DUKE OF MARMALADE HAS A SERIOUS FINISHING KICK

DUKE OF MARMALADE (43) won the King George, just as most people expected. But I don't think anyone could have anticipated the finishing kick that the big horse showed.

With two furlongs to go PAPAL BULL (43) came out of the pack and was really sprinting. He quickly blew by Duke Of Marmalade and looked certain to score. But Duke Of Marmalade somehow found another gear to get back in front and outrun Papal Bull to the line.

The clock reveals the extraordinary effort that Duke Of Marmalade put up here. A couple of weeks earlier the top international performer Archipenko, a horse with a terrific finishing kick, had clocked 37.3 seconds for the last three furlongs of a slow run mile race at Ascot. Here, at the end of a strongly run mile and a half, Duke Of Marmalade clocked 36.6 seconds. Even allowing for the fact that he ran on faster ground the Coolmore colt still came home about a tenth of a second quicker.

You have top admire the way that Aidan O'Brien has managed the Coolmore horses this year. His new tactic of having one weak pacemaker and one strong one has paid off massively in a series of the top races. And he's shown an uncanny knack of picking the right horse for the right race. IN this instance it was clearly a very smart move to kick on with Duke Of Marmalade while the fast Summer ground prevails. Horses with his kind of finishing kick invariably need a fast surface to produce their best. Equally it was just as smart to wrap soft ground specialist Soldier Of Fortune in cotton wool till the latter half of the season. O'Brien has said the horse is best fresh, so when the wet weather comes he could well pick up where Soldier Of Fortune leaves off.

On fast ground I would now be very wary of betting anything against Duke Of Marmalade in any race where O'Brien is able to ensure a strong pace for him with two or more pacemakers. He's clearly one of the best horses of recent seasons when he gets a good gallop up front.

Papal Bull was unlucky to come up against such a smart rival on the day he ran his best ever race. It's interesting to speculate on what would have happened if Peslier had been able to delay his challenge for just half a furlong longer. Would Duke Of Marmalade have been able to rally in time to get up again? Quite possibly not.

Obviously Papal Bull is a really hard horse to ride. He needs delivering at the last possible moment. But equally he's clearly very smart indeed on a fast surface when the field is small enough to ensure he gets a clear run.

I've clearly misread Papal Bull and under-estimated him. He's a serious Group 1 horse on fast ground in a small field and deserves a Group 1 win. The best chance he looks to have of getting it is in next month's Rheinland Pokal at Cologne. He should get a small field and fast ground there.

YOUMZAIN (37) did meet interference. But I don't think he would have finished more than two or three lengths closer with a clear run. He was simply totally outsprinted in the closing stages. My feeling now is that he needs a bit of cut in the ground or a longer distance to win at the top level.

ASK (35) moved really well for a long way. But he too needs a slower surface and found himself hopelessly outrun up the straight.

LUCARNO (33) was another to disappoint. He split the two Coolmore pacemakers early on. But I don't think he faded because he went off to fast. He's a heavy-topped sort that obviously has abundant stamina. I think that he needs a longer trip or softer ground to be effective.

PERPETUALLY NEEDS LONGER

PERPETUALLY (34) got up under a long hard drive to win a good seven furlong maiden at York on his racecourse debut. This good looking, middle-distance sort was flat to the boards for a long way but finally began to gain ground as the strong pace told and his stamina kicked in late in the race.

Perpetually clocked a pattern class time and is clearly a good prospect. But I'm not sure whether he's going to be effective over this short a trip in future. It was only the strong pace that pulled him into this contest. Ideally I think he needs to step up to at least a mile next time.

COSMIC SUN (34) has improved with every start as he's been stepped up in distance and did so once more here. He looked the most likely winner as he slowly ground away at the front runner's lead up the straight. But he then began to drift across to the rail and lost a little ground as he swerved across the fifth placed ARCHIE RICE (30). He ended up losing by a neck and looks a slam dunk to win a maiden next time.

AMETHYST DAWN (33) is a big strong, tall filly that set a searching early gallop. She had her rivals in trouble for a long way and kept on strongly to go under narrowly. She will surely be earning black type sometime soon.

RUSSIAN GEORGE (32) is a great big boat of a horse with a giant stride who was seriously outpaced early on. But his stamina was really kicking in late and he gained strongly at the finish. He'd make a great hurdler and will surely be running over a mile and a half plus next year. Meanwhile he'd be awfully interesting over a mile or more.

Archie Rice would have finished a couple of lengths closer but for being snatched up when Cosmic Sun drifted across him in the closing stages. He's a good looking, mature sort that could be anything. Certainly he should have no trouble winning a maiden next time.

PERFECT STRIDE IS GROUP CLASS

PERFECT STRIDE (38) looked like a blot on the handicap in a valuable contest run on Ascot's King George card. And so it proved. Always moving best, he edged away in the closing stages to score by three lengths in Group 3 class time.

A classy looking sort, Perfect Stride is obviously going to be winning better races than this.

My feeling from his physique and pedigree is that a mile is Perfect Stride's right trip. It was interesting to hear his trainer say that the occasion got to him in the 2000 Guineas. Seeing that his two wins have both followed lay-offs it's possible that he's a nervous sort that's best fresh.

GLOBAL CITY A USEFUL SPRINTER

GLOBAL CITY (33) set a strong pace and simply kept going to win a decent little five furlong juvenile maiden at Yarmouth in fast time. He's a good-bodied, mature useful looking sort that clearly has plenty of pace.

Global City did race a little too enthusiastically here and, as his jockey said, needs to learn to settle. He's got a big, bounding stride, but is undoubtedly more of a sprinter than anything else. As I write this he's about to run in the Molecomb Stakes which should tell us more about him. The danger there is that he'll be pressed to go off too fast by the other front runners.

DON'T UNDER RATE MAC DALIA

MAC DALIA (36) has won three times in sellers over the last year. But the time she clocked when winning by a pretty wide margin on the Poly at Great Leighs suggests she's way better than selling class.

It looks like Mac Dalia is best in single figure fields over the minimum distance off a very recent run. She's won five times out of five in these circumstances and is still going to be massively under-rated by official figures if my speed ratings are any guide.

HUNTING COUNTRY HAS A BIG SHOT AT GLORIOUS GOODWOOD

HUNTING COUNTRY (38) clocked a Group 3 class time when running away from older rivals in a decent ten furlong handicap at Newbury. He will still be very well handicapped even if the handicapper puts him ten pounds for this win.

Despite a good early pace Hunting Country was rather keen in the early stages. But this didn't seem to tax him as he traveled really strongly throughout. He took the lead with a quarter of a mile to run and powered away from his rivals thereafter to open up a big gap by the line. As he did so his ears were going this way and that and he clearly wasn't fully focused. He passed the line still full of running and would have really routed this field if the race had been another two furlongs longer.

I'm sure Hunting Country will stay a mile and a half and that he's Group class. So he's looking like a key part of the powerful team that his trainer Mark Johnston always sends to the big meeting at 'Glorious Goodwood'.

BANKABLE STILL LOOKING LIKE A POTENTIAL GROUP 1 HORSE

BANKABLE (32) earned a huge speed rating from me two runs back prompting me to suggest he might well turn out to be a Group 1 horse. The way he ran when going under by a neck to Group 1 winner PASSAGE OF TIME (32) in a slow run Listed race at Newbury confirmed me in this view.

Bankable didn't seem that happy about the slow early pace. He had to be snatched up in the compressed field early on and lost his balance slightly as he changed leads exiting the home turn. But he progressed strongly towards the Cecil filly in the last couple of furlongs until seeming to lose concentration and drift off a straight line in the last fifty yards.

Clearly Bankable isn't quite the finished article yet. But he has a tremendous physique and is clearly suited to middle distances, having run over nothing but a mile in his six previous starts.

Lines of form indicate that in a truly run race Bankable would have earned a speed rating of 40. That's only Group 2 class. But he gave me the strong impression that he can do a bit better than that. So if he takes up his entry in the Juddmonte International I'll consider his chances carefully. He surely ranks as the most promising older horse in training right now.

Passage Of Time is clearly back to her best and did well to beat such a smart rival. She was always moving smoothly and wasn't at all unsettled by the rapid increase in pace in the closing stages.

It's amazing just how much lost ground high class horses can make up off a slow pace in a short time. Passage Of Time reached the three furlong marker 3.6 seconds later than the smart three year old Hunting Country did in the handicap over the same trip. But she made up a full two seconds of that deficit in the run to the line from there.

I know that Passage Of Time won on softer ground at two. But she has a fast ground action, and I agree with her trainer Henry Cecil that she's best on a faster surface now.

The key with Passage Of Time I suspect is the spacing of her races. She's a narrow, rather light-framed sort that has done best with rests between her runs. I don't know for sure whether she'll recover from this race in time to be at her best for the Nassau Stakes. My suspicion is not. However her big target surely has to be another crack at the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in which she ran a good third last year. No doubt she'll be rested before that.

DOCTOR CRANE WILL IMPROVE OVER LONGER

A juvenile that's built like a national hunt store horse is just bound to get into trouble in a slow run race over just seven furlongs. Sure enough DOCTOR CRANE (30) was headed and outpaced when the pace picked up three furlongs out after he'd made the running till then at Newbury. But he somehow got going again and rallied to pick up the leader and go on to score nicely, moving away from his rivals close home as he showed his big, raking stride.

When I adjust for the slow early pace Doctor Crane is entitled to a rating not far off pattern class for this run. He can surely do better over longer, on softer ground or off a stronger early pace. He looks a good middle distance prospect for next year and would be a very interesting hurdler later on. Right now I see him improving on this when he gets a greater test of stamina.

DUBAI POWER CAN EARN MORE BLACK TYPE

DUBAI POWER (36) has the build of a horse that needs at least a mile and was entered in the Guineas and the Oaks. So it's surprising she was cut back to six furlongs for four races after running second to the smart Ada River over a mile on her seasonal debut. She did manage to break her maiden over the trip but lost ground at the start in her other three tries.

Finally stepped back up to a mile on the Poly at Kempton Dubai Power made all the running to win a three year old fillies handicap rather nicely. She had all her rivals in trouble before they entered the homestraight and would have only had to be ridden out hands and heels to score if she hadn't begun to tire in the last fifty yards or so.

It looks pretty clear that a mile on a fast surface is ideal for Dubai Power. She's already run fourth in Listed company and might well be able to score at that level. If she didn't have such a nice pedigree her connections might be inclined to exploit her lenient handicap mark. But I see they've already got her entered up in a mile Listed race at Ascot which seems the right way to go from an economic standpoint. A third place finish there would boost her stud value by ten or twenty times what she could win by taking another handicap.

RAINBOW VIEW A GOOD PROSPECT FOR NEXT YEAR

RAINBOW VIEW (33) produced a tremendous sprint finish off a slow early pace to blast six lengths clear of her rivals to win a fillies juvenile maiden over seven furlongs at Newmarket on her racecourse debut. I clocked her as running the last three furlongs three fifths of a second quicker than the other seven furlong race on the card and just four fifths of a second slower than the high class sprinter Peace Offering who was allowed to set a moderate early pace and sprint home in a five furlong Conditions race. The formula I use to adjust juvenile speed ratings based on sectional times suggests the same Listed class rating when I compare her time with both the other races.

