It is rare that Sir Michael Stoute uses such words as 'exciting' and 'promising' about one of his two-year-olds, but he slipped in a couple following victory for Expert Eye.

 

Expert Eye, owned and bred by Khalid Abdullah and ridden by Andrea Atzeni, romped to an easy win, scoring by four and a half lengths and three-quarters of a length from Zaman and Mildenberger. The winner was making his second appearance having won on debut at Newbury in June.

 

 

"We've only run 10 of our two-year-olds and there may be others who are better than him, but I don't know. He's very mature and strong, and will certainly get a mile.

 

"Ryan [Moore] has ridden him since Newbury, and he was impressed with him then and since. We came here hoping to win and he did it very easily.

 

"It's the beginning of August in his two-year-old season, but he ticks a lot of boxes because he's well balanced and well made, and with a good mind.

 

"He's still a baby. I'm excited about him - he's brimful of promise."

Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager for Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms, was understandably delighted with the impressive performance put in by the juvenile colt. There is the hope of some big targets ahead for the progressive homebred colt, a son of Acclamation, unbeaten in two starts to date.

 

"He ought to get a mile, he's out of a mare by Dansili," said Grimthorpe. "The family has got plenty of speed, but I would think he ought to be up to a mile on that performance and in good time.

 

"He is in the Champagne Stakes [seven furlongs, Doncaster] and that looks like a possibility, and then all being well he will go on to smarter things, the Dewhurst if we are lucky enough.

 

"I don't think the ground is an issue for him, there is some ease today, but it is not specialist ground today."

 

Winning jockey Andrea Atzeni said: "They really like Expert Eye and speaking to Ryan [Moore] before the race he felt it would take a good horse to beat him today. He was right.

"Expert Eye settled nicely, but we went slowly. When I pulled him out in the straight and gave him a bit of daylight, he took off and I ended up getting there way too soon. But to be fair to the horse, when I picked him up, he galloped out really well. I got there too soon really, but he quickened up really well when I asked him. He's a nice colt and he'll get a mile.

 

"I don't think I have ever sat on a two-year-old as good as this at the moment. He is pretty good, I think.