PUTRA PEKAN RUNS A GROUP 1 TIME - AGAIN

Last year you may recall I reported that Putra Pekan ran a Group 1 time when edging out Funfair to take one of the season's most valuable handicaps at Sandown. I'm pleased to report that he's gone and done it again. This time the feat was performed in a hot little conditions race at Ascot.

Mick Jarvis says that all Putra Pekan needs is a right hand track and a strong pace. I'd also add that he seems to distlike the steep undulations and tight turns of Goodwood (he's run badly all three times he's raced there). Outside of Goodwood he's now won the last five times he's run on a right handed track when the pace has been anything but very slow.

I strongly suspect that the reason Putra Pekan needs a strong pace is that he's a ten furlong horse running at a mile. His sire tends to get ten furlong runners while his dam's best offspring other than Putra Pekan was fourth in a nine furlong Grade 1 race in America. Putra Pekan himself has already won at nine furlongs.

The obvious race for Putra Pekan as far as I'm concerned is the Brigadier Gerard stakes at Sandown. Mick Jarvis says Putra Pekan is probably best fresh. So if he wins the Brigadier Gerard as nicely as my ratings suggest he should I'd be putting him away for the Eclipse over the same course and distance in July.

Runner-up NEW SEEKER (39) showed that his Group 1 entries in the Lockinge and the Queen Anne stakes are not the result of wishful thinking. He put up a big speed figure on the borderline of Group 2 despite racing on ground that was probably softer than he likes. Last season he seemed to have trouble negotiating a turn and hung all over the place in several races. But he handled the turn fine here and has clearly become a more professional horse altogether. Glancing at the entries for the Lockinge stakes, I don't see many more appealing than New Seeker. I hope he goes for the race as I rather fancy his chances.

IKHTYAR (38) was backward according to Raceform. He was also racing on very soft ground which his trainer has previously said he can't handle. In addition he was running over only a mile, when his best form has been over ten furlongs. He therefore performed tremendously well to post a Group 3 class speed figure. Last year I awarded him a Group 1 class speed figure for his runaway win over ten furlongs at Sandown. I do hope he's stepped up to that distance again as I believe a mile is a bit short for him.

This week has been a good one for sprinters, and RINGMOOR DOWN (39) earned a speed figure that could win a Group 3 when taking a hot little Listed sprint for fillies at Bath. The problem is there are always about 30 or 40 sprinters in Britain that can run this fast. For some reason British horses excel at the shorter trips. In France, Ireland and Germany there are far fewer top sprinters, so if she is to earn more black type that's where I'd be taking Ringmoor Down if she were mine.

Rather more interesting was the three year old filly LA CUCARACHA (38) who ran a close second despite meeting interference. Her rating is the best I've given a 3YO filly so far this season, and it's a same there aren't any valuable sprints restricted to her age and sex as she'd be almost unbeatable in them. La Cucaracha's pedigree indicates strongly that a step up to six furlongs would improve her, so it is with great interest that I note she's entered in the Group 2 Duke Of York stakes over that distance in a couple of week's time. She wouldn't have to improve much to win that.

Another 3YO sprinter, SEVILLANO (33) earned a speed figure around Listed class for his age group at this time of year when winning a conditions sprint at Hamilton. He will now attempt to validate my estimate of his class by running in the Carnarvon Stakes, a Listed contest at Newbury on May 14th. He must have a decent shot there, though I have to add there are a whole bunch of good 3YO handicappers around right now, and if one or more of them targeted the same race Sevillano might be in trouble. And of course, if La Cucaracha took him on there he'd likely get slaughtered.

Another 3YO sprinter I'd gladly take on Sevillano with is MR WOLF (36) who romped a Newcastle 5f maiden in tremendous time. Mr Wolf has clearly improved a good deal for being gelded, and I would not be opposing him against his own age group in handicap company.

Runner up FRABROFEN (31) put up a smart performance on her racecourse debut and looks a mortal lock to win a maiden next time out.

Over jumps LUCIFER BLEU (36) clocked a decent time when running away with a novice chase at Exeter on his debut over fences. He ought to be able to win several more novice chases during the summer months.

