Saturday, 3 May 2025: Cosmic Year justified a big reputation to record an easy success in the 7f Listed King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

COSMIC YEAR winning the King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket in England.

The Harry Charlton -trained colt had been talked about as a possible 2000 Guineas candidate after his emphatic five-length success in a seven-furlong novice event at Kempton on the all-weather. Unbeaten in two career starts, the son of Kingman entered the King Charles II Stakes as a 6/4 favourite with Ryan Moore  aboard.

Facing a field of nine, Cosmic Year  was always prominent in the centre of the course and faced little opposition aside from the Andrew Balding-trained Marvelman, who set the pace in the early stages. Moore was happy to allow Oisin Murphy aboard Marvelman to dictate the tempo and allowed Cosmic Year to cruise into contention with two furlongs to run, kicking clear of the field in the closing furlong to record a one-and-a-half length success. Diego Venture, owned by Wathnan Racing, finished three-lengths further back in third for trainer Hamad Al Jehani.

Winning trainer Harry Charlton said: "The race didn't pan out exactly as you would have wanted – the two to his right split right and Ryan (Moore) said he thought they were all going to go that way and they didn't. I wish he had gone and followed them as I think he would have been more impressive if he had had that lead to the one pole.

"He has not handled the dip perfectly but Ryan liked the way he knuckled down in the final furlong."

Cosmic Year holds entries for both the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas and the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

"Barry (Mahon) and Prince Khalid's family have made the right call in that they had three horses that could have run in the Guineas," added Charlton. "Hopefully Field Of Gold can win tomorrow and we have come here today with the view of going on to the Irish Guineas and Jonquil will go for the French Guineas. If all three win, it will be great for Juddmonte.

"Ryan said with the ground he could see why I wouldn't want to come here for a quick ground Guineas. He said, and Oisin (Murphy) had said before, that this horse would be more comfortable on quicker ground on the rising ground as Ascot.

"He won't stay further than a mile. We'll see how we go. I think the plan will still be to go to Ireland. I think that will suit him better as you generally get a good pace there with lots of space and you can ride them a bit differently. Whether that leads on to a St James's Palace – we'll see with the result and the result of the Guineas here tomorrow."

The impeccably bred Cosmic Year is the third Black Type performer out of Group 1-winning dam Passage Of Time, who demonstrated her best form over ten furlongs with

victories in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and the Group 3 Musidora Stakes. She translated her success on the track to the breeding barn for owner-breeders Juddmonte, producing dual Group 2 hero Time Test (standing in Turkey) and the multiple Group 3 winner Tempus.