THE two-year-old picture promises to be fast-moving between now and Royal Ascot, but it is worth taking stock of what the first few weeks of the season have told us about how the juvenile crop measures up against the clock (written prior to the start of the Chester May Meeting).

Best of them all so far has been the Aidan O’Brien-trained Sergei Prokofiev, who built on a narrow defeat at Dundalk on his debut by storming home at Navan with a 104 timefigure. The son of Scat Daddy has plenty of speed on his dam’s side but should stay six furlongs.

Best of the Brits on my figures is Vintage Brut, who got a 101 timefigure for winning by seven lengths at Thirsk on his only start. A son of Dick Turpin, Vintage Brut’s dam was a five-furlong performer who gained her only win on the all-weather at Wolverhampton.

After that comes Dave Dexter on 98 for a win in a Newbury maiden which the time (even allowing for an apparent malfunction with the electronic timing) suggests was well above average. The second and third, Glory Fighter (92) and Thegreatestshowman (91), look comfortably good enough to win similar events and those further back to have run have done the form no harm whatsoever.

Van Beethoven earns second place among Irish-trained youngsters on 92, courtesy of his win at Naas on Monday, in which he ran a final time 0.80s quicker than did Fairyland (75) carrying 2lb less half an hour earlier.

Other leading figures have been achieved by Jackstar (97), Kinks (94), Emaraaty Ana (92), Blown By Wind (91), Izzer and Ynys Mon (both 89), and Artair and World Order (both 88).

Of those, Jackstar is the most promising, a strapping son of Dark Angel who had Van Beethoven back in third when winning at the Newmarket Craven meeting on his only start. Trainer Tom Dascombe usually has one or two useful or better two-year-olds and this one fits the bill.

I make Jackstar’s penultimate furlong, in which he came from third to lead by nearly two lengths, a lightning quick 10.90s; that is only about 0.05s slower than the sectional recorded by older group sprinter Brando on a quicker surface at the course two days later.