SOVIET SONG IS STILL GROUP 1 CLASS - AT TEN FURLONGS

At Sandown HURRICANE ALAN (40) took the Betfred.com Mile in a decent time. I'm now kicking myself for deserting him after tipping him to win the Earl Of Sefton on his previous start. I think he just saw too much daylight and pulled too hard in that race. Give him a smallish field (11 runners or less is the cut-off for most horses of this type) and he's usually able to avoid the traffic problems that beset him when there are more runners. He's a bit shy of Group 1 class it would seem. It could also be he is not suited to tight turns or steep undulations such as those to be found at Goodwood. It might be that he's best fresh too. But basically, he's a solid, consistent Group 2 horse who should never have started at 25-1 here.

The big horse to follow out of the Betfred.com Mile has to be SOVIET SONG (39). She improved on her seasonal debut effort here, staying on strongly to finish a close third. Given her physique and her pedigree, it's now pretty clear why she's run so well in big races but failed to win since her two year old days: She's crying out for more ground. When she gets it I predict she'll win again in Group 1 company. She hit a speed figure of 44 when chasing home the brilliant Russian Rhythm over a strongly run mile on the stiff track at Ascot. That was her best run to date. Given an equal or greater test of stamina I'd bet on her reproducing it. That means she would have a major chance back at Sandown for the Eclipse, at Ascot in the Prince of Wales, or in any race against even the best colts. Against fillies I would regard her as unbeatable at ten furlongs in races like the Nassau stakes and the Prix L'Opera.

Before I get onto the fast times for the three year olds, let me report on a very slow one which others seem to think was fast. This was recorded by Bull Run (15) who romped away from a tiny field in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom.

I confess that I nearly rated Bull Run's time as fast myself when computing a quick ballpark speed figure immediately after he'd run. But I failed to look at the time for the 5f sprint which was massively faster (four seconds a mile) in relation to the standard time. The sprint course shares the main course for four of the five furlongs, so differences in overall speed can only be very minor, caused by the first furlong. Luckily they used the Turftrax going stick and this shows that the going was exactly the same up the straight as around the turn - and the same across the width of the track too.

It's perfectly normal for the jockeys to take back and go a steady pace when the ground is heavy in races beyond sprint trips (you rarely get big speed figures beyond sprints in heavy going for this reason), and this is clearly what happened at Epsom. The Racing Post comments in the form actually say it was a 'steady pace'. And that means the final time simply could not have been fast.

I don't want to knock other people's speed figures too much, as interpretation of times is essentially a matter of opinion. All I can say is that in my opinion there's simply no way Bull Run ran a fast time here. He simply beat a couple of other runners who either failed to handle the quirky course or the very soft ground. Essentially it was little more than a public exercise gallop and told us nothing more than we already knew about the ability of the horse. My best guess would be that he's barely Listed class.

As was the case last week, the 3YO handicaps seem to be somewhat more interesting than classic trials such as the one Bull Run one. Indeed we seem to be rather well stocked with above average 3YO handicappers this spring, and the Esher Cup saw another pair fight out the finish. The narrow winner was BARATHEA DREAMS (34). How good he is I cannot say, as the only time Barathea Dreams has lost in four starts was when he palpably failed to stay a mile and a half on the Polytrack. He'll be sticking to the mile of this race for the Brittania Handicap at Royal Ascot, and that is beginning to look a rather hot race this year.

Runner-up APPALACHIAN TRAIL (34) looks even more progressive. He lost his first few starts through greenness, and perhaps showed signs of inexperience here - losing the lead close home after seeming sure to win when moving ahead with a furlong to go. It's going to take a smart horse to beat him next time.

Turning to the older horses, RAYMONDS PRIDE (38) showed that he is better than a class D sprint handicapper but needs soft ground. He won the only time he got his going last year and produced another big performance when encountering very slow going at Newcastle. I imagine he's unlikely to find a suitable surface again till the autumn, but whenever it's soft or heavy I would be wary of opposing him, especially in ordinary little handicaps such as the one he took here.

Over jumps the fastest time of the week was put up by KORELO (42) who took a valuable handicap hurdle over two and a half miles at Sandown. Clearly, Korelo is better suited to jumping hurdles than fences. He's lost all the eleven chases he's contested in Britain and France. Strangely, despite jumping left in two chases, he definitely appears better going right-handed too. He has lost all nine times over hurdles when he's run on a left-handed track. But this was the fourth time he's won in five hurdle outings on right-handed courses. His only loss came at Wincanton, a tight course, over the minimum distance - and he almost certainly needs a greater test of stamina than he got there.

On my ratings, Korelo would be competitive with the very best staying hurdlers on a right-handed track. This is definitely worth bearing in mind for next season.