Rainbow View can almost certainly run better than this, so her entry in the Fillies Mile is amply justified. However I suspect that she's more of a filly for next year as she's a rather rangy, scopey sort that looks likely to do better over a mile and a quarter than a mile.

GRAND DUCAL MAY WELL BE A GROUP 1 HORSE

You can debate whether or not Richard Kingscote stole the July Stakes from the front on Tom Dascombe's Classic Blade. But I don't think there's much doubt that he did indeed steal the Superlative Stakes at the same meeting on Classic Blade's stablemate FIRTH OF FIFTH (35). I'd be surprised if two or three of the horses he beat don't turn out to be better.

Firth Of Fifth was allowed a pretty soft lead early on. He ran the first half mile 2.2 seconds slower than they did in the following Bunbury Cup over the same trip. Kingscote didn't actually press the button at that point. He waited till just before the two furlong pole before asking Firth Of Fifth to quicken. When he did so his rivals were instantly in trouble. Their jockeys had clearly thought they were going a fast enough pace for Firth Of Fifth to come back to them. But Kingscote had saved a bit and used it to kick into a two length lead while sprinting flat out to the line.

There was no way that a bunch of future middle distance horses were going to have the pace to pick up Firth Of Fifth in the circumstances. But some of their efforts deserve an honorable mention.

Foremost amongst these is GRAND DUCAL (32) who finished best of all to run fourth.

Grand Ducal is a great big strapping beast of a horse that is surely going to be winning over middle distances as a three year old. After winning on his debut he got done for finishing speed when setting a slow pace in a Conditions race at Fairyhouse. Here he again got caught flat-footed by a quickening pace. But this time he picked up again really well in the closing stages.

I think Grand Ducal would be just about effective over seven furlongs in a strongly run race. But if, as I suspect, he is going to win a Group race as a juvenile, it will surely be over a mile. The Royal Lodge Stakes is the obvious target, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Grand Ducal proved good enough for the Racing Post Trophy. I rather suspect that he's a Group 1 horse in the making.

Jockey Richard Hughes admitted afterwards that he misjudged the pace on the runner up WEALD PARK (34). He'd expected the winner to come back to him but ended up being caught napping when Kingscote made his race winning move just before the two furlong pole. Weald Park was coming back at Firth Of Fifth strongly in the last furlong and I think he's probably a bit better. Certainly this good looking horse has every chance of taking a Group race soon.

SHAWEEL (33) looks built for ten furlongs. He came from the back and kept on well while running green on the wide outside. He probably needs a bit more time to fill his currently rather gaunt frame and learn a bit more about racing. But he's clearly pattern class and looks a decent prospect for next year.

DEADLY SECRET (32) raced with his ears flat back, just as he had when winning on his debut. He also carried his head very low. He chased the winner all the way until the mad sprint for home began. When it did he was simply swamped for speed by everything around him.

I don't think it was a case of Deadly Secret being ungenuine or not staying. He was simply totally outpaced. He won on a stiff track first time, so I'd say he needs that kind of track, softer ground, longer than seven furlongs or a really strong pace. In other words anything that emphasizes stamina.

BLYTHE KNIGHT SMART AROUND TIGHT COURSES

I'd have thought there was little new to learn about an old warrior like BLYTHE KNIGHT (38). But he showed a new dimension to his abilities when cutting back to win a Listed race over seven furlongs at Chester.

I rather suspect that it was the tight turns rather than the shorter distance which did the trick as Blythe Knight has won the last three times he's run around a tight course following a vaguely recent run but scored in just one of his last nineteen outings on galloping courses.

I think I now understand why runner up BECKERMET (38) won four of his ten starts as a juvenile but only two of his sixty subsequent starts. He's very hard to beat when he can dominate a small field from the front, and the sectional times I've been taking of two year old races show that they very often go slow early on which makes it that much easier on a horse like Beckermet.

Beckermet is still a tough horse to catch when he gets an uncontested lead in a field of eleven or less. But an uncontested lead is not something easily obtained in a British sprint. If he were mine therefore I'd be running him in France where they run many of their sprints very much like British two year old races.

ELLA IS SMART

Flossy was a smart racemare a few years back that earned a speed rating of 38 from me on several occasions. Now her second foal ELLA (38) has gone and done the same when making all the running to win a good mile and a half handicap at York in fast time.

Jockey Franny Norton made an attempt to rein Ella back in the early stages. But she was pulling hard, as in her other recent starts, and refused to settle until he allowed her to stride along at a good pace.

Ella kept going strongly in the lead and had all her rivals bar MULL OF DUBAI (36) in severe trouble with a quarter of a mile to run. They were plodding along like the stragglers at the end of a Grand National. Ella herself though just kept on trucking and kept up the gallop all the way to the line, only having to be ridden out with hands and heels. She did tire a little though in the last furlong but Norton never had to get serious with her.

Is Ella simply a mudlark that is only ever going to run this well on heavy ground? Well that's what her form seems to say at the moment. But she doesn't show much knee action. And her sire and dam both acted on a fast surface. So it may be it's simply a test of stamina that Ella needs. It's just a bit too early to say for sure with such a lightly raced horse.

This win was Ella's best run by far and followed a ten week break. She did break her maiden in a very slow run five runner handicap off a four week break. But, seeing that she's narrow enough to need a breast plate and seems to be a real 'buzzy' type that probably gets herself fit at home, there has to be a good chance that she is best when fresh.

Ella's owner said after the race that his horse loves mud and that he'd like to take her to France' because "it's always soft ground out there". In actual fact though soft ground is reported far more often in France it occurs at the same rate as it does in Britain. It's simply that the French somehow misuse the penetrometer to produce false going readings a large percentage of the time. It's not the penetrometer that's at fault, it's simply the way the French officials use it. In Germany they get very accurate official going reports by using the penetrometer. In any event I'd be wary of accepting the official French going report if, as seems likely, Ella journeys over to France sometime soon. Check the weather reports and the race times of recent meetings at nearby tracks and you'll get a far better idea of what the going actually is in France than by trusting the penetrometer readings. The only time they're ever close to being right is when they indicate good or faster ground.

Ella would certainly be an interesting runner in a French Group race. The French jockeys habitually go a slow early pace and might well be caught napping by the strong gallop Ella can set and sustain. Certainly she's capable of winning a Group 3 and would be a good bet to win a Listed race in her best form. Though at this stage I'd only guarantee she'd be in her best form on soft ground off a break of at least five weeks over a mile and a half plus.

THE CHEKA IMPRESSES

THE CHEKA (35) only took the lead just before the last furlong when winning a Novice race at Ascot. But he finished so strongly that he powered away from there to score by ten lengths.

I don't like relying on just the final furlong to rate a horse. But I have to in this instance as The Cheka only really picked up the slow early pace markedly from there. And lines of form back up what the sectional times formula I use to adjust the rating of slow run two year old races. Namely that this was a Group class performance.

The Cheka is a tall, muscular, mature, good looking sort who looked to be carrying a bit of condition. This suggests he's capable of improving on the effort he put up here. Clearly he's one of the better longer distance two year olds and a good prospect.

Oddly enough the horse that was moving strongest at the finish was the third placed finisher SIXTIES SWINGER (23) who had trouble finding a run despite the small field. He's a big, good looking, middle distance sort with a bit of class about him. He can't have been suited to the sprint finish and, slow as he ran, I suspect he's going to turn out useful because he was picking up strongly and moving really well in the closing stages.

LOVELACE RUNS ANOTHER HUGE RACE

LOVELACE (39) improved back to his best to take a valuable handicap at Sandown when exaggerated hold up tactics were tried. And he very nearly managed to come from last to first when losing the Bunbury Cup on his next start in fast time.

After losing a fair bit of ground at the start Lovelace was behind everything else until making relentless progress from about two and a half furlongs out. He had to swerve slightly to avoid another horse as he began his run and this probably cost him at least the head he eventually lost by.

Trainer Mark Johnston feels that Lovelace will have fewer starting problems when he steps up to pattern company as the smaller fields will mean he spends less time in the stalls. This makes sense and could well explain why Lovelace has run below form a few times in really big fields. In addition smaller fields reduce the chance of Lovelace meeting traffic problems when he delivers his late run.

Lovelace has earned Group 2 speed ratings from me on several occasions now and is clearly a smart horse. He actually ran a point quicker on my ratings last time. That was over Sandown's stiff mile, so I suspect he's slightly better over that distance than the seven furlongs he tackled here.

The winner LITTLE WHITE LIE (39) was always going strongly up there with the leaders throughout and kept on well to the line. The two things which drive his form seem to be a need to be fresh and a preference for slightly slower surfaces. His wins have all come on one of his first two runs following a two month or longer break or with a five week plus rest thereafter. And he's run below from on Polytrack and turf that I rate faster than good. His record says he now needs a break, and with fast Summer ground now likely to prevail I wouldn't expect to see him win again till he's given a rest and comes back on a relatively slow surface.

MARCHAND D'OR TOUGH TO BEAT IN SMALLER FIELDS

MARCHAND D'OR (42) can produce a tremendous finishing burst. But, like most horses that come from far back, he often meets traffic problems in big fields. The field size limit for him seems to be 13 runners up the straight or eleven runners around a turn. In addition it looks like he only last seven furlongs around a turn. On straight courses six and a half furlongs looks to be his limit.

Marchand D'Or did win the Prix Maurice de Gheest back in 2006 in a big field. But otherwise his record in fields bigger than what I've suggested above or at longer trips than his record shows is suitable he's blanked nine times out of time. In suitably small fields and at distances that aren't too far he's won seven times out of eight, with his sole loss being one race where front running tactics were experimented with.

The latest win scored by France's top sprinter came in the July Cup where he produced his usual storming finish to get up narrowly to head US RANGER (42) on the line.

Clearly Marchand D'Or can beat just about anything in favourable circumstances. If thirteen or fewer runners line up for the Prix Maurice de Gheest I see no reason why he shouldn't win it for the third time.

Having studied the stats as well as the form before the race I was convinced that US Ranger was the one to be on. What made me confident was that freshness seems to be the key to winning the July Cup. 37 of the last 40 July Cup winners before 2008 had come into the race with 16 or fewer previous starts. 32 of those 37 had been rested for five weeks plus if they'd had more than three runs that season.

US Ranger seemed much the best of the three horses that matched the above profile in this year's July Cup. And he looked sure to win when producing a tremendous surge to pick up the leaders and land in front well inside the final furlong. Unfortunately he couldn't quite hold the finishing burst of the French horse.

The photo showed that Marchand D'Or's head was all the way down while US Ranger's was all the way up. So you could argue that the Coolmore horse was unlucky. But actually he raced with his head carried really high throughout. It looks like this top heavy horse wasn't too happy about letting himself down fully on ground that race times show was still on the fast side of good. I've little doubt that if the heavy rain which fell before and during the next race had arrived a few minutes earlier he'd have scored that vital Group 1 win which he needs to become a popular stallion.

