PEARL BANKS IS A SMART FILLY

PEARL BANKS (39) looked to be going nowhere entering the straight in a hot Listed race over twelve furlongs at Lyon Parilly. She'd dropped back from a close fourth to be sixth by six lengths turning in as the pace was gradually would up. But she picked up really well to close the gap and ended up winning with a bit in hand by three quarters of a length.

Pearl Banks has now won her last three starts and beat some very useful rivals here. He dam Pearly Shells won the Prix Vermeille for her trainer Francois Rohaut, and on this showing I have to give Pearl Banks a shot of emulating her

BYWORD A RISING STAR

GOLDIKOVA (41) looked to have a tough task on her hands to win the Prix d'Ispahan. Her record and that of her trainer suggested she'd need the run. In addition the distance of nine and a quarter furlongs looked to be a shade too far.

Nonetheless the brilliant mare managed to score narrowly.

For most of the race Goldikova cruised along in third place behind the two pacemakers who were going seriously fast. Entering the straight her main rival Byword moved up rapidly from far back as the pacemakers wilted and took a narrow lead approaching the two furlong marker. Goldikova had the move covered and quickly retaliated to head Byword and go two lengths clear within fifteen strides. But as they approached the finish her stamina melted away visibly and Byword closed back on her, gaining ground with increasing speed. The gap had dwindled to just half a length at the line and had vanished altogether a few strides after it.

The last time Goldikova had this hard a race was in the Jacques le Marois when her jockey Oliver Peslier pushed her right out to score by six lengths instead of letting her coast home to an easy win. She paid for that effort by regressing next time when beaten in the Prix de la Foret. There has to be a concern the same thing will happen in the Queen Anne Stakes which takes place just 23 days after the Prix d'Ispahan. So I wouldn't blithely assume she has that race all sewn up.

One thing that helped Goldikova here was that while the distance was a little too far for her it was a little too short for the next three horses home.

Runner up BYWORD (41) has actually won over a mile. But he is a rather deep chested, strong, rangy sort that looks built to stay a mile and a half. Here he was held up far back off the very fast early pace, moved through to lead briefly entering the straight then got outpaced by Goldikova as that one kicked clear. His stamina came into play as she tired and he very nearly got back up. Over ten furlongs he'd have been a cosy winner.

On his seasonal debut Byword cut back to nine furlongs up the straight to win a hot Listed race at Maisons-Laffitte from the smart pair Unnefer and Fuisse. He had to wait behind a wall of horses there until a gap opened. When it did he was through it smoothly and only had to be ridden out hands and heels to score comfortably, moving strong and easy as they crossed the line. He'd had to be switched for a run on both his previous starts too, so it's clear he lacks the push button acceleration needed to take gaps quickly over distances short of twelve furlongs.

Next time out Byword was cut back to a mile for the Group 2 Prix du Muguet. He was kept to the outside of the field disputing second to avoid traffic and was sent after the front running Gris De Gris entering the straight. He dueled with that one for a long way and just wore him down to win going away by a short head.

The mile was clearly the bare minimum for Byword in the Muguet. He was at full stretch to catch Gris De Gris all the way up the straight. The extra furlong and a quarter helped him here. But he's clearly going to be better suited to ten furlongs plus in future.

If he were mine I'd be skipping Byword's next entry, the Prince Of Wales Stakes and resting him till the Autumn. Then I'd be aiming him at the Breeders' Cup Turf. He's Breeders' Cup nominated and has already shown he can win in the sprint finishes and on the firm ground that are the norm in US turf races. Plus he's also shown he can handle a really short homestraight by scoring at Compiegne. Basically he's got the ability and all the physical attributes needed to win that race. It would suit him far more than the Arc.

Third placed WIENER WALZER (32) is also in the Prince Of Wales' Stakes. But the way the first two simply ran away from him over the last two furlongs raises a huge question mark over his trainer's theory that he can be effective over less than a mile and a half.

Wiener Walzer is a big bodied, very muscular, strong colt that simply cannot act on soft ground. He had however won all four times he'd run on good or faster going before this race - including in two Group 1's.

Wiener Walzer has shown versatility. When he won the German Derby he came from sixth place to kick clear after the two furlong pole off a strong pace and keep going strongly to the line. When he won the Rheineland-Pokal he set a moderate pace then produced a smart sprint up the straight to score.

In the German Derby the early pace was strong and Wiener Walzer clocked 24.6 seconds for the final two furlongs. In the Rheineland-Pokal he had to run the final quarter mile in 22.7 seconds to win.

In that race the very smart Getaway came out of the pack to challenge and head Wiener Walzer with a furlong to go. Getaway has a terrific finishing kick but Wiener Walzer actually outsprinted him and just managed to get back up again before the line to win by a short head. Getaway certainly franked the form by winning Germany's biggest race next time, the Grosser Preis von Baden. Eastern Anthem, the Sheema Classic winner, franked the form too. He ran third behind Wiener Walzer in the Rheineland-Pokal then second to Getaway in the Grosser Preis von Baden.

Both Wiener Walzer's big wins were over a mile and a half. But I can see the arguement on pedigree for going shorter. After all his sole sibling of Wiener Walzer to race so far was Walzertraum whose best effort came when winning a Group 3 over ten furlongs.

