Little Big Bear has been crowned Europe’s Champion Juvenile for 2022, achieving a rating of 124 for his impressive demolition in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last August.

The colt is the 12th European Champion Juvenile to be trained by the Ballydoyle handler Aidan O’Brien, and is the first son of No Nay Never to achieve the distinction.

IHRB handicapper Mark Bird commented on Little Big Bear's career to date:

“His dominant performances in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Racecourse and Stables Anglesey Stakes and the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes propelled him clear of his rivals in the race to be Europe’s top two-year-old and whetted the appetite for what promises to be an exciting three-year-old career.”

Aidan O’Brien made a significant impact on the upper echelons of the rankings, training four of the top 10 juveniles in running for the title. Little Big Bear finished on a rating of 124, putting him 5lbs clear of stablemate Blackbeard (119), who in turn was only 1lb ahead of Ballydoyle's Group 1 Vertem Futurity Stakes winner Auguste Rodin.

Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road is another top-ten finisher for Aidan O'Brien, ranking 10th with a mark of 115.

Sharing runner-up honours with the now-retired Blackbeard is Chaldean, the winner of the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October and was the highest-rated British-trained juvenile of 2022. Trained by Andrew Balding, the son of Frankel won four of five starts last season, with the Group 2 Coral Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes also going his way prior to his season-concluding Group 1 success.

Graeme Smith, BHA Handicapping Team Leader (2yos; 3yo+ 5f-7f), said of Chaldean: “He improved with each of his five starts at two and proved really straightforward in doing so."

The Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Tahiyra was the highest rated juvenile filly with a mark of 118. Providing her trainer Dermot Weld with his first European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and owner H.H Aga Khan with their first champion filly since Zarkava 15 years ago.

Looking to the future

Each year when unveiling their final Classifications of the previous season’s juveniles, the handicappers attempt to identify some lesser-known horses that could make a splash in 2023. Last year, the future Dante and Derby winner Desert Crown and St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov were both highlighted on the back of their racecourse debuts. Who might make their mark in 2023?

Graeme Smith

Coppice (Kingman – Helleborine) John & Thady Gosden

Of all the two-year-olds that raced only once in Britain in 2022, Coppice achieved the highest figure. What’s more, she looked anything but all out in beating next-time winner Whispering Dream by a length and three quarters over seven furlongs at Kempton in October, with the 81-rated Hey Lyla a further four and a half lengths back in third. The time is strong considering how inefficiently the race was run. Coppice is a sister to the brilliant 2018 Coventry Stakes winner Calyx. She’s already proven at seven furlongs and looks an exciting prospect for 2023, with a 1000 Guineas trial surely on the agenda.

Imperial Emperor (Dubawi – Zhukova) Charlie Appleby

Imperial Emperor beat only five rivals when making a successful debut at Newmarket in early October but he created a big impression. The time was reasonable considering how inefficiently they ran, and he was only really getting going towards the end of the eighth and final furlong and was eventually eased down to beat the 81-rated Attaj by three and a half lengths. That performance alone looks to be worth a figure in the 90s and longer trips look sure to bring significantly more still. Both his sire and dam won at Group 1 level, his dam also being a full-sister to Ghaiyyath, and he looks a very exciting prospect with the Derby trials in mind.

Mark Bird

Beginnings (Lord Kanaloa - Winter) Aidan O’Brien

Beginnings comfortably landed a modest seven furlong Dundalk maiden in November, in the process emulating her dam, who ended her two-year-old season rated just 89 but who then went on to success in four Group 1 races at three. Already ahead of her dam at this point in her career, she rates an exciting prospect for next season if she can show improvement along similar lines at three. Beautifully-bred, she appears to have significant scope to improve physically and her uncomplicated style of racing and push-button acceleration means she has all the tools at her disposal to take high order among the fillies in 2023.

Sandy Creek (Frankel – Bonanza Creek) Joseph O’Brien

Sandy Creek showed sufficient promise on her racecourse debut at the Curragh in June to suggest that she has a bright future over staying trips as a three-year-old. A daughter of Frankel, she was doing her best work late when beating all but one of her 18 rivals over seven furlongs on Irish Derby weekend. Out of a half-sister to Prix De Diane winner Bright Sky, who was bought out of the Wildenstein dispersal in 2016, she is herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Stone Age.

European Two-Year-Old rankings for 2022.