ONLY four two-year-olds this year have so far impressed the sages in Timeform more than Threat has. The son of Footstepsinthesand (Giant’s Causeway) won the Group 2 Al Basti Gimcrack Stakes, one of the best and most famous juvenile races in the calendar, on his fourth start. Just over a length is all that separates him from an unbeaten four-start record, as he was a close runner-up in both the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 2 Qatar Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.

While some eagle-eyed race watchers have Threat pencilled in for Royal Ascot’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup next summer already, trainer Richard Hannon thinks that he could make into a miler, and a real classic contender in the Group 1 2000 Guineas. Threat is a winner already over the minimum trip and over six furlongs, but the trainer has the seven-furlong Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes on October 12th as a real option for the colt.