Sue Montgomery: Godolphin's young guns firing

As remarkable as the absence of Godolphin from the list of top-level winners in Europe this year is the squad's current form in lower-grade competition.

The victory of Bawadi and Damietta at Kempton yesterday evening, following another double at Newbury in the afternoon, brought the royal blues' domestic total for this month to 16, of which 11 were contributed by the youngest generation.

Last year, the operation's frontman Saeed Bin Suroor sent out 19 juvenile winners. This term the total is 23 already, at a strike rate of 38 per cent. The significance is lost on few, least of all the man who does the steering. "No matter how many horses a stable has," Frankie Dettori said, "some vintages are good and some are mediocre. And this season is just such a complete change around. First of all, the two-year-olds are winning and secondly, we've got some really very interesting ones for the future."

Dettori singled out maiden winners Al Zir, Poet's Voice and Vale Of York for special mention but Najd, the first to score yesterday, went into a few notebooks too. The son of Storm Cat, making his debut, showed a professional attitude to beat the more experienced Poltergeist by a head. "There were a lot of fancied horses, they went a good gallop and it rode like a good race," the Italian said.

Najd and the others may have a future in next year's Classics. But not so Sand Vixen, who inched out the favourite Shamandar in the St Hughes Stakes, a Listed contest over the minimum trip. "She's speedy and honest," Dettori added. "But she's only a petite thing, very much a two-year-old. She's getting stronger physically, though, and might be one for the Cheveley Park Stakes."

The fact that the team's highest-profile runner at Newbury this afternoon was a recent acquisition emphasises Dettori's judgement of the youth squads. Evasive, likely to start favourite for the seven-furlong Hungerford Stakes, was recruited to bolster Godolphin's three-year-old strength after the rest of the Classic generation singularly failed to cut the mustard.

Evasive (3.10) joined Bin Suroor from Sir Michael Stoute after running a fourth to Mastercraftsman in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Previously, he had finished an equally respectable sixth to Sea The Stars in the 2,000 Guineas on his seasonal debut, after an interrupted preparation. He has thrived since Ascot and the drop in distance and class should suit him perfectly at this stage of his career.

The decision has been made to pitch his stable-mate Kite Wood into all-aged company for his St Leger trial; he runs in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes this afternoon rather than what is looking a hot renewal of the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on Tuesday. Kite Wood (2.35) was another headhunt, at the end of last season, and though he was outclassed in the Derby he bounced back with a confidence-boosting success at Newmarket last month and he, too, has looked the part in his homework since.

Geoffrey Freer was the man who virtually single-handedly dragged Newbury from the devastation wreaked by its use as an American supply depot during the war years. He was a turfman of considerable note, Jockey Club handicapper for 17 years from 1945 and would no doubt have had his views on today's feature at Ripon, even though a prayer to the local cathedral's founder, St Wilfrid, for the solution to his eponymous sprint may be just as much in order.

But without expert or holy guidance Valery Borzov (3.55) is suggested, ahead of Jimmy Styles, as the answer to the day's most valuable and competitive handicap. In the 16 years since Sheikh Mohammed invented Godolphin, his Dubai-based elite division, the nadir in terms of victories at the highest level came in 1997, when Swain's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes win was the sole such success. Tomorrow at Deauville, in the Prix Jacques le Marois, the freakish Gladiatorus will try to get his side on the Group One scoresheet for the year in these parts.

The four-year-old was judged the highest-rated horse in the world after his all-the-way romp in the Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba in March before his bubble burst with a resounding pop in the Queen Anne Stakes. But even with Dettori replacing the less competent Ahmed Ajtebi in the saddle, he may find it hard to keep the blue ball rolling with local heroine Goldikova, going for her sixth Group One success, heading the opposition.

York weather bodes well for Sea The Stars in Juddmonte

With the ground at York continuing to dry out ahead of next week's four-day festival, officials have now not ruled out the possibility of having to water the track to keep any jar out of the ground. The news that rainfall forecast for the Knavemire yesterday failed to materialise must be good for those hoping to see Derby winner Sea The Stars – who eschews soft ground – in action on Tuesday in the Juddmonte International.

On Thursday, the Oaks heroine Sariska is likely to have an easier task than her male rivals; she will have a maximum of six opponents in the Yorkshire Oaks. It will be the first venture against her seniors for Michael Bell's charge, with four-year-old Dar Re Mi and five-year-old Barshiba chief among them.

There are horses for courses, and there is Benbaun for the Curragh. The durable eight-year-old, trained by Kevin Ryan in Yorkshire, has won 14 times in his 47-race career, with seven of his victories coming at the Co Kidare track.

Tomorrow he goes for number eight in the Phoenix Sprint, with devoted Pat Smullen (above) again in the saddle. On the same card, last year's Derby third Casual Conquest, who has dodged a clash with Sea The Stars at York, goes for the easier picking of the Royal Whip.

Wherever the class is this weekend, the whimsy is at Newmarket, with the running of one of the most visually splendid contests. The six-furlong handicap is confined to grey horses, a positive charge of the white brigade. And in the interests of political correctness, there was an equivalent contest at the Suffolk course last night for their less dashingly-coloured cousins, won by the bay Seamus Shindig.

Turf Account

*Nap

Suba (2.20 Newmarket) Half-sister to Dubawi who dead-heated on her handicap debut and looks potentially well-treated even after a 4lb rise.

*Next best

Hafawa (3.20 Ripon) Won her maiden with a strong finish and has missed a stronger contest at Newbury for this perceived easier opportunity.

*One to watch

No two-year-old caught the eye more last week than debutante Meeznah (David Lanigan) at Newmarket. The daughter of Dynaformer came home with a flourish in third and should not be missed when she next appears, possibly at Kempton on Wednesday.

*Chris Mcgrath's nap

Cwm Rhondda (2.45 Ripon)