Angers

We've a while to wait before any firm conclusions can be drawn about this year's crop of first-season stallions, though Darley's Blue Point (Ire) and Ballyhane Stud's Soldier's Call (GB) are pulling ever clearer in what has developed into something of a duel at the half-way stage of the Flat season. In the Coolmore camp, Calyx (GB) was the first to strike with a group winner when Persian Dreamer won Friday's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S.  As an aside, one wonders how much the clamour to run two-year-olds at Royal...

Harmattan (Fr) (Recoletos Fr}), a two-time winner from three races to date, will be offered during the October session at iwantthewinner.com Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 4-5pm French time. Trained by Edouard Monfort, the April foal was a close fourth on debut at Le Lion d'Angers July 28 before breaking his maiden at Craon Sept. 5. When last seen, Harmattan was doubling his win tally with a narrow victory at Angers Oct. 1, where he covered his final 400 metres in a sharp 23.47s. "He is a rising 2-year-old who keeps...