HOW GOOD IS RUWI?

RUWI (37) absolutely dotted up in the Prix Noailles, the French equivalent of the Dante, stretching his unbeaten record to four. In each of his four runs to date Ruwi has picked up the leaders with a brilliant turn of foot and then gone on to win comfortably. How good he is we'll only know when he faces a rival with the ability to make him exert himself fully. Right now all I can say is that he's run only two lengths a mile slower than the fastest three year old I've rated over middle distances this early in the season. Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget complained after the race about the reduction of the Prix du Jockey Club distance this season. And well he might. Ruwi won over nine and ten furlongs as a two year old and is almost certainly going to prove best at twelve furlongs. This being so Ruwi's best chance of a Group 1 win this year is probably going to come in the Grand Prix de Paris, which is now run over 12 furlongs in July. It's a pity French trainers don't run their horses in the Epsom Derby any more as he'd have been a very interesting candidate there.