New Approach made top juvenile

Following his success in the National Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday, New Approach heads Timeform's latest juvenile rankings. His 1¾ length success was enough to earn him a Timeform rating of 125p, which puts him narrowly ahead of sprinting star Kingsgate Native and impressive Solario Stakes winner Raven's Pass. He heads the 2,000 Guineas market on Betfair at 9/2, ahead of 8/1 Raven's Pass and 9/1 Rio De La Plata. Having beaten the equally promising Rio De La Plata and Myboycharlie, New Approach is the current Timeform pick of a strong set of two-year-old talent. No fewer than 11 members of the crop born in 2005 have earned a Timeform rating of 115 or higher so far, making this, at this stage of the season, the best quality generation for a decade in terms of strength in depth. Of course, New Approach was able to run to such a high rating because of the early opportunity to test his mettle against other very smart colts. Sunday's was an unusually high-quality National Stakes, whereas, in previous years, the leading colts often haven't clashed until the top autumn prizes such as the Dewhurst Stakes and Racing Post Trophy. The fantastic clash at the Curragh meant the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday was always likely to look a little neglected. In the event, McCartney put up a most impressive performance, but one which still sees him needing to improve again to challenge those at the top of the rankings, as he ran to a Timeform rating of 115p. McCartney is a 33/1 chance on Betfair for the Guineas. 2,000 Guineas: 9/2 New Approach, 8/1 Ravens Pass, 9/1 Rio De La Plata, 16/1 Winker Watson, 22/1 Henrythenavigator, 24/1 Fast Company, 33/1 McCartney, 39/1 Myboycharlie (Betfair, prices correct as of 1pm 17 Sept)