Dubai: Future Champions Day at Newmarket on Friday was full of surprises, with the favourites in all three of the Group 1 races suffering defeats.

But did the winners look like Classic types? I’m not totally convinced, even if I would like to believe that Godolphin may have unearthed a horse for the future in Charming Thought.

Perhaps the ground conditions at Newmarket might not have been to the liking of most runners, but a good horse is a good horse, good ground or bad.

Having said that I particularly liked Charming Thought’s attitude in what was only his fourth career start. He looks like a nice horse with a nice running style.

He may have toiled a bit in the end to rein in the half-money favourite Ivawood, but he also showed plenty of character for someone so young.

We have to remember that these two-year-old horses are still considered to be babies and are learning with every visit to the racecourse.

I think his trainer Charlie Appleby has done a great job with him, keeping him fit and happy, and he has also given the horse sufficient time to recover from his races.

Charming Thought has had his share of problems but Appleby has admirably got him back on track.

He was a late entry in the Middle Park (G1) having been supplement to the contest following the behest of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

And he was quick to repay Shaikh Mohammad for his generosity and foresight by winning the prestigious event.

Appleby was obviously over the moon with the result and said that Charming Thought was a horse that he has always held in high regard and was looking forward to campaigning him during his Classic season.

Obviously, he will be trained with an eye on the Guineas in May, and it remains to be seen how he winters and develops as a three-year-old.

He has a terrific pedigree, being out of 2013 European Champion Sprinter Oasis Dream and Annabelle’s Charm, who was sired by the late Irish National Stud star Indian Ridge, who was one of the top-class European stallions to have descended in the male line from the Byerley Turk.

Charming Thought was a standout Hip at the Tattersalls Limited 2013 October Yearling Sale and it was no wonder he caught the eye of a certain John Fergusson who splashed out over a million pounds for the promising Castlebridge consignee.

The promising colt has already made a significant payback and I’m sure there’s more to come, next year.

Sadly, Estidhkaar, another horse who was touted as a Classic hopeful, failed to deliver the goods in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes which was won in rather impressive fashion by Roger Varian’s surprise element Belardo.

Estidhkaar always seemed to be struggling after a slow and awkward start and Paul Hanagan had his hands full trying to settle Dark Angle colt who was originally very prominent in the exchanges for the next year’s Guineas.

Perhaps the standard of this year’s Dewhurst was not up to the mark, and perhaps we will have to wait until next year for a clearer Classic picture.

And let’s hope Charming Thought is in the frame.