Tom Collins believes this talented juvenile will win on Wednesday

Champions Day officially brought an end to the 2022 Flat Season, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at the enticing cards at Newmarket and Kempton on Wednesday.

Numerous future stars are set to grace the all-weather track during the latter’s evening fixture - get your tracker ready for the plethora of novice events - but it’s another two-year-old contest that has caught my eye from a punting perspective.

The Stephen Rowley Remembered Novice Stakes (2.25 Newmarket) may lack the depth of the aforementioned Kempton prizes later in the day, but it will feature the return of two extremely well-bred and promising juveniles.

Perhaps the market will favour Regal Honour, who cost Godolphin 625,000gns as a yearling last October. This son of Dubawi made a highly encouraging debut in the famous royal blue silks over this course and distance last month, eventually finishing third of ten after fluffing the start. 

Most of Charlie Appleby’s two-year-olds are professional enough to showcase their talent first time up, but he seemed a touch on the inexperienced side throughout. William Buick, who will ride him again here, had to niggle away for the first furlong to stay in touch with his rivals and only used hands and heels in the drive to the line.

His pedigree suggests he will be better suited by a longer trip in time - a mile or 1m1f might be ideal - and he should have learned plenty for his first run. However, he has been drawn out on the flank in stall ten and might be bumping into a well above average sort in Greek Order. So, even though I wouldn’t be surprised if he won, I won’t be betting him here.

Harry and Roger Charlton’s Greek Order is also bred in the purple as a son of Kingman out of a dam called Trojan Queen. That makes him a full-brother of Sir Michael Stoute’s Sangarius, who won on Newmarket’s July Course first time out in 2018 and achieved a peak rating of 114. Sangarius was campaigned over 1m2f last year, but he was highly capable over 7f early in his career.

Greek Order was heavily punted into 6-4 favouritism on his debut at Salisbury last month - something you wouldn’t regularly see with a Charlton newcomer - and he ran with great promise to finish third. 

It was a very similar effort to Regal Honour’s debut, in truth, but he made a more notable move between the two and one furlong markers before flattening out in the final 50 yards. That effort came earlier in the race than Regal Honour’s progression, which I would consider to be more noteworthy.

That performance earned a RPR of 89, which would be good enough to win the vast majority of flat maidens over the course of a season. Providing he handles this track, I expect him to beat his Godolphin counterpart and reward punters at the second attempt.

Recommended bet

Greek Order (2.25 Newmarket) @ 2.56