I think it's simply a case of running Marchand D'Or in the Maurice de Gheest, the Prix Foret and perhaps a couple of the five furlong Group 1's and hoping the ground has a bit of cut in it. Having watched his performance here and when he was so impressive on yielding ground at the Curragh last September I'm sure he's more than capable of winning at the top level on genuinely good or slower ground.

WART ARTIST (41) made the running and looked like winning for a long way only to get caught late. It's interesting to note that this was the first time he's lost over less than seven furlongs in fields of thirteen or less. It could well be he's best in smallish fields.

ASTRONOMER ROYAL (41) finished strongly to take fourth, giving me the impression once more that he wants slightly further.

Three runs back Astronomer Royal showed a serious turn of foot to take the Greenlands Stakes and is clearly a very good horse over sprint trips. The concern is that he only got going really late there and got outpaced before staying on much too late when seventh in the Golden Jubilee. Here he once more picked up too late to get to the leaders.

Basically Astronomer Royal does not have the build of a six furlong sprinter. He looks more like a seven furlong horse to my eye and has certainly run that way on his last three starts. I'd say his big chance is going to come in either the Prix Maiurice de Gheest over six and a half furlongs of the Prix de la Foret over seven. I can't bet him to win a Group 1 over just six furlongs.

KINGSGATE NATIVE (40) didn't run much below form to finish fifth. But he had run slightly better to take the Golden Jubilee last time, having won the Nunthorpe as a juvenile. Clearly he's a seriously smart sprinter. My concern with him now is that he may very well be best fresh. It's too early to tell this from his form yet as horses which need to be fresh generally only show it from their three year old season onwards. What makes me think this is that Kingsgate Native is a hard pulling sort that sweats up and races on nervous energy. He always seems to run fast. Many horses that do this require rest after their second run of the season.

It's also true that horses which have just run their fastest ever race (which Kingsgate Native just has) tend to 'bounce' next time unless they're rested (which he wasn't before this run).

Kingsgate Native was flat out to win the Golden Jubilee. So much so that he flashed his tail twice under pressure (a sure sign that a horse is nearing its physical limit). I strongly suspect that he was feeling the effects of that race here and that he'll run even worse if he's not now rested for at least five weeks, preferably longer.

DIABOLICAL (40) ran a big race despite being squeezed out with a furlong to run. He kept on strongly all the way to the line and was bang there in the bunch finish.

Diabolical is a big, top heavy sort that is obviously hard to keep sound. But he does seem to run big when fresh.

I don't know what happened to Diaboliocial in the Golden Jubilee (I suspect he got jarred up on the fast ground). But he was virtually pulled up there so I don't think we can count it as a proper race. Basically the last real run Diabolical had before the July Cup was in March.

Prior to Royal Ascot, if he hadn't stumbled in one race Diabolical would have won five of the most recent six times he'd come into a race of six furlongs off a break of six weeks or more - his sole loss being a three quarters of a length second to Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Thors Echo.

The speed ratings compiled by my US colleague Cary Fotias indicate that Diabolical has run as fast as any European sprinter. Okay that was on dirt. But the horse also won the last two times he ran on turf in America. And this run suggests he's probably just as good on the surface.

I'd like to see Diabolical rested from now till the Betfred Sprint Cup in September. If he is and the going isn't too firm I can see him going close there.

PRIME DEFENDER (39) was denied a clear run but still finished a close seventh. His form suggests strongly that he's best in small fields, just like a lot of horses that get into traffic problems. He's now won four of the five times he's run in a single figure field following a recent run, with his sole loss being a second place finish to the smart Sakhee's Secret. Actually it looks like he can handle any field size smaller than twelve like most horses of this type. In addition I don't think he really needs a recent run. In any event if he hits a small field anytime soon I'll be very interested in his chances.

DOUGHNUT MAY NEED CUT IN THE GROUND

DOUGHNUT (34) made all the running to win a five furlong juvenile Conditions race at Chester in good time. This pacey little filly has now won both times she's had some cut in the ground and lost all five times she hasn't. The two biggest rating I've awarded her have come on the slowest surfaces she's raced on too. At some point, most likely in the Autumn, I suspect she's going to get her ground in a five furlong pattern race and score at a big price.

TRANSCENTRAL WAY BETTER THAN SELLING CLASS

TRANSCENTRAL (33) cost only 2000 guineas as a yearling and only ran sixth in a selling race at Haydock on the run before she took a nursery at Chester. But the time she clocked says she is way better than selling class. She set a really strong pace and kept on really well to hold a determined run from the second place finisher Alpahabeth (33).

Transcentral has the build of a horse that wants at least seven furlongs to produce her best. So I'm happy to excuse her initial losses over the minimum distance. She hung badly the first time she went a longer distance when losing that seller but kept straight as a die here to win in what is borderline pattern class time for a two year old.

Alphabeth went on to frank the form by winning next time. But, seeing that she then went on to rack up four runs in an eight day period, I'd say she's going to have a hard time winning again this term. Besides she looks to be just a sprinter. Transcentral has the scope to go on and improve over longer trips. She should certainly have a great shot of winning another nursery seeing how low her official rating is.

LUCARNO A PROPER GROUP 1 HORSE

Newmarket's Pricess Of Wales's Stakes is most unusual for a Group 2 in that it has a history of going to former Group 1 winners. Five of the last ten times before this year that a Group 1 winner had run in it they'd won. It would have been six out of ten if Sulamani hadn't been an unlucky second one year. The race had gone to a St Leger winner four times in the last 25 years or so too.

SAYIF LOOKS INTERESTING FOR DEWHURST

SAYIF (36) looked rather unlucky to lose the July Stakes at Newmarket. He and the others ceded a soft early lead to the winner CLASSIC BLADE (36) who set only an ordinary early pace. When that one accelerated sharply approaching the two furlong pole Sayif was caught flat footed. He picked up nicely thereafter. But as he came up to Classic Blade he began running green and drifted across towards him. His jockey had to take him up slightly and switch his whip to his left hand to try and keep him straight. Unfortunately when shown the whip on his left side Sayif then began drifting in the other direction all the way to the line. He continued gaining all the way and was in front a stride or two past the line. But on the line itself he was a short head shy of success.

Sayif is a muscular mature sort that has the build of a miler. In fact I suspect he might just get ten furlongs as a three year old. He has a really long, raking stride that seems designed for a fast surface. So the slightly slow ground was probably not in his favour.

The obvious target for Sayif just has to be the Dewhurst Stakes back over the same course. The extra furlong of that race will suit him well.

Sayif looks rather likely to at least place in Group 1 company this year once he steps up to longer trips.

Classic Blade was rather impressive when winning a hot juvenile Conditions race at Salisbury over six furlongs on his previous start. He set a somewhat ordinary gallop that day but really picked it up from halfway to run the last three furlongs half a second quicker than they did in a five furlong handicap for older horses on the same card. Adjusting for that suggests that was a Group class effort by Classic Blade.

Here Classic Blade again set an ordinary pace before accelerating smartly just before the two furlong pole. He kept on strongly and clearly appreciated the slightly slower surface.

As his trainer has noted, Classic Blade does show knee action. He handled the fast surface fine last time out. But this big, good looking, muscular sort looks rather too heavy and shows too much knee action to show his very best form on the genuinely fast surface that he's sure to encounter if he keeps racing through the Summer.

Classic Blade has the build of a six furlong specialist. He runs like an old hand and might easily be good enough to take another Group 2 such as the Mill Reef Stakes on suitable ground.

PROLIFIC (32) has always looked like an out and out five furlong horse that needs fast ground. So he looked to be in trouble going six furlongs on a slightly slow surface. His jockey dropped him out to last in an effort to get the trip. And Prolific moved powerfully. He improved after halfway and was still going well. But he began to run out of gas in the closing stages where the first two got away from him. Back over five furlongs on a quick surface Prolofic is quick enough to take a Group race like the Molecomb, the Cornwallis or the Flying Childers.

GREEN BERET HAS A SERIOUS SHOT IN MOLECOMB

GREEN BERET (34) placed behind pattern class rivals on his first two starts at six furlongs. But he ran four lengths a mile better on my ratings when cut back to five furlongs for his third start at Warwick. He set a strong pace which had all his rivals in trouble by halfway and cruised clear from there, allowing his jockey the luxury of taking a look back over his shoulder in the last furlong.

Green Beret only had to be ridden out with hands and heels to score here in pattern class time. I suspect he could have pulled out another length or a bit more if he'd been fully ridden out. That means he would have earned a rating of around 36 from me which puts him level with Prolific who looks likely to be the highest rated horse on my speed ratings in the Molecomb Stakes.

Like his half brother Tax Free, Green Beret is clearly a useful horse over the minimum distance. He's muscular, pretty good bodied and mature. His stride pattern tells me that he certainly doesn't need the cut in the ground he got here to produce his best.

NAHOODH SHOULD BE TRIED OVER TEN FURLONGS

I'd never been a big fan of NAHOODH (39) before she won the Falmouth Stakes, partly because she'd failed to earn anything like a decent speed rating from me. She put that right in the big Newmarket contest however and impressed me for the first time.

Dropped out to last in this strongly run contest, Nahoodh was always travelling best and came through strongly to challenge with about a furlong to go. Soon after she accelerated smartly, swerved across the third placed horse HEAVEN SENT (37) and quickly spurted clear to win nicely.

The cut in the ground and the strong pace made this a real test of stamina. So it looks likely to me that we now have an explanation for why Nahoodh ran into traffic problems in the 1000 Guineas and when losing a maiden and the Fred Darling Stakes.

Horses perform at their best at the outermost limits of their stamina. At shorter trips they tend to lack the speed to manouver out of traffic problems. In this regard it's interesting to note that although Nahoodh is the first foal of an unraced dam there's plenty of stamina on that side of her pedigree. Two of the dam's five siblings won over twelve furlongs, another two won over ten furlongs and the fifth never ran on the flat but has placed over hurdles. Nahoiodh's sire, Clodovil, was a miler, but I always felt he would have had a good shot of staying ten furlongs.

Nahoodh certainly looked like she'd have had not trouble going another quarter mile at the end of this race. And her physique could easily carry her further too.

I know that Nahoodh's new connections were talking of cutting her all the way back to six furlongs. But this run, her physique and her pedigree all tell me that she might actually benefit from going longer not shorter.

The other most likely explanation for Nahoodh's in and out form is that she simply needs a small field. For most horses of this type that means less than twelve runners. Nahoodh has won two of the three times she's run in fields this small, with her sole loss coming when her connections tried experimented with front running tactics.

It also looks like Nahoodh may well be at her best on genuinely good or slower ground seeing that two of her worst runs came the only two times she ran on a firm surface.

In any event this run places Nahoodh right up there with the best of her age and sex. And, seeing how strongly she was traveling at the finish, I would not be at all surprised if she can run a bit faster.

I can see the logic in keeping Nahoodh to a mile. The mile division tends to be the weakest at the top level. The top Group 1's can often be won by a horse that posts a speed rating of only 40 or so. That rarely happens in sprints or at middle distances.

I've knocked the runner up INFALLIBLE (37) before because I felt she didn't quite stay a mile. After this effort her owner now seems to agree with me because he wants to cut her back to six or seven furlongs.