The trouble is Wiener Walzer is so darned big I have trouble picturing him producing his top form over shorter distances. In addition you need to bear in mind that Walzertraum was by Rahy and Wiener Walzer is by Dynaformer who tends to produce big chunky sorts like Lucarno, Alwaary and Wiener Walzer who are best over a mile and a half. Indeed Dynaformer has not produced a male Group winner older than two in a lengthy career at less than ten furlongs in Europe.

Wiener Walzer's owner-breeder said before the race that this was merely a prep for the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot. Having seen how he got outpaced here he'll surely be putting him back up to a mile and a half now. He'd certainly be an interesting candidate for the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes where the stiff track would suit him admirably.

LOPE DE VEGA HAS A SHOT IN PRIX DU JOCKEY CLUB

Before DICK TURPIN (40) five horses had gone on to contest the French 2000 Guineas in the last 25 years after running in the British Guineas at Newmarket, including three that placed. None of the five placed in France and all ran significantly below the form they'd shown in the British Classic.

This being so Dick Turpin did well to run second. His exertions at Newmarket and Newbury before that could well have left him stale.

Dick Turpin had made the running at Newmarket but this time jockey Richard Hughes sensibly kept him about six lengths off the searching early pace as he disputed sixth place. He surged forward to almost hit the front a furlong out but couldn't hold the late charge of Lope De Vega who came from even further behind.

Dick Turpin is a big, strong horse, so there must be a good chance he'll continue to hold his form for the St James's Palace Stake at Royal Ascot where hopefully he can avoid facing off against another member of this year's amazingly strong French Classic generation.

The winner LOPE DE VEGA (40) is a rather rangy, somewhat narrow sort that's clearly built for longer distances. I doubt that he'll be able to beat Behkabad in the Prix du Jockey Club, but he certainly deserves the chance to try on this performance.

The other Prix du Jockey Club candidate to take out of the race is third placed SHAMALGAN (38) who kept on well.

Shamalgan is a really good looking, well proportioned horse with a flowing, daisy-cutting stride that's designed for fast ground. His physique suggests strongly that he's an 8-10f sort.

Shamalgan got the fast ground he clearly needs on his first two starts. But the distance was only six furlongs, so he did well to finish second both times. In fact the horse that beat him home second time out was Ramble On who went on to place in two Listed sprints in France.

Next time out Shamalgan was stepped up to seven furlongs and shipped to Germany for a Group 3 over seven furlongs. Unfortunately the ground was yielding to soft and he only managed sixth.

Shamalgan was stepped up to a mile for the biggest two year old race in the Czech Republic. And he produced a smart performance to beat his old rival Ramble On by two lengths.

I don't have the time or data to make accurate speed ratings for the Czech Republic. But it's very interesting to note that Shamalgan broke the race record for his country's top two year old race by more than two seconds.

On his final outing at two Shamalgan ran in the Group 3 Prix de Conde in France over nine furlongs. Race times indicate the ground was good to soft as the official report says, and that's a little slow for Shamalgan. But he still ran a smart race. He got outpaced when the early crawl turned into a sprint finish up the straight, being six lengths last with two furlongs left. However he picked up really strongly in the final 150 yards to finish third by a length to the useful British raiders Zeitoper and Circumvent.

Shamalgan wasn't simply the Champion Czech two year old. He earned a bigger official rating than any Czech two year old ever has before. He ran below his best on his first two starts this year but this run suggests he clearly wants longer than the mile he's been tackling. He's obviously a very smart horse. I wouldn't discount his chances of taking the Prix du Jockey Club as the extra distance should improve him.

LILISIDE DESERVED TO KEEP THE FRENCH GUINEAS

I've never understood why in Europe it is seen as a legitimate tactic for a jockey to deliberately move a horse to box a rival in but against the rules for the victim to force their way out.

This is what happened in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches when Maxime Guyon deliberately moved his mount Full Steam across to hem in LILISIDE (38) just after entering the straight and that one's rider then retaliated by forcing his way back out again.

As I see it Guyon got just what he deserved for his unsporting tactic. And Liliside did well to barge the bigger filly out of the way and then produce a terrific finishing spurt to win narrowly in a sprint finish. I don't think she deserved to be disqualified.

Of course I'm talking through my pocket. I gave Liliside a good write up here after her win last month and was gutted that I'd scored a longshot winner only to have the Stewards take her down.

SPECIAL DUTY (38) was awarded the race and must surely be the only horse in racing history to have been awarded two Classics in the Stewards' Room.

The finish was a packed one replete with traffic incidents thanks partly to the slow early pace and partly to the fact that the first seven horses were so evenly matched. It's impossible to say just what would have happened in a cleanly run race. But BAINE (38), JOANNA (37), ROSANARA (37) and LADY OF THE DESERT (37) all ran close enough to suggest that they're going to be competitive in top races for fillies later on.

The most promising performance of the whole race though was surely put up by Prix de Diane candidate BAROUDA (36) who picked up well to finish seventh by two lengths.

Last year Barouda only got home by half a length from the former claiming racer Ayun Tara when winning the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs over a mile but looked pretty good doing it.

In that race she threw her head around in protest at the slow early pace but picked up in tremendous fashion to mow her rivals down in the closing stages. Her final time was a second slower than that of the big handicap on the card over the same trip. But she came home 2.4 seconds faster than the handicappers over the last three furlongs.

Barouda has the build of a middle distance horse. She's a pretty big, deep chested sort with a long stride that looks sure to improve over longer than a mile. She looks a very strong candidate for the Prix de Diane and later on the Prix Vermeille.