THE major mile classics have all been run, and some of those stars were in action at Royal Ascot during the week, but already attentions are turning towards the 2016 editions of those famous events.

The Group 2 Coventry Stakes, run over six furlongs on the first day of Ascot, is traditionally one that produces the early ante-post favourites for the following season’s 2000 Guineas, and both the winner and second in Tuesday’s race are now prominent at the head of that market.

The runner-up had run just once previously and so would be considered likely to show plenty of improvement, whereas the winner was running for the sixth time in his life.

That might suggest that he’s little more than a precocious early type, or a colt who might continue to do well among the juveniles but fail to continue in a similar vein at three, just as his most famous relation did, but there is an aspect of his pedigree that suggests he could both stay a mile in time and become a leading three-year-old.

Only time will tell which way he goes and with the combination of recent trends and his pedigree connections this colt has already done enough to ensure that he could get a busy berth at stud.

Had trainer Mark Johnston not run him in those early five-furlong events, one of which was a listed race second place finish, then Buratino would be an unbeaten winner of his only three starts, all over six furlongs, and quite likely a shorter ante-post price for next year’s Guineas.

The Darley-bred colt is a son of the Dalham Hall Stud shuttle sire Exceed And Excel (by Danehill), a champion racehorse and stallion in Australia who also has a long list of European stakes winners that is headed by the standout miler Excelebration.

He is the fourth foal out of the stakes-placed mile winner Bergamask (by Kingmambo) and his full-sister Tayma won over eight and a half furlongs last year, albeit it at Wolverhampton, but it is the second and third generations of the pedigree that catch the eye.

His grandam Adonesque (by Sadler’s Wells) won the Listed Blue Wind Stakes over 10 furlongs at Cork, was later third in the Group 3 Meld Stakes, and her ability to stay further than any of her blacktype siblings was probably due to the influence of her sire.

If some of that stamina has been passed on to Buratino then that will boost his prospects of staying a mile next season.

It is a concern, however, that none of her three talented siblings showed as much ability at three as they did as juveniles, and especially so as the trio are all closely related to Buratino.

Unilateral (by Rock Of Gibraltar), for example, was placed over five furlongs on her early-June debut, won over six at Ayr, was third in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes and then won the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes.

Colossus (by Danehill) won the opening juvenile contest of the 2003 Irish season and was runner-up in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin before short-heading Castledale in the Listed Blenheim Stakes. He rounded off that campaign with victory in the Birdcatcher Nursery, but was last of seven on his only start at three.

The best of the siblings was Danehill Dancer (by Danehill) who won the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Group 1 National Stakes before chasing home Alhaarth in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.

He won the Group 3 Greenham Stakes on his seasonal reappearance but was only sixth behind Mark Of Esteem in the 2000 Guineas, was unplaced in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, July Cup and Sprint Cup, and was 29/1 when third in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.

Danehill Dancer, of course, went on to become a major sire whose string of Group 1 stars include this year’s 1000 Guineas heroine and Oaks runner-up Legatissimo, and his close relationship to Buratino will ensure that the young chesnut attracts a lot of attention whenever he goes to stud.