Right now Infallible doesn't look that great on my speed ratings because she's never earned anything better than a Group 3 class speed rating. However she is unbeaten in two sprint starts and made what looked like a powerful, race-winning move to take the lead before being outrun in the closing stages here. My strong suspicion is that she could run better times at seven and six furlongs.

If she were mine the sprint races I'd be looking at would be in France where the sprinters are a very weak group. In particular I'd be targeting the Prix Maurice de Gheest and the Prix Foret which are often weak Group 1's that can go to a filly.

Third placed HEAVEN SENT (37) got squeezed out between the first two when they came together late but wouldn't have finished much closer. She is almost boringly consistent, but the comment her owner recently made about her appreciating a slower surface looks spot on. Before this run she'd won four of the five times she'd run on genuinely good or slower ground or Polytrack in races restricted to fillies.

Further back BRISEIDA (32) ran well below the form she'd shown when winning the German Guineas.

In the early stages Briseida steadily conceded ground to drop back to the rear. She managed to improve under pressure from before the two furlong pole but her effort then flattened out in the last furlong.

It seems to me that the slightly slow ground was the problem. Briseida is a racey, speedy looking sort that's built for a turn of foot. She broke her maiden on yielding ground but improved when encountering good going for the first time in the German 1000 Guieneas. She produced a smart turn of foot off a strong pace to win that race clearly in fast time. Horses with that kind of acceleration invariably need fast ground to produce it and run to their best.

I rate Briseida just as fast as the winner on her German Guineas win. If the going is firm for the Prix d'Astarte at Deauville I can see her turning this form around.

I'd been looking forward to picking Finsceal Beo (31) to win this race ever since her recent flop in the Pretty Polly Stakes. I figured that I could excuse that run on account of the yielding ground. But actually I now see I've got it wrong.

Initially I thought the times were slower around the turn at the Curragh when Finsceal Beo lost because the going was softer. In fact it turns out they'd simply moved the rails out to save the ground for the Irish Derby. When they moved them back for the big race race times showed the straight and round courses were riding the same. So it was actually good ground she lost on last time. And my going allowances say it was slower when she ran that big second to Duke Of Marmalade and also when she romped home in the Sweet Solera Stakes as a two year old.

Here Finsceal Beo once more flopped on ground that was just as quick as when she'd run those two big races in the past. She ran better than in the Pretty Polly and actually made a run at the leaders two furlongs out. But I don't like the fact that she was very slow out of the stalls, something that's never happened before. I also dislike the fact that she was fitted with a tongue tie for the first time.

So now we are left with a horse that was given a really hard time as a three year old, being the first and so far only filly ever to run in the British, Irish and French Guineas. She hasn't won in eight tries since that succession of tough races, was reported to be 'clinically abnormal' after getting beat 27 lengths last time - much her worst run ever - and has now run below form again while sporting a tongue tie for the first time.

When a horse finishes distressed and then picks up a tongue tie it's invariably a sign of breathing.

I should also add that when a horse develops breathing problems it can often still show its best on fast ground and on easy courses, especially when fresh. So I'm not entirely despondent about Finsceal Beo's prospects for the rest of this season.

If she's rested and brought back on fast ground I'd actually be rather interested in her chances.

Another horse that surely needs resting is LOVE OF DUBAI (-18) who finished tailed off.

Love Of Dubai was seriously impressive when taking the Italian 1000 Guineas in fast time. But she flopped at Royal Ascot and ran even worse here. It's hard to escape the conclusion that she has simply been over-raced. This was her ninth run this year. I think she needs a break.

JEDEDIAH IS GROUP CLASS

When he beat the high class Kandahar Run in a mile maiden at Sandown last year I warned that JEDEDIAH (38) might not be effective over such a short in future. He had to be ridden along from halfway in that race, and I wrote at the time it was only the yielding ground, strong pace and steep uphill finish which enabled him to win. I predicted he might well already be in need of ten furlongs even though he was only two.

It's pretty amazing that Jedediah was kept to a mile for his next five starts, including his first three outings this year as a three year old. However he was finally stepped up to ten furlongs when taking a valuable handicap at Newmarket. After starting slowly Jedediah came from a long way back to score. He was moving very strongly all the way to the line and would have won by a slightly wider margin had he not been drawn to the far rail in the closing stages.

Jedediah apparently now goes for the big ten furlong three year old handicap at Glorious Goodwood. He'll have a shot there, but my worry is that he'll find the ten furlongs on the short side around Goodwood's tight turns. I think he's really wanting a mile and a half now.

There's no question that Jedediah will be racing in pattern company sooner rather than later. Over a mile and a half he'd be a decent proposition to take a Listed or Group 3 contest.

Runner up STEELE TANGO (38) did not seem to be letting himself down fully on the ground in the closing stages. His head came up and he wasn't striding out fully. It was officially good to soft but race times show it was actually good. He's a rather heavy topped sort and I'm going to be wary about supporting him on anything but yielding or softer ground in future. That said this was a very useful effort.

INDIAN DAYS (37) has run nothing but good races since being stepped up to middle distances and ran yet another to finish a close third. His weakness seems to be a lack of acceleration so I'd like to see him given another shot at a mile and a half or try a track with a steep uphill finish.

LOVE GALORE (37) stayed on strongly into fourth and looks like a horse that really wants a mile and a half.

PLEASE SING NOT JUST AN EARLY SEASON SPEEDBALL

The slow early pace caused all sorts of problems in the Cherry Hinton Stakes. But I think the best filly won in PLEASE SING (35).

They came home four fifths of a second quicker from halfway than they did in the preceding valuable handicap for three year olds over the same trip. So it was impressive that Please Sing could gain ground rapidly on her rivals to win the race going away. I've adjusted her rating to take account of the pace and it suggests she put up a solid Group class effort here.

Please Sing has a fair bit of substance to her and is a mature sort that already looks like a three year old. She's fairly tall too and looks sure to get a mile on looks and pedigree. I'm not saying she's a great bet at 33-1 for the 1000 Guienas. But I don't think she's simply an early season speedball that's going to disappear off the radar as the distances of the top two year old races lengthens.

Trainer Mick Channon said afterwards that he may well step Please Sing up to seven furlongs now. And he's got her entered up in the Debutante and Moyglare Stud Stakes over that distance. Obviously you've got to be worried about how she'll fare against Cuis Ghaire as that one is clearly a Group 1 horse that's been srying out for longer trips. But you should never be afraid of one horse and going up to seven furlongs is the right thing to do. I can see Please Sing winning something big over the distance and even giving Cuis Ghaire a race.

ART PRINCESS (34) was the one that set the slow pace and you could argue that she was flattered to finish second in a race where so many of her rivals met problems. But she's run well on all her four starts to date and is clearly pattern class. She has a shot in the Lowther Stakes.

Unlike many of her rivals AHLA WASAHL (33) settled and had a clear run. So I suspect this is as good as she is. Still she's a muscular, mature, useful sort that's at least Listed class on this run.

CARNIOLAN IS USEFUL

It's always tough to tell just how good a lightly raced horse is that wins by a wide margin while moving strongly. All I can say for sure about CARNIOLAN (36) after his wide margin win at Ascot is that he's at least borderline pattern class and can clearly improve. I say this because he showed signs of greenness when gravitating towards the rail as he came clear as inexperienced horses will often do.

Carniolan isn't built to be fully effective at six furlongs. He's a good-bodied, pretty sizable horse that looks as though he'd get a mile. Indeed his trainer says that the step up to seven furlongs definitely improved him.

ARCHIPENKO HAS A BIG SHOT IN THE ARLINGTON MILLION

After he'd won the QEII Cup in Hong Kong I suggested that ARCHIPENKO (37) might have trouble winning in Europe at the top level. I said this not because I don't rate Archipenko highly but because his running style is much better suited to the slow pace of races in countries such as Hong Kong, America and Australia, where they go really slow early in longer races then sprint the last two or three furlongs.

Archipenko can produce a phenomenal burst of speed at the end of a slow run race. So it was inevitable he would come out best in the Group 2 Summer Mile when the race developed into a sprint finish off a slow early pace.

The Arlington Million is now looking like a very good target indeed for Archipenko. Toss out the runs where he was used as a pacemaker last year along with his first run off a long break for Mike de Kock and his record looks very good indeed. If he hadn't lost the world's richest turf race, the Dubai Duty Free, by half a length, his record in his other most recent starts would read six wins from six starts.

Unless Sudan runs and hooks up with another front runner, as happened in Saturday's Man O'War Stakes, the early pace should be slow in the Arlington Million. The sub 46 second final half mile that Archipenko has shown himself capable of will make it hard for him to beat there.

KERRY'S REQUIEM NEEDS LONGER

KERRY'S REQUIEM (36) earned one of the biggest speed ratings I've given a two year old filly this season when taking a very strongly run five furlong Conditions race at Windsor. They went half a second faster to halfway than in a fair three year old handicap on the card over the same trip and came home another half second faster as well.

The searching gallop clearly brought the stamina of Kerry's Requiem into play. She's a big strong, mature, muscular filly that is built and bred for seven furlongs plus. Clearly she needs to go up in trip and that's the reason she's been getting behind early then running on late over five furlongs.

WHITE SHIFT (35) showed fantastic early pace and had everything bar the very nippy DOUGHNUT (32) at full stretch early on. The ground was slightly on the slow side and this eventually caught her out. But White Shift still managed to stage a rally when the winner and third went past her late.

White Shift has failed to get home on anything but genuinely good or faster ground. She's also failed to last the five furlongs whenever she's tried a stiff track. But she's won both times she's encountered a really fast surface over an easy five furlongs. And she beat Sayif into second place in her latest win. Sayif may very well be a Group 1 horse.

Clearly White Shift has bags of speed and is surely going to be winning in pattern company over the minimum trip when she gets her ground. Her best shot would be in the Molecomb Stakes. But she'd also be interesting in the Flying Childers.

TO THE POINT (35) ran a close third and is clearly a useful filly.

AMBER QUEEN IS A SMART FILLY

AMBER QUEEN (37) clocked a seriously good time when running away with a seven furlong maiden at York. Her jockey seemed intent on only riding her out with hands and heels. But she was racing lazily and greenly throughout so he finally had to resort to the whip in the closing stages to try and get her focused on the job in hand. Her ears were still going this way and that and she clearly wasn't concentrating on racing 100% but she managed to come right away and win impressively, full of running.

Judged by her economical stride pattern Amber Queen doesn't need the soft ground she raced on at York to produce her best. I'd also say she has a good chance of going a mile just like her half sister Spinning Queen. That one won the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes and it's clear that Amber Queen is also Group class on this performance. I'd rate her a good thing to win a Listed or Group 3 for fillies over seven furlongs or a mile on this showing. And there has to be a chance she can prove competitive in top races.

PRINCE SIEGFRIED LOOKS GOOD FOR STONEHENGE STAKES

PRINCE SIEGFRIED (35) won a seven furlong maiden impressively on his racecourse debut at Salisbury. He was always moving well. Just how well became evident from two furlongs out when everything else came under pressure and he simply cruised into the lead. He only had to be ridden out in the last furlong to lengthen clear impressively.

The early pace was strong for all Prince Siegfried's rivals but not for him. This is shown by the fact that he was able to come home from the path just before the three furlong pole 1.2 seconds quicker than they did in the following one mile handicap. When i adjust his rating to take account of this it points towards a Group class effort.

