BLAS CEOIL NEEDS LONGER

BLAS CEOIL (36) doesn't have the build of a sprinter. She's too tall for that and looks more of a ten furlong horse physically. This is not surprising. While her dam has produced three decent sprinters, the only other time she was put to Blas Ceoil's sire, Mr Greeley, she foaled Allwise, a useful middle-distance filly in Japan whose best run came when she finished third in the Kanto Oaks over ten and a half furlongs. She's also produced a winner of a minor ten furlong stakes race in Japan.

When she contested a Conditions race over six furlongs and 160 yards at Limerick, Blas Ceoil certainly ran like she wanted longer. She raced in second early on, but when the race began in earnest up the straight she started to hang and dropped back to fifth. She began to pick up again inside the last quarter mile and her jockey tried to switch her out for a run. Unfortunately the runner up LASTKINGOFSCOTLAND (37) was charging down the outside at that point. He blocked her in and bumped her slightly, prompting her jockey to look for a run inside instead. Sadly there was no gap, but then the two horses immediately in front of her drifted apart late in proceedings and she moved through to take third close home, going smoothly and strongly as they crossed the line.

Blas Ceoil was able to win over five and six furlongs in April and May last year. But horses do all sorts of things as early two year olds that they're unable to repeat as older horses.

I think that Blas Ceoil can step up considerably on this showing over a longer trip and win a Group race. The mile of the Irish 1000 Guineas may not be quite far enough for her. However it's run on a galloping course where a strong gallop can build up and the finish is fairly steep, so I'd like to see her given a shot at the race. Besides it's best in my experience to step a horse up gradually in distance, and the mile of the Guineas would provide an ideal stepping stone to the ten furlong races that I expect to see Blas Ceoil contesting successfully later on.

The distance also looked to be on the short side for Lastkingofscotland. He was niggled along in last place early, clearly having problems going the pace, before staying on strongly up the straight. He won over seven and a half furlongs on his previous start and surely needs to go back up to that sort of distance or a little further. He's Listed to Group 3 class on this run.

The winner COUNT JOHN (37) was going the right distance, and this is surely what won the race for him. He has the build of a seven furlongs specialist, which is not a great thing to be. There aren't that many seven furlong races and the ones that Count John can get into will mostly be pattern races which invariably attract smart older runners from Britain.

I've never quite figured out why Britain is home to about 90% of Europe's best sprinters. But the sheer volume of Group class sprinters they produce causes a spillover effect as many run in French and Irish pattern sprints to avoid the stronger competition back home. This is not good news for Count John's future prospects.

THEWAYYOUARE AND ADLERFLUG LOOKING GOOD AFTER GANAY

History suggests that it's unwise to take the result of the Prix Ganay at face value. The local runners invariably have a huge fitness edge because they've been in in training longer and had the chance to fit in a prep run in the Prix d'Harcourt.

This year's first and second VISION D'ETAT (38) and LOUP BRETON (38) had run third and fourth in the Prix d'Harcourt. But the foreign raiders ADLERFLUG (37) and THEWAYYOUARE (37) had not yet run. So their performances in finishing third and fourth deserve more credit.

Even brilliant foreign runners like Falbrav and Pilsudski only managed to run third in the Ganay on their seasonal debuts. And almost every foreign runner that's run as close in the big race as Adlerflug and Thewayyouare managed went on to have a terrific season afterwards.

I confess that I thought Adlerflug was a mile and a half mudlark before he managed to run a close third in this 10.5f race on fast ground. He only just got outrun in the sprint finish that developed off the slow early gallop.

Adlerflug is best known for winning the Deutsche Derby last year. But three runs back he bounced back to his best to win a very slow run renewal of the Deutschland-Preis at Dusseldorf in mud. And he ended up scoring rather impressively.

Early on this rangy, long striding colt set an absolute crawl of a pace up front. And he actually looked uncomfortable for a long time when he was asked to pick up the gallop and sprint for home from half a mile out. But as they headed towards the final furlong his rivals started to tire in the soft ground while his own stamina came into play. As a result he scooted away to open up a big gap at the line despite running green.