Runner up XELLANCE (42) will probably be winning again a good deal sooner than Korelo as he's clearly been laid out for a summer campaign (this was only his second run since October). He was finishing in the first two for the tenth time in a row and is clearly a very reliable sort in long distance hurdles on fast ground. It's a pity he can't handle soft ground as I'd fancy him to win a big staying hurdle if only he could be raced during the wetter period when most of them are run.

GIN PALACE (40) ran yet another in a series of big races to finish third. No doubt he'll win a big handicap hurdle at some point next season. Meanwhile it will be interesting to see if he is given a chance to take a valuable prize on the flat. My speed figures say he's almost as good on the flat. This means he'd be rather interesting in something like the Northumberland Plate, the Cesarewich or perhaps the Queen Alexandra stakes.

Also at Sandown, we saw BILIVERDIN (39) continue his winning streak with a win in fast time. A very able horse but with a mass of problems according to his trainer Toby Balding, Biliverdin is clearly best on right-hand tracks. He's entered at Punchestown but Balding would prefer not to run there even though the owner is Irish and would dearly love to have a runner at his country's biggest jumps meeting. My ratings suggest the owner might be right. If he can show this sort of form in Ireland Biliverdin would win or go very close in the Grade 3 he's entered in on the 27th.

Arkle fourth JAHASH (39) ran a big speed figure to finish just a neck behind Biliverdin. He clearly needs good ground, while his below par effort at Wincanton indicates he needs longer than two miles except perhaps on a stiff track. He is on an extremely lenient handicap mark of just 127 right now and looks a very interesting candidate for big two and a half mile handicap chases in his next few starts.

Third placed THE BANDIT (37) finished distressed. He hasn't raced enough to be sure of what he wants. But my read of his form suggests that he could well be best when fresh. I will therefore be very interested in his chances on his first couple of starts next season and with five or six week breaks thereafter.

MORE SUCCESS FOR DUBAI

DUBAI SUCCESS (42) won the John Porter stakes in a time just shy of Group 1 level by my estimates. He's lightly raced and looks to have a major chance of repeating the win in his next objective the Yorkshire Cup.

Runner up GAMUT (42) has a Group 1 second to his name and ran another big race here. He too should be capable of taking a very nice race sometime soon.

IMPERIAL DANCER (40) always needs a recent run, so he put up a noteworthy effort to finish third. His stamina used to be in question at a mile and a half but this seems his best distance now. I can see him taking a decent Group race at 12f very soon.

Fourth placed SAYADAW (40) ran a smart race considering it was his seasonal debut, he lost ground at the start and ran green. He's only run three times and I bet Henry Cecil is thinking in terms of Royal Ascot for him. He'll surely take a Group race sometime this term.

Sadly, none of the classic trials produced a big speed figure. However, we've seen a whole bunch of good times from the classic generation in handicaps during the past week. AFRICAN DREAM (35) was the fastest. He extended his winning streak to three at Newbury and is now on the borderline of pattern class. Unfortunately the official handicapper agrees so African Dream could be a bit difficult to place now. The Galphay Classified stakes at Ripon would be the only obvious immediate target I can think of. Beyond that he's going to have a tough time in the Brittania Handicap with a big weight, if his connections go for that race as they've previously suggested.

MISSION AFFIRMED (32) also clocked a decent time for a three year old in a class E handicap this early in the season at Southwell. Given his pedigree, there must be doubts about whether he can reproduce this sort of form on turf. But on the AW he certainly ought to win again.

GRANSTON (33) is another progressive three year old handicapper. He clearly appreciated the step up to a mile at Ripon and looks an interesting prospect for his next objective at the Chester May meeting.

HAZYVIEW (33) is yet one more improving three year old that put up a big time to win a handicap. The negative for him is that he romped by a wide margin at Newmarket. This may well mean that the handicapper (and punters) are going to go overboard about him. Still, against his own age group, below pattern class, I'd say he's likely to be a betting proposition next time.

There are invariably a lot of good sprint handicappers about, but MAKTAVISH (40) is beginning to look rather interesting anyhow. He won for the third time in his last four starts at Thirsk and is looking like a seriously good five furlong horse now. Sprinters usually hit their prime at age five and this is probably why Maktavish has improved so much this season. He's quick enough to win a race like the Wokingham with the right draw.