Prince Siegfried is a tall, long striding, mature muscular sort that looks built for a mile and a quarter, perhaps a bit longer. He handled the yielding ground really well here but I suspect he'd go on a faster surface judging by his stride pattern. However it might be that he'd get done for speed over the same trip on fast ground, so I'd prefer to see him go up to a mile.

It's not that surprising Andrew Balding steered Prince Siegfried to the track nearest his stables first time out. The horse is apparently a nervous sort at home, and you wouldn't want to risk asking a nervous horse to travel a long way in a horse box.

Given Prince Siegfried's disposition and need for a longer trip his next target pretty much writes itself. It just has to be the Listed Stonehenge Stakes back at Salisbury next month over a mile. If, as I suspect, he proves good enough to at least place there, his next obvious target would be the Horris Hill Stakes at nearby Newbury. That would mean a cut back to seven furlongs. But the race is usually run on yielding or softer ground so that should be okay.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH FLYING CLARETS GETS GOING

FLYING CLARETS (38) may not have much acceleration. But on yielding or softer ground or on a stiff track that doesn't matter so much. And she was winning for the fourth time in her last five starts in such circumstances up North when taking the John Smiths' Cup. Her sole recent loss in testing circumstances on Northern courses was a narrow loss to the useful Kasumi in Listed company.

It would be interesting to have another shot to see if Flying Clarets could finally show her form down South or abroad as this would open up more options for her. She didn't run that badly at Dundalk on the Poly earlier in the year, so it might well be she's a better traveler than she seemed to be in the past.

Runner up ERADICATE (37) often gets into traffic problems in big fields but did well here. He has yet to win in four tries at Newmarket and I suspect that's because Newmarket's home straight is so long it's basically like a straight course. Elsewhere Eradicate has won three of the four times he's run in single figure fields, with his only loss oddly enough being a second place finish to Flying Clarets the last time the pair met. With his seeming preference for small fields and big official rating it seems logical to switch Eradicate to pattern company where he'll encounter small fields far more often than the would in handicaps.

Third placed EZDIYAAD (37) is surely going to pick up a big race sometime soon, probably over a longer trip. Before this loss he had won all three times he'd run beyond a sprint trip on a galloping course on good or softer ground. He's a great big, heavy-topped sort that's clearly not built to handle fast going. And he's got any amount of ability.

Ezdiyaad is a huge horse. Marcus Tregoning says he's the biggest he's ever trained. And he seems to have ability to match. He had his head up in the air in the closing stages at Doncaster, a sure sign that he wasn't letting himself down fully on the ground. But he had no trouble cruising away from decent rivals. He looked like a Group horse to me there.

It could well be that Ezdiyaad is not at his best on undulating tracks as horses hit their legs harder on the downhill sections of such courses. It also seems very likely that he'll improve at a mile and a half. He continues to look a very good prospect.

REVE DE SOLEIL NEEDS LONGER

REVE DE SOLEIL (32) is a very strong, big, tall, long striding sort that looks likely to want a mile and a half or more as a three year old. So you might think that six furlongs is way too short for him at two. But he managed to win rather well over the trip at Pontefract, which is admittedly much the stiffest track in Britain judged by race times.

Reve De Soleil came from the back to stride away and win full of running in the closing stages. He actually came home a fifth of a second quicker over the last three and a bit furlongs than the useful older filly Mango Mischief over the same trip in the next race.

A short time later Reve De Soleil met traffic problems when fifth in a French Listed race over seven furlongs. Clearly he is up to that level.

A longer trip or softer ground would obviously help Reve De Soleil who already looks like he could jump a fence (the grand dam is a half sister to the top class chaser Commanche Court). His half sister is a lightly raced claming racer in France that's placed over ten and a half furlongs and may want a bit longer. Reve De Soleil himself is going to be needing that sort of trip and is probably a better prospect for next year. But if he gets a long distance and perhaps some cut in the ground or a very stiff track he's certainly capable of earning black type at two.

MAIMOONA CAN EARN BLACK TYPE IN MUD

SAMARA VALLEY LOOKS PATTERN CLASS

SAMARA VALLEY (32) won a very strongly run seven furlong maiden juvenile for fillies at Newbury in nice style. They actually went off a bit too fast in the early stages and I've adjusted the rating to take account of this.

The strong early pace made it a real test of stamina and that seemed to suit Samara Valley just fine. She came through strongly to pull away from her rivals late. She's a well balanced, muscular, mature, classy looking filly that should earn black type.

BAILEYS CACAO WANTS SEVEN FURLONGS

I can see why the trainer of BAILEYS CACAO (34) says she found the five furlongs too short in the Queen Mary. When she won the Listed Empress Stakes over a furlong longer she only put her rivals away in the last one hundred yards after disputing the lead throughout. Her win looked to be due to the searching pace the race was run at which brought her stamina into play. Her rivals began to tire just as she came into her own.

I'd be hesitant about betting Baileys Cacao to reproduce this form again over six furlongs. I'd say she'll do best over seven and should stay a mile. She'll need to improve about three lengths a mile to have a shot in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. But that's by no means impossible.

WEALD PARK SHOULD IMPROVE

WEALD PARK (31) was a very smooth winner of a Newmarket maiden over seven furlongs. He picked up much the best when the slow early pace developed into a sprint finish and surged away to score by a pretty wide margin. As he did show he displayed a flowing, daisy-cutting stride that's clearly going to make him suited to nothing but fast ground.

Weald Park didn't quite earn a pattern class speed rating from me here. But he looked to have a good deal in hand and can surely go a fair bit quicker. He's a well proportioned sort that has the build of a miler.

LION SANDS BEST ON BIG, GALLOPING COURSES

LION SANDS (38) seems to be best on relatively flat, galloping courses with homestarights of half a mile or more. He won for the third time in four tries on such tracks over longer trips when just getting the better of TRANQUIL TIGER (38) in a good Listed race at Newmarket.

With half a furlong to run victory seemed most unlikely for Lion Sands as Tranquil Tiger was cruising in a two length lead. But Tranquil Tiger pulled out nothing when asked to repel the late surge Lion Sands staged.

This was yet another useful run from Lion Sands who has now earned Group class speed ratings from me on several occasions. He's run a bit faster than this in the past and my feeling is that he's likely to progress to around Group 2 class.

Tranquil Tiger clearly has any amount of ability. But I now wonder whether a change in tactics is warranted. He's made all the running before and trainer Henry Cecil says he likes being in front. But he idled badly here and looks like he'd benefit from being held up for a late run.

CLASSIC BLADE IS GROUP CLASS

CLASSIC BLADE (36) was rather impressive when winning a hot juvenile Conditions race at Salisbury over six furlongs. He set a somewhat ordinary gallop but really picked it up from halfway to run the last three furlongs half a second quicker than they did in a five furlong handicap for older horses on the same card. Adjusting for that suggests this was a Group class effort by Classic Blade, as does the strength of his opposition.

As his trainer has noted, Classic Blade does show knee action. But he handled the fast surface here fine. At one point, as the challengers stacked up behind him, he looked as though he might be in trouble. But this big, good looking, muscular sort picked up to be going away again, still moving strongly as he crossed the line.

Classic Blade has the build of a six furlong specialist but might just get seven from the way he was finishing. In any event he should be placed to win a Group race sometime soon.

WILDACT WIZARD IS GROUP CLASS

Sectional times indicate that WILDCAT WIZARD (35) put up a Group class effort when winning on his racecourse debut. And they say the same thing about his follow up win over seven furlongs at Doncaster.

Wildcat Wizard looked set to win by a couple of lengths when he kicked clear with about a furlong and a half to run. But then PRIME SPIRIT (35) surged out of the pack to get upsides and mount a very determined challenge. It was impressive that Wildcat Wizard was able to quicken again to hold his rival and that the pair so quickly opened up a big gap on their rivals.

Wildcat Wizard is a muscular, mature, well proportioned sort with a fast ground action. I'm always wary of saying that a horse by Forest Wilcat will stay more than the seven furlongs of this race. But I have to say he does have the build of a miler, so I'm inclined to agree with trainer Paul Cole who says he feels the horse will get longer.

He has to improve a little to be competitive in the very top juvenile races. However that looks possible for Wildcat Wizard seeing the way he rallied here. Certainly he should take a Listed or Group 3 race this term on fast ground.

Prime Spirit had also won on his debut and would have been a wide margin winner here but for bumping into a Group class rival. He got caught flat footed when the pace quickened three furlongs out but really got motoring inside the last furlong to quickly close the gap and surge alongside the winner. He couldn't quite get past but kept on really strongly.

Prime Spirit's dam won over two miles and the way he ran here suggests that sprinting is almost certainly not his game. He'll be interesting next year over longer trips but is still fast enough to take something decent over a mile plus this term.

ELMFIELD BOY SHOULD IMPROVE OVER SEVEN FURLONGS

ELMFIELD BOY (33) showed serious stamina to win on his debut at Newcastle. The early pace was slow (I've adjusted the rating to take account of this). But the uphill finish and soft ground began to take its toll on the two year olds as they headed towards the final furlong. It was at this stage that Elmfield Boy's stamina looked to win the race for him. His challengers just couldn't keep going but he did and strode clear.

Elmfield Boy is built and bred for seven furlongs plus and put up a Listed class performance here. I wouldn't like to bet on him reproducing this form on good ground over six furlongs, but I imagine he's bound to be stepped up to a more suitable trip next time anyway.

DESERT ICON SHOULD STAY AT LEAST SEVEN FURLONGS

I noted DESERT ICON (34) as a horse worth following after he'd run fourth in a hot Newmarket maiden on his racecourse debut despite running green and having to be snatched up. Sure enough he improved to win a Windsor maiden really well. He came right away in the closing stages and ran the last half mile than older handicappers did over the same trip in the previous race. I've adjusted his rating to take account of this.

Desert Icon was caught out in the middle of the course till the closing stages and looked uncomfortable. He had his head to one side, ran a bit green out on his own. However he straightened up once he kicked clear and his jockey brought him across to the rail.

The way Desert Icon picked up here and on his first start suggests strongly that he'll stay at least seven furlongs, as does his physique. He's pretty close-coupled but does look built to go a mile. As a well balanced, fairly nippy sort he should adapt well to the gradients and tight turns of Goodwood which is apparently where he goes next. I imagine his target is the Group 2 Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs. I'd rather fancy his chances there.

ZUWAAR SHOULD IMPROVE A GOOD DEAL

ZUWAAR (34) dipped slightly under the kind of pattern class rating that normally triggers a write up from me when winning a ten furlong maiden at Brighton. But I suspect he's going to improve to that level given time and a longer distance.

In the race Zuwaar didn't look like a winner for an awfully long way. He came out of the stalls slower than anything else and was instantly ridden along to keep in touch with the strong early pace. He continued in that position till the pace finally began to tell on his rivals from around half a mile out. From there he closed up.

However Zuwaar had never looked totally focused at any stage. He had his head up too high and his ears were going this way and that. Like many inexperienced horses he was thinking about what was going on around him rather than racing. Having to make his run down the wide outside made the problem worse as he was seeing way too much daylight. Nonetheless approaching the final furlong the testing pace really began to tell on his rivals and Zuwaar's stamina kicked in big time. As a result he surged past his rivals to win well.

