Consider this new series your one-stop shop to catch up with the best of the two-year-old action in Britain and Ireland, every week between now and the end of the turf season.Using performance ratings kindly provided by my old muckers at Timeform, we'll be ranking the five maiden/novice winners from the previous week's racing who most impressed the form experts, identifying horses early on in their careers with the potential to go on to bigger and better things.In this first instalment, we'll summarise the early frontrunners in this division since Ireland staged its first two-year-old race of the season at the Curragh on March 15, before moving to the weekly format thereafter.5. LARS SOLDIER (IRE)Soldier's Call (GB) – Amber Dawn (Ire), by Buratino (Ire)Timeform performance rating: 84Michael Mulvany's Lars Soldier finished fourth of the seven runners that went to post for the curtain-raiser at the Curragh, before showing the benefit of that experience with a determined performance to get off the mark over the same course and distance on April 3. Hitting the front well inside the final furlong, he then dug deep in very testing conditions to cling on by a nose from the staying-on Confucius (No Nay Never), the first two-year-old runner of the year from Ballydoyle.Confucius, a son of the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Millisle (Starspangledbanner) who cost 1.7 million gns as a yearling, looks a banker to win a similar event before too long, having matched Lars Soldier's Timeform performance rating of 84 in defeat. He also has a 'p' attached to his master rating to denote that he is sure to progress, whereas the winner might already have reached his ceiling.Regardless, it's a case of job well done for Mulvany and his brother Laurence, who owns Lars Soldier after picking him up for just €3,500 at the Goffs Autumn Sale. He is the first foal out of an unraced half-sister to Lord Riddiford (Zebedee), whose 12 career victories included the Listed Hever Sprint Stakes. €3,500 buy Lars Soldier (Soldier's Call) holds off massive eyecatcher Conficius in the opener @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/Urzu58MMKq— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 3, 2026 4. RULER'S CONTROL (IRE)Territories (Ire) – Reinette (GB), by Dansili (GB)Timeform performance rating: 89Ruler's Control followed in the footsteps of Amo Racing's subsequent Group 1 winners Bucanero Fuerte, Arizona Blaze and Power Blue when winning the 5f maiden which kicks off the Irish Flat season at the Curragh. This year's chief representative from Amo, Force Noir (Persian Force), was all the rage in the betting beforehand, but Ruler's Control simply refused to be denied as that pair went toe to toe in the closing stages, ultimately getting the verdict by a head.The first two pulled over three lengths clear of the remainder and both ran to a Timeform performance rating of 89. For context, Power Blue ran to a rating of 97 when landing the spoils last year, while Bucanero Fuerte (90) and Arizona Blaze (91) also ran to a marginally higher level when successful in 2023 and 2024, respectively.Stiffer tasks now lie ahead for Ruler's Control, but he's entitled to improve for Jack Foley, a young trainer who has made a good impression since sending out his first runners in August last year. A half-brother to the Listed Premio Criterium Femminile second Miss Maia (Showcasing), Ruler's Control did the business at the Curragh in the colours of the renowned point-to-point handler Donnchadh Doyle, having been bought for €30,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale. Jack Foley starts the Flat season in good style with Ruler's Control (Territories), who digs deep to beat Force Noir under Luke McAteer in the @curraghrace opener @Capital_Stud | @IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/WedEwgmFEF— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 15, 2026 =2. A BEAR AFFAIR (IRE)Kodi Bear (Ire) – Jeanie B (GB), by Bated Breath (GB)Timeform performance rating: 92This year's Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster was described in Timeform's post-race analysis as “probably the best Brocklesby since Persian Force's renewal in 2022”, with that horse's trainer, Richard Hannon, once again hitting the target with the professional A Bear Affair. Always travelling sweetly on the heels of the leaders, the son of Kodi Bear moved up to challenge over a furlong out, before gradually asserting in the hands of Sean Levey to land the spoils by three-quarters-of-a-length.The timefigure provides plenty of substance to the form and even the runner-up, Dance A Jig (Naval Crown), ran to a rating [89] that would have won him most other two-year-old races staged so far in 2026. He is very much one to follow on his next start, potentially on the opening day of Newmarket's Craven fixture where he's been given an entry in the 5f novice.As for A Bear Affair, he too seems sure to progress and win more races for his ownership group, A Bit On The Side, having been purchased by Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock for 68,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale. The first foal out of the GII Royal North Stakes runner-up Jeanie B, he's from a speedy family but should stay at least 6f, with Hannon quickly nominating the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom as a possible target. The new flat season is up and running! A Bear Affair makes it 3 winners from the last 5 runnings of the Brocklesby for @rhannonracing…@DoncasterRaces | @LeveySean pic.twitter.com/miah1Rc4Ia— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 28, 2026 =2. MARIA QUITERIA (IRE)Churchill (Ire) – Livvys Dream (Ire), by Declaration Of WarTimeform performance rating: 92The 5f maiden run at Dundalk on March 27, won last year by the subsequent dual Group 3 scorer Lady Iman, looks to have thrown up another promising winner in Maria Quiteria, who was backed as if defeat was out of the question and duly got the job done in impressive fashion. At the line she was over four lengths clear of her closest pursuer, having drawn right away in the final furlong under a hands-and-heels ride.Trained by Robson Aguiar for the First Law Syndicate, Maria Quiteria could go to the Listed First Flier Stakes at the Curragh next if continuing on the Lady Iman path, although she's far more stoutly bred than that filly as a daughter of Churchill and Livvys Dream, a four-time winner at up to 9.5f. Livvys Dream, in turn, is out of the Listed Trigo Stakes heroine Briolette (Sadler's Wells), a half-sister to the multiple Group 1-winning sire Pilsudski.Certainly, it bodes well for the future that Maria Quiteria was able to make a successful debut over a trip that really ought to be way short of her optimum. A €25,000 purchase at Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, she's the best we've seen so far from a stable with no shortage of ammunition in this division. Maria Quiteria strikes on debut in our €25,000 feature, the @IrishEBF_ Median Sires Series Maiden, under Donagh O'Connor for the First Law Syndicate and Robson De Aguiar pic.twitter.com/Eolvx6xr6H— Dundalk Stadium (@DundalkStadium) March 27, 2026 1. ADONIUS (IRE)Soldier's Call (GB) – Dubai Paradise (Ire), by Exceed And Excel (Aus)Timeform performance rating: 97Rebecca Menzies wouldn't be known for having stacks of two-year-old winners, but she appears to have an exciting one on her hands in Adonius, who looked destined for much better company when taking apart the 5f maiden run at Musselburgh on April 4. Sent off at 12/1 in a field of 10, he made a mockery of those odds with a bloodless success, really impressing with the manner in which he powered clear late on to register a seven-length verdict.The timefigure suggests the performance was every bit as good as it looked, and there promises to be plenty more to come from him with the run under his belt, even if he'd reportedly had the benefit of a barrier trial prior to this. On a separate point, word of mouth when it comes to these trials shouldn't really be all that we have to rely on, with a more transparent scheme such as that introduced in Ireland surely something to be discussed.Adonius is a fine advertisement for their purpose, anyway, and for his sire, Soldier's Call, who might expect to receive a few more mares at his new base at Mickley Stud given the fast start his juveniles have made to the current campaign. This one looks a potential bargain for owner Michael Hughes, having fetched just £32,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. AdoniusA VERY impressive debut performance from the Soldier's Call juvenile.@RebeccaEMenzies pic.twitter.com/gQ8LlUt49K— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 4, 2026The post Timeform’s Top Juveniles: March 15-April 5 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.