It's hard to say how fast Adlerflug would have run in a true run race. But the fact that he had the top international performer Quijano seven lengths back in second place suggests he'd have earned a huge speed rating from me if they'd gone a good gallop.

Next time out, again on soft ground, Adlerflug ran another big race to finish second in the Grosser Preis von Baden, Germany's biggest race.

Now that he's proven he doesn't need cut in the ground I'd say Adlerflug will be very tough to beat in the Coronation Cup next time when he steps back up to a mile and a half.

Thewayyouare looks equally interesting after only getting caught late in proceedings after trying to steal the race from the front. I thought it was rather a clever tactic on the part of Johnny Murtagh to set a slow pace and then kick for home as this meant Thewayyouare's fitness was not tested to anything like the extent as it would have been in a more strongly run race. The fact that the horse could go so close after a break of nearly a year was impressive.

Thewayyouare is a very good looking horse that won four in a row as a juvenile, culminating in the Group 1 Gran Criterium. His most impressive win came on his previous run in the Prix Thomas Byron where he cruised away from subsequent triple Group race scorer Centennial. He ended up with an enormous reputation but sadly only managed two starts at three. He has clearly had training problems. But so did Duke Of Marmalade who drew a blank because of them at three just like Thewayyouare before winning five Group 1’s in a row for O’Brien last year at four.

After this big run, I suspect that Thewayyouare does still retain his old ability. He should come on a good deal for the run and must have real prospects of developing into another multiple Group 1 winner like Dylan Thomas and Duke Of Marmalade, O'Brien's last two Ganay runners.

FAME AND GLORY NEEDS TO IMPROVE TO WIN A DERBY

For much of the Ballysax Stakes FAME AND GLORY (38) looked like what he is; a Group 1 winner running against inferior rivals. He's a big, strong really good looking horse and could be seen moving much more smoothly and strongly than his rivals as they rounded the home turn. However he had to be ridden for a long way to just get the better of FERGUS MCIVER (37) who is surely only Listed or Group 3 class at best. And though Fergus McIver didn't race with his head too high as he has before he did seem to ease himself up a little and make things easier for the winner.

That said Fame And Glory was really only getting going towards the end of the race and looks sure to improve for the step up to a mile and a half. However, my feeling is that he's going to prove a bit behind the two Derby colts that O'Brien has run in France this year, Black Bear Island and Golden Sword.

TRAFFORD LAD LOOKS A GOLD CUP CANDIDATE

Since I've been taking sectional times I've discovered that quite often in big chases the early pace is slow. The horses then kick for home about six furlongs out but can't quite sustain the sprint all the way and tire in the last furlong or so. This is what happened in the Powers Gold Cup won by ARAN CONCERTO (40) and when I adjust my speed rating to take account of this it points to a seriously smart performance from the winner and the three that chased him home.

Aran Concerto is clearly some horse. He jumped brilliantly and economically even while the sprint was on and was always going best. He won the mad dash for the line from the last fence but pulled up lame. I do hope he'll recover as he's probably as good as any two and a half mile chaser now racing.

The hurdles speed of BARKER (40) almost certainly helped him greatly during the sprint and enabled him to run right up to his best. He looked like a future star when cruising away with three handicap hurdles last term, culminating in the valuable Pierse Hurdle. Now that he's going longer trips it looks like he's just as good over fences.

DEUTSCHLAND (40) was my big idea of the winner as he'd run so fast when winning at Leopardstown. He ran equally well here and looked the winner for a long way after kicking for home six out. But he couldn't quite sustain the effort and got collared on the run in after jumping the last ahead. Like the first two he's clearly a smart two and a half mile chaser.

Good as the first three undoubtedly are, the horse to take out of the race is surely the very close fourth TRAFFORD LAD (40). He has the build of a three mile chaser and was flat to the boards when the sprint for home began. His stamina nearly pulled him into the race towards the end, and he might have got a bit closer still if he hadn't been denied a run between the last two when it looked like he might have been able to move forward.