Runner up HICCUPS (38) is better than his official handicap rating suggests. He's won the last two times he's raced on fast ground on a track with a steep uphill finish. So if you see his name crop up in a race at somewhere like Carlisle, Pontefract, Hamilton I'd get interested.

Over jumps, MISTER MCGOLDRICK (38) put up another good time at Ayr and was unlucky not to win a better race the very next day (he tipped up when clear and going strongly). He's surely going to win something decent next season.

Similar comments apply to runner up FULL IRISH (37). Full Irish is not very big, so it may be significant that he's lost both his starts over obstacles in really big fields (smaller horses have more trouble fighting for position approaching a fence or hurdle). In bumpers or in hurdles or chases with 13 runners or less he's won seven of eleven completed starts and run second in the other four.

The fastest time at the big Ayr meeting was run by COPELAND (41) who sploshed happily through the mud to take the Scottish Champion Hurdle. Copeland won the previous two times he encountered soft or heavy too - beating champion hurdler Rooster Booster into second both times. Clearly, he's as good as ever and just needs genuinely soft or heavy ground to be a threat to any hurdler. This is something worth bearing in mind.

Runner up BENBYAS (39) is another mudlark. He'd won the three previous times he'd encountered yielding or softer ground. He's younger than Copeland and is also effective on the flat. Given that he can act on slightly faster ground as well, Benbyas seems more likely to score again sooner than his conqueror. He's won the last four times he's run on yielding or softer ground on the flat but still qualifies for low grade handicaps. It could be the ground won't come right again for him till the Autumn, but he's certainly one to note for when it does.

ECOMIUM OUGHT TO BE DERBY FAVOURITE

ECOMIUM (41) put up a simply monstrous time to win on his racecourse debut at Newmarket I checked my calculations over and over and waited till I had the next day's results to help guide me. I then made the most conservative possible interpretation of the time and I still gave Econimum a rating of 41 which is big Group 1 for a three year old - and most unusually big this early in the year at a middle distance. For comparison, the biggest early season rating I awarded a three year old last year was the 39 I gave Refuse To Bend before he won the Guineas. I was raving about that figure at the time in this report, so I don't know what to say about Ecomium - he simply ran an extraordinary time.

As far as I can recall 41 is the biggest speed figure I have ever awarded a horse on its racecourse debut. My research shows that over 95% of horses improve on their debut figure by at least three points, so I have to conclude that Ecomium is about as fast as a three year old can be.

Of course, the race that leaps to mind for Ecomium is the Derby. So I checked his pedigree since he's by Sadler's Wells whose progeny don't always get 12f, but it looks like he'll stay the Epsom Derby trip for sure.

His dam produced only one other foal - Epopee, a brother also by Sadler's Wells, who won over a mile and a half in France.

The dam's dam was mated with Sadler's Wells six times, so there are no less than six three parts brothers to Ecomium to help us assess whether he stays or not. The six are as follows;

Scenic; he only won over 10 furlongs but his best performance was arguably when getting beat only seven lengths after being hampered in the BC Turf over 12 furlongs.

Flabbergasted - only two runs, ran second over 12f

Pagoda - maiden with six runs, best run second over 12f

Ithaki - won over 12f

Bion - only a claiming racer, but he won over 11f

Well Away - won over a mile at two but only managed one run at three (looks like he broke down).

Tony Morris says that Sadler's Wells only gets horses to go a mile and a half when the dam provides the necessary stamina. It looks like Encens does (she's the dam of Econium).

I'd be surprised if I award a bigger speed figure to a middle distance three year old before the Derby. So Econium now ranks as the horse with the best chance of winning the Derby in my book. But not in William Hills'. They have him marked up at a certifiable 33-1!

Runner-up BUCKEYE WONDER (37) is clearly a decent sort and may well be capable of taking a classic trial. He's trained by Michael jarvis who must surely be thinking about the Italian Derby for this horse.

PARLIAMENT SQUARE (36), like the winner having his racecourse debut, behaved green in the paddock but still put up a nice time to run third. He'd be a mortal lock to win a maiden but would be a better betting proposition in a Listed race.

MAGIC GLADE (37) won a hot little sprint handicap nicely at Mussleburgh. But for one short head loss he'd have won the last three times he's run the minimum distance. He's five, the prime age for sprinters, yet has only run 11 times. I can see him developing into a candidate for the Wokingham or some other big five furlong handicap. Right now he still qualifies for pretty low grade contests, so I think he can win again soon.

