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Although there are probably less obvious candidates for two-year-old of the week, Task Force’s victory in the Listed Ripon Champion Two Year Old Trophy Stakes is deserving of the accolade.
The Ralph Beckett-trained colt was an easy three-and-a-quarter length winner of a six furlong Salisbury maiden on debut in late July and came into the Ripon contest as favourite. Partnered by Rossa Ryan, the colt jumped out smartly and was always within striking distance of the leaders. With two furlongs to run, he became a little unbalanced and was gathered up to make a challenge up the outside at the furlong marker. Task Force edged left as he hit the front but always appeared to have the measure of his rivals, staying on to win by one-and-quarter lengths.
"The idea of going to Ripon was to teach him a bit as he didn't learn much the first day, he hit the gates well and sat handy and was left in front a furlong and a half down, so he probably didn't learn a lot about racing," said Juddmonte's racing manager Barry Mahon in a post-race interview.
"He'll have learnt plenty there today. You saw how green he was in the early part of there and when Rossa asked him to go he was green, but when the penny dropped away he went. It was a nice performance and he could be a nice horse.
"I haven't spoken to Ralph yet and we need to let the dust settle, but I've no doubt seven is going to be right up his street. He's bred to be a miler in time, so seven furlongs won't be a problem, but whether Ralph decides to go that way now or later on we'll wait and see.
"Part of the reason we went back over six furlongs today was because when you look up his mother's record she never raced beyond six at two and ended up being a dual Guineas winner at three, so there's no shortage of speed in the pedigree and he showed that today against some hardened two-year-olds."
It was no surprise to hear a reference to the breeding of Task Force, as the son of Frankel boasts Guineas winning form on both sides of the pedigree. The colt is out of Special Duty, who was promoted to first ahead of Jacqueline Quest in the 2010 1000 Guineas. It is notable (although inconsequential) that both fillies have been a success at stud - Jacqueline Quest has produced three Black Type performers including recent Group 3 Rathbride Stakes winner Jackie Oh.
Special Duty went on to complete an across-the-Channel Guineas double when taking the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp two weeks later, unusually under the same circumstances – first past the post Liliside was demoted to sixth for interference. Although Special Duty was well-beaten on her subsequent three outings, the daughter of Hennessey proved to be a success at stud, despite a shaky start. Her first three raced foals (Compression, Nubian and Duty Beyond) were unable to win on the track but the 2012 filly, South Bank was placed in Listed company in France as a juvenile. Elegant Verse (Galileo), born in 2019, boosted the page again when scoring in the Listed Prix Dirickx at three-years-old.
Task Force holds entries for the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on 30 September, available at 25/1.
