By Adam Houghton
The pick of the maiden/novice winners last week came in unlikely surroundings at Thirsk, with a colt trained by Kevin Ryan taking top billing ahead of a Ballydoyle blueblood.
5. ROTELLE (GB)
Showcasing (GB) – The Wagon Wheel (Ire), by Acclamation (GB)
Timeform performance rating: 79
There was a blanket finish to the 5f novice run at Nottingham on April 8, with the Charlie Fellowes-trained Rotelle staying on best of all to get the verdict by a neck. In truth, it's unlikely to prove the strongest form, but there was enough in Rotelle's performance to suggest that he can do better still, showing signs of inexperience before asserting close home to deny the 5/4 favourite from the Karl Burke yard, Final Appeal (Inns Of Court).
Bought for 40,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, Rotelle is the third winner from five runners out of The Wagon Wheel, who was twice placed at Listed level and is a full-sister to the multiple Listed scorer and G3 Sovereign Stakes runner-up Tabarrak. The Wagon Wheel's best runner to date is Rockymountainway (Lope De Vega), a dual winner for Fellowes who was also third in last year's Listed Grosser Sparkassen Familien-Cup.
🇬🇧 Restricted Novice Stakes @NottsRacecourse
Nottingham – Classe 5 – 2 ans – 1013m – 6 Pts – 7 869 £🏆Rotelle (m2) 🏇Paddy Bradley
📖(Showcasing (Gb) @WhitsburyManor – The Wagon Wheel (Ire) par Acclamation (Gb))🕶️C Fellowes @FellowesRacing… pic.twitter.com/sCsApXilXK
— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) April 8, 2026
4. ADONIUS (IRE)
Soldier's Call (GB) – Dubai Paradise (Ire), by Exceed And Excel (Aus)
Timeform performance rating: 80
Having topped the rankings in the first instalment of this series, Adonius has to settle for minor honours this time, despite having maintained his unbeaten record back at Musselburgh on April 12. Sent off the even-money favourite for that 5f novice, he always had matters under control, albeit Rlasthope (Rajasinghe), who was receiving 5lb from the winner, reduced the deficit to just a neck at the line, with the first two pulling three and a half lengths clear of the remainder.
Adonius ran to a Timeform performance rating of 80 on this occasion, not needing to match the 97 rating he ran to when winning by seven lengths on his debut. He is better judged on that form for the time being and his early speed should ensure that he takes some pegging back in a higher grade next time. He remains with a Timeform master rating of 97, although the 'p' that was attached after his debut has been removed, indicating that there might not be much more improvement to come.
2⃣ out of 2⃣ 👊
Adonius opens the 2026 @SkyBet #SundaySeries by successfully conceding a penalty to his rivals.@RebeccaEMenzies | @MusselburghRace pic.twitter.com/XXIbETUk93
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 12, 2026
3. THAMES WATERMAN (GB)
Rajasinghe (Ire) – Herringswell (Fr), by Pour Moi (Ire)
Timeform performance rating: 81
Trained by Richard Hughes, Thames Waterman justified favouritism despite doing plenty wrong when kicking off his career with victory in a 5f maiden at Wolverhampton on April 10. Positively ridden by Finley Marsh, he took a bit of steering at times, notably showing a tendency to lug to his right on the bends, but the most impressive part of his performance was the manner in which he forged clear late on to register a near-three-length verdict.
Hughes told Sky Sports Racing afterwards that Thames Waterman will be “much better with a lead”, while his pedigree suggests that going an extra furlong or two could eke out more improvement, too. A 25,000gns purchase at Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, he is out of the six-time winner Herringswell, who showed her best form at up to 7f. Her first foal, Rajaking, is a full-brother to Thamas Waterman whose two wins both came over 6f.
🇬🇧Restricted Maiden Stakes @WolvesRaces
Wolverhampton – Classe 5 – 2 ans – 1025m – 7 Pts – 7 869 £🏆Thames Waterman (m2) 🏇Finley Marsh @Finleymarsh123
📖(Rajasinghe (Ire) @NatStudStallion – Herringswell (Fr) par Pour Moi (Fr))🕶️R Hughes @RHughesracing… pic.twitter.com/S2CYP6RscN
— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) April 10, 2026
2. NEW YORKER
No Nay Never – Fairyland (Ire), by Kodiac (GB)
Timeform performance rating: 82
The cream came to the top in the 5f maiden run at Dundalk on April 10, with Ballydoyle's impeccably-bred New Yorker ultimately running out a comfortable winner, ahead of another likely sort from the Paddy Twomey stable in Litmus Test (Havana Grey). The winner was never far away in the hands of Ryan Moore and gradually asserted in the final furlong, wandering a bit under pressure but hitting the line with over a length to spare from the fast-finishing runner-up.
An SP of 4/7 underlines that anything other than a victory would have a disappointment for this son of No Nay Never and the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Fairyland. The experience promises to do him the world of good and, if he proves half as talented as Ballydoyle's previous winner of that Dundalk maiden, Blackbeard, then he won't go too far wrong.
Incidentally, whilst New Yorker ran to a performance rating of 82 in victory here, the experts at Timeform saw fit to boost his master rating to 86p, a figure which has been bettered by only Adonius, A Bear Affair (Kodi Bear), Maria Quiteria (Churchill) and Dance A Jig (Naval Crown) so far this season.
NEW YORKER 🇺🇸
Aidan O'Brien's No Nay Never colt defies greenness to score on debut under Ryan Moore. @DundalkStadium | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/SRjXKVC9cF
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 10, 2026
1. WHERE LOVE LIVES (IRE)
Cotai Glory (GB) – Bettys Hope (GB), by Anjaal (GB)
Timeform performance rating: 86
Tied with New Yorker on a Timeform master rating of 86p is the Kevin Ryan-trained Where Love Lives, who hit that figure when emphatically winning a 5f maiden at Thirsk on April 10. Having proved tricky to load into the stalls, he then showed a much more professional attitude in the race itself, making all to win by a length and a half in a good time, with the first two pulling four and a half lengths clear of the chasing pack.
Runner-up Hickory Lad (James Garfield) should have little trouble winning a similar event in the coming weeks, having run to a rating of 79 himself, while Where Love Lives will take some beating under a penalty if his connections opt to go down the novice route. Bought for £55,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, he is a half-brother to Inbetty (Inns Of Court), a winner over 7f in Italy, while their dam is out of a half-sister to the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes-winning sire Kyllachy.
🇬🇧Maiden Stakes @ThirskRaces
Thirsk – Classe 4 – 2 ans – 1005m – 9 Pts – 9 837 £🏆Where Love Lives (m2) 🏇Kevin Stott
📖(Cotai Glory (Gb) @HoStud – Bettys Hope (Gb) par Anjaal (Gb))🕶️K A Ryan
🎩J Blackburn & Partner 1 pic.twitter.com/qq8KfKTrEv— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) April 10, 2026
Timeform's Top-Rated Two-Year-Olds (in Britain and Ireland)
97 Adonius
92p A Bear Affair
92p Maria Quiteria (f)
90p Dance A Jig
86p New Yorker
86p Where Love Lives
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