PERSARIO (39) looks an even better prospect for a big sprint handicap after winning in exceptional time at Kempton when cut back to six furlongs. Her trainer says she's best with a bit of cut in the ground, so he must be thinking of the Ayr Gold Cup. Like Magic Glade, she still qualifies for ordinary handicaps, so if the ground doesn't firm up too much I wouldn't oppose her next time.

ZILCH (38) pulled well clear of the rest of the field and only lost to Persario by half a length. He's dropped 20 pounds in the official ratings since being placed in Group company at two. But give him soft ground and he's still a smart horse.

PABLO (39) is another mudlark and showed he was as good as ever with a win in a good conditions race at Warwick. He deserves a Group 3 win but whether he gets it will depend on the ground.

Runner up ROCKETS'N ROLLERS (39) is less picky about the ground. He showed just how smart Monsieur Bond is by getting to within a neck of Palo here. Monsieur Bond had buried him by nearly eight lengths in Ireland. Rockets'N Rollers will obviously need to avoid Monsieur Bond and the better milers if he is to win a Listed or Group race. It's by no means impossible though.

Over jumps, SEEBALD (42) returned to his very best to take a Grade 2 chase at Cheltenham in near course record time. His trainer, Martin Pipe, is invariably a smart analyst of a horse's racing character and can normally be counted on to find out what a horse likes and dislikes. However, he said after this race that "I don't know what the key to this horse is". My own read of Seebald is that he is not a natural jumper and needs circumstances that don't put his jumping under pressure. In this regard I'd say that nowadays he can get outpaced at two miles and stretched into jumping errors except in very small fields where the pace isn't so strong. In addition, over very stiff fences (Aintree, Ayr, Cartmel, Doncaster, Kempton, Lingfield, Wincanton are the UK's stiffest according to the stats) he seems to have problems. Also he is not at his best jumping in a crowd (more than ten according to his form, and possibly even less at the top level).

Seebald is a German-bred, and German horses invariably stay all day. So I'll be very interested to see how Seebald does if he's stepped back up to three miles over relatively easy fences in a field of ten or fewer. I suspect he would be competitive at championship level in such circumstances. It could be he'll even develop into a Gold Cup contender. One thing I wouldn't want to see him try is the very stiff fences at the Punchestown Festival. But if he debuts next season in something like the Rehearsal Chase or the Charlie Hall I'll be very interested in his chances.

TIKRAM (42) ran a huge race to finish a close second. He jumped novice on his chasing debut when running second. Otherwise his form figures at two and a quarter miles plus on good or faster ground 11112. In other words this was the first time anything has gotten past Tikram in his favored circumstances and it took a Grade 1 performance to do it by just three parts of a length.

Tikram showed here that he is one of the top two and a half mile chasers when the ground is fast. But his official handicap mark is a mere 141. Surely his connections will want to exploit this blooper by starting him off here in the race I still want to call the Mackeson next November (now the Paddy Power Gold Cup). If he'd run in the race off 141 this season he'd have been assigned a mere 10-1. On fast ground he'd be a good thing to take next season's renewal.

Third placed JAKARI (40) is another obvious candidate for the big two and a half mile handicap chases next season. My concern is that his jumping in very big fields and over very stiff fences seems somewhat doubtful based on his form so far. Toss out the one race over the UK's toughest jumps (barring the National course) at Aintree and in a huge field at the Cheltenham Festival and Jakari's form prior to this showed five wins out of the last six times he's run in what seem to be his favored circumstances.

HATHRAH HAS REAL CHANCE IN OAKS

You don't often see three year old fillies run as fast as HATHRAH (37) did this early in the season when winning the Masaka Stakes. So clearly, John Dunlop's filly is one to keep an eye on. However, I would not be drawn into betting her ante-post for the 1,000 Guineas. The Oaks seems to be a much more suitable race. Most of her sire's best progeny were 10-12f runners, and the same is true for the remarkable number of smart runners Hathrah's dam has produced too. True, the Masaka stakes was only a mile. But it was run on yielding ground in a strongly run race on a track that heavily favors horses which come from off the pace.

I rather doubt that we'll be seeing Hathrah win or even run over a distance as short as a mile in future. She looks a pretty good thing to take one of the Oaks trials though, and ought to be a whole lot shorter than the 33-1 Victor Chander currently have her at for the Oaks. She's run as fast as most Oaks winners, and over a trip that seems decidedly on the short side for her. It might be that 10 furlongs rather than 12 proves to be her trip. But 33-1 makes it look awfully tempting to take the apparently small risk she'll get the extra distance.