I don't think Zuwaar needs a sheepskin noseband to force his head down or any other kind of aid. All he needs is a bit more time, and a bit more distance, and he should be running winning decent handicaps at least.

Zuwaar is a good-looking, deep-chested sort that clearly has a good deal of stamina. I'd be interested in his chances over the Leger trip. But you can't jump a horse up in distance that dramatically so I think a move to a mile and a half is called for next time.

In all probability Zuwaar isn't quite ready to be thrown into a big handicap. But it looks like his official rating will be low enough to afford him an easy win in a relatively low grade contest next time. That run should teach him a lot, just as this one did.

SPIRIT OF A NATION IS USEFUL

SPIRIT OF A NATION (37) didn't clock a particularly fast time when winning a seven furlong three year old handicap at Doncaster. But that's because the early pace was slow. He came home over a second faster for the last three furlongs than older horses did in another seven furlong handicap run in slightly slower time on the same card. Lines of form and sectional times suggest he merits a Listed class speed rating from me for this effort.

Spirit Of A Nation is a mature, nice looking sort who came home strongly here. He looks capable of winning a big handicap, perhaps at Glorious Goodwood.

DOCTOR CRANE NEEDS LONGER

DOCTOR CRANE (30) took a long time to get going in a sprint finish for a seven furlong maiden at Doncaster. He eventually picked up though and picked up the leaders to win nicely.

Doctor Crane has the build of a hurdler or mile and a half horse. He's pretty tall, has a long stride and is a rangy sort. He already needs at least a mile and might well improve to be competitive in pattern company if stepped up to one of the rare juvenile races over ten furlongs later on. It's also worth noting that it was pretty remarkable for a horse of his type to be able to win in a sprint finish like this.

FREE AGENT WILL PREFER IT SOFTER NEXT YEAR

If you look at the pedigrees of the thirteen winners of the Chesham Stakes since its distance was increased to seven furlongs you'll find that they were all by proven middle distance sires. That is their sires had already produced a pattern winner over ten furlongs or more and at least 30% of their runners in pattern races of ten furlongs or more had reached the first 3.

In addition, eleven of the thirteen winners were out of dams that won in pattern company or had already produced a pattern winner.

There were two runners in this year's Chesham that had pedigrees like this. They were FREE AGENT (34) and SEAWAY (32) who finished first and second. Who says pedigree is bunk?

Richard Hannon expressed concern before the race about the ability of Free Agent to act on the lightning fast ground. And well he might. Free Agent shows noticeable knee action, meaning he raises his knees higher when striding out that other horses and hits the ground harder. This invariably means a horse needs yielding or softer ground to produce its best.

You can get away with running a horse with knee action on fast ground as a two year old. But as they get older and their joints wear down they start to feel the fast ground more. So I'd be wary of betting Free Agent on fast ground as a three year old.

He won this race nicely, coming through smoothly from last position to outclass the field and win full of running.

The early pace was slow in the race, which led to quite a few horses pulling and also a fair bit of crowding and interference when the race began in earnest. It was therefore pretty remarkable that Free Agent could find a way through when switched and gain so much ground so easily. He's clearly going to be a useful middle distance horse next year.

Seaway could be picked out with the winner as going noticeably well early on. He improved with Free Agent but just couldn't contain him in the last furlong. Nonetheless this was a nice run. He has a fast ground action and actually looks like he'll be effective over trips as short as a mile at three on looks. He's a well balanced useful sort.

Further back PEGASUS LAD (25) is worth noting. He's run better on his debut but looked to be hating the fast ground here. He's a tall, pretty top heavy sort and was never really fully balanced on the ground. He kept rolling this way and that a bit, even while setting the early pace. When he got tired and headed he was running around even more and this made it hard for him to be steered. As a result he twice had to be taken up in the closing stages. I see him improving back to his nice debut run on softer ground.

SHYRL NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR PAPIN OR MOLECOMBE

I've noted before that I felt SHYRL (32) was built and bred to go a good deal longer than five furlongs. But after watching her break her maiden over the trip at Catterick I can now understand why Frankie Dettori advised her connections to keep her to the minimum distance after her big run in an admittedly weak renewal of the Queen Mary.

Watching her stride up to the line it was clear Shyrl is just not fully developed up front yet. Indeed her trainer said after the race that she still has a good deal of growing to do.

The way she's built now Shyrl isn't going to cope with much more than five furlongs. However there is going to come a point where she strengthens up. In the process of doing so a lot of horses lose form, and I'd bet on this happening to Shyrl at some point towards the end of this season or early next year. Once she comes out of her growth spurt I'd expect her to change from being a sprinter into a miler. Meanwhile she's just not quick enough for the Prix Robert Papin or the Molecomb Stakes. Indeed, if she were mine I'd bundle her off into a field until next season as she's done what she can do for this year by winning a race and placing in Group company.

GALLAGHER ONE OF THE BETTER TWO YEAR OLDS SO FAR

GALLAGHER (35) was awfully impressive when winning a six furlong juvenile maiden at Chepstow. By halfway everything else was being ridden along while he was cruising. From there he picked up very strongly, taking just 34.6 seconds to cover the last three furlongs. That's way quicker than any other winner on the cars and 1.2 second faster than the winner of the other six furlong race (a handicap for older horses).

Gallagher simply ran away from his rivals through the final furlong or so, outclassing them totally to win full of running. He's clearly one of the better two year olds we've seen so far. Indeed, adjusting for the sectional times, I rate this a Group class performance.

All the other three offspring of Gallagher's dam stayed at least seven furlongs. Seeing the way he finished here suggests strongly that he'll have no problem stepping up to that trip. No doubt we'll be seeing him in pattern company next time where I'll think long and hard before opposing him.

SPIRIT OF NEW YORK CAN WIN SOMETHING BIG

There are now quite a few decent prizes for chasers during the Summer months. And I suspect one of them is going to fall to SPIRIT OF NEW YORK (38) seeing how fast he ran when scoring at Market Rasen.

Spirit Of New York bounced right back to his best here. He's now won seven of his ten starts and had excuses for this three losses. He was injured in one of them and probably unfit for the other two off a long lay off. This was the second time he's earned a Grade 3 class speed rating from me.

The obvious target for Spirit Of New York is the Galway Plate. But wherever Jonjo O'Neill steers him for his next few starts I'd be wary of opposing the horse.

MCEVOY (36) looked the winner for a long way and earned his best ever speed rating from me. His best runs have all been on right handed tracks in fields of twelve or less over three miles or shorter. The next time he runs in these circumstances I'd be very interested in his chances.

LORD JAY JAY CAN WIN SOME MORE

LORD JAY JAY (31) beat a decent field to make all the running at Worcester. He didn't have to run that fast to score but has twice earned pattern class speed ratings from me in the past and looks as good as ever. He's tough to beat when able to dominate a small field from the front and has now won the last three times he's run in a single figure field on fast ground over less than two and a half miles.

Lord Jay Jay is significantly better than most chasers you see in the off season in Britain. And with small fields and fast ground the norm during this period he's surely going to win some more.

SURFACE TO AIR STAYS WELL

SURFACE TO AIR (37) is a tall, deep-chested sort that clearly has little acceleration. But he has masses of stamina as he demonstrated when forging clear in the closing stages to win the Summer National at Uttoxeter in fast time.

Surface To Air has now won all three times he's gone a marathon distance over fences. It's hard to know just how good he is at this stage. But he's certainly going to be an interesting player in races such as the Welsh National and the Eider Chase, the two contests mentioned by connections as potential targets when he comes back off his Summer break.

MOUNT NELSON SHOULD IMPROVE ON SOFTER GROUND AND 12F

The elevation of the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Prince Of Wales Stakes to Group 1 status means that there are now six European WFA Group 1 middle-distance races run in the six week period from the last week of May to the first week of July. There used to be only four and the clash is now weakening the strength of all six races.

This year the race in the series which attracted the best field was the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud which pulled in five previous Group 1 winners. The one which seemed to suffer the most was the Eclipse which drew just the one.

That sole previous Group 1 winner turned out to be the eventual winner MOUNT NELSON (41) who became the fifteenth winner of the Eclipse in the last seventeen runnings to have already have a Group 1 win to his name.

Mount Nelson came with a strong run down the outside to take the race narrowly. But as he did so it was noticeable that he had his head slightly up in the air. He's a horse that shows a fair bit of knee action, and it seemed to me he wasn't letting himself down fully on the lightning fast ground.

I suspect that on yielding or softer ground Mount Nelson would have been a much more decisive winner.

Mount Nelson is a rather tall, rangy sort who was effective over the ten furlongs here thanks to a strong early pace and Sandown's steep uphill finish. These factors brought his obvious stamina into play. I'm not fully convinced he'd produce his best form over the distance on a flatter track, especially on fast ground or off a moderate early gallop. I think he's really a mile and a half horse

As I see it the obvious thing to do with Mount Nelson now is to go for the Grosser Preis von Baden and then the Arc. The Canadian International would also be a decent target as it's often run on yielding or soft ground.

Runner-up PHOENIX TOWER (41) did nothing wrong at all. This good looking horse was always moving well and only just went under. But it has to be said that he has yet to quite run a Group 1 time. And if ever he was going to win at the top level it was surely in this weak Group 1.

To secure his value as a stallion Phoenix Tower really needs to win a Group 1. However I'm not sure he's going to manage it. The only really weak Group 1 he could shoot for is the Premio Roma right at the end of the season. That race is unfortunately usually run on soft ground which this fast ground specialist would hate.

The only thing to do is to keep banging away at Group 1 races through the Summer and Autumn while the fast ground lasts. Maybe Phoenix Tower will get lucky.

PIPEDREAMER (40) was seeking to become only the second Cambridgeshire winner in the last half century to win a Group 1. He finished strongly as usual but never looked like threatening the first two. I just don't think he's quite up to winning a Group 1. Still he is very consistent and will always be tough to beat below this class.

CAMPANOLOGIST (40) basically stole the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot from the front, sprinting home after reaching the three furlong pole 3.7 seconds later than they did in the big three year old handicap the previous day when I adjust for the slight difference in going.

Here Tom Queally on MULTIDIMENSIONAL (38) was clearly under strict instructions not to let that happen and hustled his mount up to head off Campanologist early on. He was going too fast for a furlong or two but the slowed it down slightly.

By this point Dettori on Campanologist had already decided not to fight for the lead and kept his mount in third till mounting a challenge for the lead in the straight. For a furlong and a half he battled away and still looked like holding third place till tiring in the last few strides, allowing the strong finishing Pipedreamer to get by him. Clearly he'd been made to go a little quicker than he wanted to early on and paid the price late.

These days Godolphin are essentially an operation based on older horses. They haven't had a three year old Group 1 winner since 2005. And they've only had one three year old winner against older horses in a Group 1 from 28 tries since 2001. This being so I suspect we'll be seeing the best of Campanologist next year. That said, I have to add Campanologist does lack acceleration, which is not a good trait for a horse that seems to dislike soft ground. Then again, back over a mile and a half, which is surely his best trip, a lack of acceleration isn't as big a factor.

