Which are the highest-rated two-year-olds of 2024, according to Timeform?

At the time of writing, less than two weeks of the 2024 Flat season remain, but with the result of the recently-run Fillies’ Mile and Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket yet to be reflected by published Timeform ratings, and the Futurity Stakes at Doncaster yet to be run, further adjustments are possible. As it stands, though, the highest-rated two-year-old is the Lope De Vega colt Shadow Of Light (120), owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby. Beaten just once in five starts, Shadow Of Light recently completed the Middle Park Stakes /Dewhurst Stakes double and is now a top-priced 12/1 second-favourite for the 2,000 Guineas back on the Rowley Mile on May 3, 2025.

Speaking of the 2,000 Guineas, one of the joint-second highest-rated two-year-olds of 2024, The Lion In Winter (119p) remains ante-post favourite for the first colts’ Classic at a top-priced 5/1. The twice-raced son of Sea The Stars, owned by Coolmore and trained by Aidan O’Brien, was ruled out of the Dewhurst Stakes witha bruised, but may yet test his mettle at Group 1 level in the Futurity Stakes, for which he is currently trading at 2/1 favourite ante-post.

Alongside Lion Of Winter in the seasonal juvenile standings, so far, comes another Ballydoyle inmate, the hitherto unbeaten Frankel filly Lake Victoria (119p). An impressive, three-length winner of the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, she has already advertised her Classic credentials and looks a worthy winter favourite for the 1,000 Guineas at a top-priced 7/2. Incidentally, the “p” alongside her rating, and that of Lion Of Winter, indicates that she is “likely to make more than normal progress and to improve on his rating.”