Michael was amazed by Jonquil's performance

Jonquil's future looks promising after overcoming a troubled trip to win on debut at Sandown.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the Lope De Vega colt was among the joint-favourites for his first race and lived up to expectations with a strong performance. Despite being hampered a couple of furlongs from the finish, Jonquil powered on to narrowly defeat Ralph Beckett's Centigrade by a short head.

As the latest standout in Juddmonte's impressive line of juveniles, Jonquil's performance suggests he could be ready for tougher challenges. Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte, is optimistic about his future.

Mahon commented, "Jonquil showed great potential on Friday, and we’re pleased with his debut. We don’t have an immediate plan yet, but after assessing him in about ten days, we’ll consider his next steps.

"Given his mental maturity and resilience, he could well be ready for a stakes race next. Our two-year-olds are shaping up nicely, and we’re looking forward to an exciting September and October."