WINCHESTER BLOWS AWAY US RIVALS

WINCHESTER (38) impressed me greatly when beating the subsequent Irish Oaks winner early in the season. I also liked the way he ran against Hindu Kush when that one was allowed to get away with setting a slow early pace. There was no way any horse could catch Hindu Kush. But I timed Winchester as running the last three furlongs in just 34.6 seconds. That's the kind of finishing kick that wins turf races in the US.

Sure enough Winchester produced a similar burst to simply run away with the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes over a mile and a quarter at Arlington from and admittedly weak field for the class.

It looks pretty clear that Winchester didn't stay the mile and a half in the King Edward VII Stakes and the Irish Derby. But around the tight runs of American courses and off the slow early pace that normally prevails in their turf races the longer distance may well be within his scope.

Admittedly Winchester needs to run a bit faster than this to win the Breeders' Cup Turf. But he had so much in hand here that his jockey was able to take two long looks back over his shoulder as they entered the straight. Clearly he has scope for improvement and is ideally suited to US conditions.