Multidimensional once more ran right up to form, just as he had when running second to Macarthur at Royal Ascot. It seems clear that the new tactic of sending him to the front is a great idea as it means he can avoid the other horses. Previously he's shied away from other runners and been reluctant to go for gaps when making what used to be his trademark late run. As a result the three wins he's scored since his maiden success had all come in five or six runner races. Now though I'd be happy to bet Multidimensional in any Group 3 or lower class race where there are as many as eleven runners (the normal limit for horses that dislike crowding).

ROB ROY (39) ran a big race to finish a close fifth. On softer ground I think he would have finished second. His trainer, Sir Michael Stoute has said ever since he injured his shin in the Guineas on firm going that Rob Roy is not at his best on fast ground and the horse's record bears him out. Rob Roy has lost all seven times he's run on going with the word 'firm' in the official description, which is the case today.

It's clear that Rob Roy is best when he's fresh. Virtually all horses of this type show their top form on their first two starts off a long break (three months plus) and then need a rest of at least five weeks in order to run well again. That's certainly the case with Rob Roy.

If he were mine the race I would now be targeting exclusively with Rob Roy is the Premio Roma. It's invariably the weakest middle distance Group 1 for older horses of the entire season. It's almost always run on soft ground. And if Rob Roy were brought into it off a break he'd have a huge chance of securing a Group 1 win that would at least double his value as a stallion.

STOTSFOLD (39) ran another big race to take sixth after an identical performance at Royal Ascot. I'm now warming to my new theory that he's a Summer top of the ground horse who is at his best on a quick surface from late June to September. He's won five out of five in these circumstances below Group 1 class.

Old Maraahel (33) lost for the seventh time in a row, running his worst race in ages. It does seem that he's not the force he once was now that he's seven years of age.

SAMUEL NEARLY DOES IT

I thought SAMUEL (22) was a certainty to take the Esher Stakes at Sandown as he he looked certain to improve for the step up to two miles. Unfortunately the race developed into a sprint finish off a slow early pace, so it was nothing like the test of stamina it should have been. In addition the ground was firm and this tall, rather gangly horse looked to confirm jockey Eddie Ahern's view that he'd prefer a softer surface by rolling around in the closing stages. Even so he still only went under by a short head to a winner that tightened him up for room approaching the line.

The race I'd like to see Samuel shoot for now is the Prix du Cadran. He clearly just stays and gallops. The two and a half miles of that race would bring out the best in him, especially it it was run on soft ground.

In any event Samuel is clearly a rising star in the staying ranks and will surely be wining in Group company sooner rather than later.

ZACINTO THE BEST TWO YEAR OLD COLT SO FAR

There is no doubt that ZACINTO (37) is the best two year old colt we've seen so far this season following his eight length romp in a seven furlong maiden at Sandown. Lines of form plus the formula I use to take account of sectional times in two year old races both point towards the same big rating.

Zacinto is a good, bodied, pretty big, mature, muscular sort with a fast ground action. He reminds me a bit of Raven's Pass who also ran a huge race last season over seven furlongs at Sandown to rank as the top two year old on my ratings.

The difference between Zacinto and Raven's Pass is that Zacinto looks to have a little more stamina. Raven's Pass only just gets the mile. But Zacinto should get it well and there looks to be a fair possibility that he could get ten furlongs later on if my assessment of his physique is any guide.

The early pace was strong at Sandown, at least for the horses Zacinto was racing against. They were being scrubbed along to keep up while he was simply cruising.

Switched out to the centre of the course, Zacinto surged clear through the last three furlongs, running them just shy of two seconds quicker than older horses did in the ten furlong Listed race later on. He also came home a full second quicker than the older horses did in the 100,000 pound handicap on identical going the next day over a mile. As jockey Ryan Moore noted "his turn of foot was impressive."

Zacinto was whinnying before the race and did run a little green. So he could well be capable of running a bit faster. He deserves to be favourite for the 2000 Guineas at this stage. However it is early days yet.

Zacinto's prospects now basically depend on the weather and the strength of the as yet unraced two year olds that are going to emerge over the next six to eight weeks. I'd say he's more likely than not to win a Group 1. But I should add that the filly Cuis Ghaire is just as good on my speed ratings and by the end of the season there are always at least three or four colts that have earned bigger ratings from me than Zacinto did here.

Still, Zacinto is clearly a proper Group 1 horse and will be hard to beat in any race he contests on fast ground from now on.

LOVELACE BACK TO HIS BEST

LOVELACE (40) earned a good Group 2 class speed rating from me when winning at Goodwood last year. And he did so again when taking the valuable toteswinger Stakes, one of Europe's most valuable handicaps at Sandown.

I don't know quite how to explain the series of losses sustained by Lovelace since his big win at Goodwood. Up to that point he'd won all four times he'd gone seven furlongs. It looks likely that the step up to a mile or the use of exaggerated hold up tactics brought him back to his best at Sandown.

It's worth bearing in mind that milers as a group tend to be a little bit behind the sprinters and the middle distance horses. A speed rating of 40 can be good enough to take a Group 1 at a mile.

Certainly Lovelace looked rather classy as he came through to put his rivals away decisively with a very powerful late move.

It might be that Lovelace needs the very strong pace generated by the big fields which contests valuable handicaps. But I'd certainly be very interested in his chances in Group company over a mile.

LATERLY LOOKS INTERESTING FOR THE MELROSE

Sectional times suggest that LATERLY (36) should have faded badly instead of running second in a valuable mile and a half handicap for three year olds at Haydock. He took the field along at a terrific gallop on the yielding ground, reaching the three furlong from home marker a full second sooner than they did in the Old Newton Cup a couple of races later.

It actually looked like Laterly was going to get away with it as he entered the final furlong still in a clear lead. But he couldn't quite keep going all the way to the line and got caught late by INVENTOR (37).

Clearly Laterly has an awful lot of stamina. Over a mile and three quarters he's just got to be interesting for the Melrose Stakes at York.

Inventor apparently found the going too firm for him over the same course last time. But he's now won all of his other three starts at ten furlongs or more. He'd be rather an interesting candidate for the Ebor I think.

MAD RUSH IS GROUP CLASS

Earlier this season I touted MAD RUSH (40) as Luca Cumani's big gun for the Ebor. The horse has gone and won the Old Newton Cup instead in remarkably fast time by a big margin. In doing so he's probably blown his handicap mark for the big York race and will now have to go up to Group company.

The step up to pattern company should be no problem for Mad Rush as he clocked a Grop 2 time here, running almost a second quicker than the smart mare Anna Pavlova managed in the previous race, the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks.

The entire difference in time between Mad Rush and Anna Pavolova was down to the finishing effort that Mad Rush put in up the straight. He came home over the last three furlongs 0.9 of a second quicker than the mare off an identical early pace. In other words the clock says he'd have beaten her four lengths if they'd run together. Okay Anna Pavlova could have pulled out more, seeing how well she won. But four lengths more? I doubt it.

ANNA PAVLOVA STILL UNSTOPPABLE IN MUD

ANNA PAVLOVA (37) didn't have to produce her best form to take the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock. She had only one serious rival in EZIMA (35) and that one clearly prefers faster ground. So she simply strolled clear in the closing stages without having to be ridden right out.

This was the sixth win in a row for Anna Pavlova on officially soft or heavy ground. She's clearly a very good horse on such going and it would be nice to see how good before she retires. Hopefully she'll get her ground in the Irish St Leger. That should tell us a lot.

It's pretty amazing that a filly with Ezima's level of ability has yet to win a Group race. She too is in the Irish St Leger and would have a shot on my speed ratings if the ground were good or faster. But meanwhile she needs to get that Group 1 win to secure her value as a broodmare. The Park Hill Stakes would have been a good option if it didn't clash with the Irish St Leger. But basically any Group 2 or 3 over a mile and a half or more on good ground, preferably on a galloping track seeing how big she is, should do the trick.

MUSAALEM LOOKS NAILED ON FOR A BIG HANDICAP

MUSAALEM (40) showed that he's a Group class sprinter when maintaining his unbeaten record to take a very strongly run six furlong sprint handicap at Doncaster. He' a big strong horse that moved well throughout, sustaining what was a fast pace all the way to the line. If it hadn't been for the presence of another progressive sort in MASTERSHIP (38) he would have been a wide margin winner.

In his previous two starts Musaalem pulled hard. He didn't have a chance to do that here because he was cut back from seven to six furlongs and the early pace was ferocious. Still, given the way he traveled so powerfully and his inclination to go faster in his earlier starts, I suspect he's going to be best in very strongly run sprints like this. In other words he's tailor made for a big sprint handicap where the early pace is invariably really fast.

The Stewards' Cup might have been an obvious target for Musaalem. But he broke his pelvis badly at two and his connections understandably feel he'll always be best on dead flat tracks (as a horse experiences greater concussion to its joints on the the downhill sections of undulating courses). They also say he's best on a fast surface which makes sense given his quick action.

The only big handicap Musaalem is entered in right now is the seven furlong totesport Internation Stakes at Ascot. Seeing how well he ran here over six furlongs I'd prefer him over the shorter trip. But he clearly does stay and would merit serious consideration if taking up his engagement at Ascot.

Mastership came out of the pack in thon this showing's closing stages to chase the winner hard. He couldn't get to him but opened up a rather impressive gap on the rest of the field. He would have been a wide margin winner in fast time if only the Musaalem.

I don't think it would be smart to read too much into Mastership's previous form as he has now joined a new trainer, John Quinn, who has removed the blinkers the horse used to wear. So there are two reasons he should be running in a different way. All we can say for sure is that Mastership previously placed in pattern company and ran his fastest ever race here the first time he ran for Quinn following a recent run.

Mastership only ran 24th in the Stewards' Cup last year. But I'd bet on him running a good deal better in that race this year. He should certainly be winning something soon

CORRYBROUGH WILL NEED SIX FURLONGS TO BEAT OLDER HORSES

CORRYBROUGH (39) produced another powerful finish to get up late and storm clear in a Listed five furlong sprint for three year olds at Sandown. Clearly this big, long striding sort is going to be winning Group races. But I think his trainer Henry Candy is right to say that will most likely be happening over six furlongs rather than five.

Corrybrough was pushed along to go as soon as they left the stalls. But it looks like he's simply too big and long striding to be fast into his stride. He's always going to concede a few lengths at the start.

From now on there will be no opportunities to race against his own age group. Corrybrough will have to take on experienced older sprinters who can really ping out of the stalls. They'll surely leave him too far back to win early on unless the ground is soft or the track very stiff.

It's still too early to tell just how good Corrybrough is. But I have to say that if he were in any race over six furlongs on soft ground I'd find it hard to oppose him. Whether he's always going to be able to cope with a fast surface I can't say. He does seem to hit the ground rather hard though. Long term I suspect he's going to need a bit of cut in the ground to produce his very best.

FINNEGAN MCCOOL HAS A REAL SHOT IN SUPER SPRINT

For anyone who relies on the times of races for insight it's disturbing to realize how many two year old races are basically just three furlong affairs whatever their advertised distance actually is. This was certainly the case with the decent five furlong maiden won by FINNEGAN MCCOOL (35) at Windsor.