Trafford Lad has already proven that he stays three miles. To run this well against possibly the top three two and a half mile novice chasers in a race not run to suit him speaks volumes for his talent. I now see him as a serious Gold Cup candidate for next year and fervently hope to see him step back up to three miles at the Punchestown Festival.

WILL VOCALISED GET A MILE?

VOCALISED (37) won the Listed Loughbrown Stakes impressively last Sunday at the Curragh. The early pace was moderate, so the original plan to sit in behind runners was shelved and Vocalised was allowed to dispute the lead. Three furlongs out he picked the pace up and was soon stretching clear of his rivals as he sprinted for the line. His jockey, Kevin Manning, shrewdly steered him towards the rail to keep him straight as he was running green and not fully extending himself. My feeling was that the could have pulled out another length or two if he'd known more about racing.

Vocalised is a really good looking horse. He's mature, muscular, well proportioned, quite tall and built to produce serious speed. He shows a fast ground action and has the build of a seven furlong specialist to my eye. This is not surprising given his pedigree.

Vocalised is by the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Vindication out of the useful sprinter Serena's Tune who won three stakes races at 5f, 6f and 6.5f.

Serena's Tune has produced two other foals to race so far.

The first was Serena's Cat who broke her maiden at six furlongs and has subsequently won a 5.5f Stakes race and two 5f Conditions events.

The second was Vocalised's full brother Noble Sound who fetched $2.8 million as a yearling, the highest price ever paid for the progeny of a first crop sire. He might just be worth it as he is so far unbeaten in three starts, all over six furlongs.

Vocalised showed serious pace in the last three furlongs, sprinting home about two and a half seconds quicker than the top class filly Mad About You over the same distance later on the same card. Though Mad About You had a much stronger early pace in her race.

As I see it Vocalised is a bit too tall to cut back to six furlongs and too pacey to be guaranteed to get a mile. His only close relative on the dam's side to try beyond seven furlongs was Serena's Cat who tired into seventh the one time she went beyond a sprint trip in an 8.5f contest.

Trainer Jim Bolger said after the race that Vocalised is in all three Guineas. The one I'd go for is the French version as it so often features a slow early pace and fast ground. I can see Vocalised doing well in that race if he races prominently and then sprints for home as soon as they enter the homestraight. He might just last long enough to take it. Though I have to add I wish he had more experience as he obviously has a bit to learn about the game.

Clearly the 25-1 being offered by Victor Chandler about Vocalised for the Derby is a fantasy. He'd never stay that far, and there are real doubts about him getting the mile. If he does fail to stay I'd nominate the Jersey Stakes as his best immediate option.

MAD ABOUT YOU RUNS A BIG RACE

I thought Dermot Weld was crazy to cut back MAD ABOUT YOU (40) to seven furlongs for the Gladness Stakes. But the application of blinkers prompted her to show more speed and stay focused, just as they did when she took a mile Listed race on her final start last year. She moved strongly all the way, kicked on inside the last quarter mile and just kept on running powerfully when DOHASA (37) made a run at her.

The trouble with blinkers is that their effect wears off after a couple of runs. So after she's taken in the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes over a mile at the Irish Guineas meeting I'd like to see the blinkers taken off when Mad About You goes back up to ten furlongs for the Pretty Polly. She won't need to show as much pace over the longer trip. And taking the blinkers off for the Pretty Polly would give her connections the chance to make her go a bit faster later on if they decide to shoot for another race over a shorter trip.

In any event Mad About You ran another proper Group 1 time here for a filly and is a solid candidate to finally take a race at the top level after her run of placed efforts. Being able to go any distance from seven to ten furlongs, handle any ground and any track configuration certainly opens up her options.

Dohasa has long appealed to me as likely to do better if stepped up to seven furlongs because he's so tall and invariably finishes so strong. He certainly seemed to relish the extra distance here even though the ground was probably a bit slow for him. I know you could knock him for having a high head carriage. But I think this stems from his big-bodied, very muscular physique more than any character flaw.

Dohasa has run a bit quicker than this before (on faster ground) and looks a serious threat in any seven furlong Group race he contests from now on. My feeling from his physique is that he won't get the mile though.