will be of interest again if he runs again this season off this type of mark in the low 80s. He stays this 10-furlong trip well.