The pace was only on in the race after two furlongs. So it's not surprising the race looked rather scrappy thereafter. No horse looks good in a sprint finish as nothing can gain serious ground and all the horses are on top of each other. In fact here there were six runners in an almost perfect line across the track fighting for the lead with a furlong and a half to go. That Finnegan Mc Cool and runner up MY SWEET GEORGIA (33) were able to separate themselves from the pack in the brief remaining distance says a lot for their ability.

Finnegan McCool was driven clear and hard ridden all the way to the line, which is what is necessary in a sprint finish. It's impressive that he was able to show so much speed as he's clearly built and bred for six furlongs and looks as though he should get seven in time. He's a muscular mature, good-bodied sort with a bit of class about him.

The Super Sprint is only five furlongs, but the early pace is invariably searching there. And, seeing that he was able to perform so well over five furlongs here, I've got to give Finnegan McCool a real shot of taking that valuable prize.

My Sweet Georgia has the build of a miler, and everything on her dam's side stayed at least that far. She finished well and is clearly a fair prospect. But I suspect she's not going to start winning till she has the chance to go seven furlongs or a mile.

MISDAQEYA ON TRACK TO EARN BLACK TYPE

MISDAQEYA (33) earned a write up from me when running second to a useful rival in a good Newmarket maiden in May. Now she merits another for her impressive win on the Poly at Kempton.

Misdaqeya is build and bred to be a ten furlong horse. So she looked nailed on to improve for the step up to seven furlongs here. She didn't actually earn a bigger rating than last time. But she cruised away in the closing stages with her jockey taking a look back over his shoulder no less than three times to see if he needed to ask her for more. Quite how much more she could have pulled out I don't know. But it wouldn't have been much because the race was slow run and produced a sprint finish (I've adjusted the rating to take account of this).

Misdaqeya is undoubtedly at least Listed class. She might be a bit better than that. My feeling is that she's a Group 3 horse at this stage.

Her connections didn't mention an immediate target for Misdaqeya but the obvious one would be the Listed Star Stakes at Sandown towards the end of the month. Misdaqeya has run as fast as the average winner of that race and would have a good chance.

RIEVAULX WORLD IMPROVES

RIEVAULX WORLD (33) just slithered into Listed territory on my speed ratings when taking a five furlong maiden at Ripon. He's improved steadily as he's gained fitness and experience and was rather impressive here.

Few two year olds can sustain a strong pace all the way, especially this early in the season where many are still short of peak fitness. But Rievaulx World can. He showed this when running second to the smart filly Excellent Show on his previous start and did so again here. He jumped out of the stalls quickly, was instantly in the lead and set such a strong pace that he had all his rivals in trouble with two furlongs to run. For about 100 yards after this point the field stayed that way, with Rievaulx World moving strongly in the lead and the jockeys on all the other horses riding away like crazy. But then it got to the point where Rievaulx World could keep going at the pace and his rivals could not. He strode clear from that point to open up an ever-widening gap and score while still moving strongly as they passed the line.

I know that it shouldn't be possible for a horse by Compton Place with a speedy dam's side to his pedigree to stay beyond five furlongs. But I have to say that Rievaulx World is actually a pretty rangy sort that has the build of a seven furlong horse to my eye. Certainly the way he was finishing here makes it look like there's a fair shot he will be one of the few progeny of Europe's speediest sire to score beyond the minimum distance. Meanwhile there are nurseries to be won with Rievaulx World thanks to a rather lenient assessment by the official handicapper. Later on he should be good enough to earn black type.

ICON PROJECT LOOKS WORTH FOLLOWING

Michita (33) won the Ribblesdale Stakes rather impressively, sprinting away from her rivals in the last furlong to score full of running. But it's worth bearing in mind that the horses which filled the next four places had only won maidens while the next two finishers hadn't won at all. It was undoubtedly a weak renewal of the race.

The early pace was slow enough to hurt the final time, and I thought this might hurt Michita's chances as she's a good-bodied, deep-chested sort that looks built for the Leger trip. But she showed a good turn of foot to cover the last three furlongs about a second faster than the colts did in the more strongly run King George V Handicap later on the same card.

Lines of form suggest that Michita would only have earned a speed rating of 37 from me if this race had been truly run. That's the same rating I gave her at Goodwood. And it's just not good enough to give her a shot in the Group 1 targets her connections are now talking about. Perhaps she'll manage to improve but my feeling is that Michita looks set to be pitched in over her head in her next few starts and is a horse worth opposing.

The horse that I'm going to be taking out of the race as worth following is the fourth placed finisher ICON PROJECT (28).

Icon Project had all sorts of traffic problems up the straight, getting boxed in, bumped and still being tight for room as she made a strong finishing effort. These problems were amplified by the quickening pace so she did very well to finish as close as she did.

Icon Project is a lightly-raced filly that has improved with every run. I can readily see her turning out to be the best horse in this race.

COLONY GETS INTERESTING FOR THE EBOR

COLONY (38) won a strongly run renewal of the King George V Handicap in Group class time at Royal Ascot. A lot of horses wanted to lead so the early pace was strong, and this helped Colony greatly. He'd won a very strongly run race over ten furlongs at Sandown on yielding ground where he also had the steep uphill finish to make it more of a stamina test. But he'd then been outpaced over the same trip on faster ground at Newbury.

Here Colony stayed on strongly on the wide outside to get up and drive clear in the last furlong. Watching him pull up it was hard not to notice how big and strong he is and what a deep chest he has. He has the physique of a Cup horse and will surely have no problem staying two miles.

I suspect that Colony wouldn't have the pace for the St Leger (which invariably goes to a middle distance horse). The race for him has to be the Ebor as it is invariably strongly run and offers him a chance to use his obvious stamina over a longer trip.

Colony will probably get done for speed if he's kept to a mile and a half when he steps up to pattern company. But over longer trips he looks likely to improve on even this useful effort.

CAMPANOLOGIST STOLE KING EDWARD VII FROM FRONT

Three year olds are doing exceptionally well against older horses in Group 1 company this season. But I don't think CAMPANOLOGIST (31) is going to be winning at the top level anytime soon following his win in the King Edward VII Stakes.

I've watched the videos of his races over and over and just can't see him as top class.

As I see it Campanologist only won the Fielden Stakes at Newmarket because the runner up Kandahar Run blew up through lack of fitness. He got beat fair and square in the Lingfield Derby Trial, running third behind a second place finisher that subsequently only ran third in Listed company. Then he stole the King Edward VII Stakes from the front at Ascot under a very clever ride from Frankie Dettori.

Campanologist got to the three furlong from home marker in the King Edward VII Stakes 3.7 seconds later than they did in the big three year old handicap the previous day when I adjust for the slight difference in going. It's hardly surprising he was able to sprint to the line from there. Even so he only just held on and was being caught pretty quickly as the line approached in a race where the second, third and fourth had only previously won maiden races and handicaps.

I've never given Campanologist better than a Listed class speed rating. And it's clear that he is decidedly one paced.

Godolphin are essentially an operation based on older horses. They haven't had a three year old Group 1 winner since 2005. And they've only had one three year old winner against older horses in a Group 1 from 27 tries since 2001. That came when Dubai took a big mile race in France. He'd previously scored twice at the top level against his own age group. The best Campanologist has done is to steal this weak Group 2 from the front.

Campanologist could prove me wrong as he's lightly raced and has won a high percentage of his starts. But I just can't see him winning better races than this.

PRIZE POINT LOOKS SURE TO IMPROVE

PRIZE POINT (31) didn't clock a fast time when winning at Ayr on his racecourse debut. And the formula I use to adjust the ratings of slow run two year old races doesn't quite put him into the black type category either. But, having watched the video of his win, I have to say I'd be surprised if he doesn't at least place in pattern company this year.

Prize Point is a big, good-bodied sort who already looks like a three year old. He jumped out of the stalls in first place and stayed there throughout then wound up the pace from the halfway point. Two horses came with dangerous looking challenges in the closing stages but he simply accelerated to hold them in imperious fashion while only being ridden with hands and heels.

This was a very dominant performance by a horse that was clearly much the best here.

I think Kevin Ryan is right to say Prize Point will get a mile. His physique certainly points that way.

ROSE DIAMOND IS A USEFUL FILLY

ROSE DIAMOND (33) put up a useful effort to win a good six furlong juvenile maiden at Newmarket. She was a little keen early because of the slow early pace and the fact that she had no cover racing on the outside. In addition she was always slightly unbalanced. Nonetheless she moved well throughout and produced a very good turn of foot when given a crack of the whip approaching the final furlong. This took her past the runner up HEAD ON (32) and she passed the post still moving strongly.

Rose Diamond is a close-coupled, slightly short-necked, medium sized filly with a quick, fast ground action. Her jockey apparently felt she could get longer. My feeling is that her physique will limit her effectiveness to seven furlongs at most. Still she's clearly a useful filly. In fact this rates as a Listed class performance when I adjust my rating to take account of the slow early pace.

Head On has a much longer stride than the winner and is a lengthier, bigger, more mature and muscular sort who has the build of a miler. She moved well throughout the race but simply didn't have the pace to go with the winner when she sprinted by late. She also ran rather green very late and her jockey let her alone in the last 100 yards seeing there was no hope of catching back up to the winner. She's improving and looks capable of continuing to do so, especially if stepped up to seven furlongs.

I suspect that fourth placed DESERT ICON (29) will turn out to be at least as good as the winner. She ran green and was running around so badly she had to be snatched up from running into the back of the winner approaching the final furlong. The fact that she then picked up again well in what was a sprint finish says a good deal for her ability.

Desert Icon is a mature muscular, well proportioned sort who looks built for a mile. I'd like to see her stepped up to seven furlongs next time. But even over six I wouldn't want to oppose her in maiden company.

SPORAZENE STILL HAS IT

One of the things I find really fascinating about horse-racing is that there are always a handful of horses around that can beat literally anything but require a very specific set of circumstances to produce their best form. SPORAZENE (37) is such a horse. He has earned speed ratings as big as 43 from me in the past which is about as high as I normally go.

Sporazene didn't have to run that fast to canter away with a handicap hurdle at Newton Abbot. But the way he sauntered clear suggests that he could have done if he'd been pressed.

The key to Sporazene is that he is a rather narrow horse. As a result he finds it hard to fight for position in big fields. Equally it means he needs to be fresh as he doesn't carry enough condition to sustain a series of races very well. On his first two starts off a three month plus break or with a rest of around five weeks or more thereafter he can be truly brilliant over hurdles or fences. The trouble is that if he hits an obstacle it seems to dent his confidence to the point where he'll run badly below form even in a small field when fresh.

Sporazene has run three times in four runner races when fresh and hosed up most impressively each time. I'd bet him against any horse in training in those circumstances.

One of these days I'm hoping to have the chance to get huge odds about Sporazene to beat Grade 1 rivals in a small field when he's fresh. In the meantime he'll no doubt run another bunch of clunkers in big fields, when he's not fresh or when he hits one of the jumps. But he remains one of those horses that can make the difference between a profitable and an unprofitable season for a shrewd punter. Catch him right and you could make a fortune.