The other big speed figure I've awarded in the UK recently also went to a three year old filly. This was PETITE ROSE (35) who put up a pattern class time to romp a six furlong race at Folkestone on her debut. By mudlark sire Turtle Island out of the dam of another mudlark in Lincoln Dancer, Petite Rose is clearly bred to like the soft ground she raced on at Folkestone. If it stays soft for her next race, a Listed contest at Pontefract on the 15th of April, she'd have a big chance. I need convincing that she'll act on good or faster going.

Finally, over hurdles ANALOGY (33) earned an unusually big speed rating for a juvenile hurdler when winning at Ludlow. He obviously appreciated the step up to three miles, and I note with interest he's engaged in a number of long distance races over the next few days. He's now won both times he's raced at two and a quarter miles or more over jumps and one of the two times he's raced beyond a mile and a half on the flat. He must have a great chance of making it four wins from five in long distance events soon.

TIDOUR IS AMAZING

TIDOUR (47) earned the biggest speed figure I've awarded a horse over jumps all season when running away with the Red Rum Handicap Chase at Aintree. Forget Azertyuiop and Moscow Flyer. This is the horse they all have to beat in all the big two mile chases from now on. Tidour's trainer is convinced he would have won two races where he finished second if he hadn't been restrained (which they now know doesn't suit him). It now looks likely that he would have won the Arkle had he not tipped up when staying on two out on his next to last start. In other words, with a bit of racing luck he's still be unbeaten after six starts over fences.

Seocnd and third placed Armaturk (42) and St Pirran (42) are well regarded horses that simply confirmed their ability here. Neither seems likely to offer much betting value in the immediate future. However the fifth horse home EI EI (42) looks awfully interesting. He's run in an awful lot of hurdle races over the past year, which I think explains why he's won just once in his last 18 tries. He showed here that he is better over fences. With his rating having slipped to 137 he looks to have a great chance of taking a decent handicap chase now.

SIMPLY GIFTED (42) finished just in front of Ei Ei despite not taking to the extra stiff fences which are a feature of the Mildmay course at Aintree. The statistics show that the Mildmay course has claimed the second highest percentage of fallers of UK chase tracks over the past decade. Only the National course shows a higher percentage of non-completions. If Simply Gifted is steered to a course with easier jumps next time he will have a big shot.

ACCIPITER (40) and GREY REPORT (40) earned seriously decent speed figures for novices when pulling clear of the field as they fought out the finish of the Grade 1 Sefton Novices' Hurdle. Bother look very promising, especially Grey Report who is bred for chasing and has already won a point to point. Clearly he's one of the better prospects for the Sun Alliance Chase next season.

BEE AN BEE (39) put up a very good time to win a hot class C handicap chase over three miles at Newbury. He's remarkably low in the handicap for such a decent horse, so he looks set to win a big handicap within his next few starts. His trainer said he preferred the good ground here to the soft going he encountered when a distant fourth to Royal Emperor last time. But I'm still to be convinced he really does need it good. After all he's won on soft and it's no disgrace to be beaten by Royal Emperor (the joint top three mile chaser on my ratings).

STRONG RESOLVE (36) showed a lot of determination to see off a succession of challenges when winning a decent little novice chase at Kelso. He just keeps on improving and is now edging toward the level where he'd be kind of interesting in a decent handicap.

Turning to the flat, the horse that deserves star billing is BRIGHT MOLL (34) who put up a huge speed figure for an early season two year old when dotting up at Folkestone. Michael Bell told reporters that the took her to Folkestone to avoid encountering juveniles from the powerful Loder stable. He needn't have worried. According to my speed figures Bright Moll is pattern class and looks a very interesting candidate for something like the National stakes, Woodcote stakes or Hilary Needler Trophy. She may even turn out to be good enough to win the Queen Mary. I would not care to oppose her next time out.

Sublimity (37) put up a decent time winning the Doncaster Mile, but he was pushed right out to score and the speed figure I gave him is simply bog standard for Listed class. I'm not convinced he has the ability to succeed in a Group race as good as the Betfred Mile which is his next target, and where he will no doubt be one one the favorites.

TROUSERS (38) put up a time that would win many big handicaps when sluicing home in the mud at Newcastle. It might be that his fast time resulted from racing on a faster strip of turf. More likely he improved because he was encountering mud for the first time in his career.