The highly-rated Spyce has a seaside engagement at Yarmouth tomorrow

September 12

This week will be one that Alan is particularly looking forward to, with Spyce and Plan C, two of Barbury’s potentially exciting youngsters, both declared to run.

Blustery winds and more showers forecast does not encouraging one to take a trip to the seaside, but that won’t worry Spyce, who looks to confirm his debut promise when he runs in the one mile maiden at Yarmouth on Tuesday.

Spyce, a 280,000gns Breeze-Up purchase, made an eye-catching debut in the most expensive two-year-old maiden in the calendar at York last month, finishing second to a more-experienced youngster in Frescobaldi.

Alan has never disguised the high opinion he has for Spyce, something which is crystal-clear from the fact that the Too Darn Hot colt is an early-closing entry for the G1 Doncaster Futurity on October 25

Spyce, the most expensive horse that Alan has bought, was understandably green early on in the seven furlong Convivial Maiden, but belying his odds of 28-1 he got the message entering the final furlong and, seizing a gap, he fairly flew home, failing by only three parts of a length to reel in the Ballydoyle colt.

This extra furlong will suit Spyce, and, though there are a few other well-bred youngsters in the race, he must be a big chance of putting yet another feather in the cap of his sire, whose brilliant mare Fallen Angel won her fourth G1 race when capturing the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

We have Plan C declared for Sandown on Wednesday, and he, too, has been showing plenty of promise. His inexperience showed first time out at Newbury in July, but the penny dropped in the final furlong and he hit the line so strongly that he had reached the top turn before Rossa Ryan was able to pull him up.

Consequently, I was surprised Plan C was allowed to go off at 66-1 when he next ran in a novice at a Kempton polytrack evening , where he was a staying on third, leaving the distinct impression that  in another half-furlong he might well have snatched second place. So with an extra furlong to travel this time, Plan C deserves the utmost respect.

Alan arguably has the best bunch of two-year-olds he has ever had, and, besides Spyce and Plan C, we have Deedaydiva flying the flag for the fairer sex. She showed bags of promise when a 33-1 shot first time out at Newmarket, finishing third , and she duly built on that encouraging debut when winning a £40,000 fillies maiden at Sandown next time. Significantly, Deedaydiva is also entered for the G1 Futurity at Doncaster next month.