Ratings Update: Top-class Paddington eclipses older rivals
John Ingles provides Timeform ratings reaction from the Eclipse at Sandown and a Group 1 weekend in France.
While Derby winner Auguste Rodin (125p) is clearly held in very high regard at Ballydoyle, he’s now got some catching up to do in the three-year-old ratings with top-class stablemate Paddington (130p from 126p) following Saturday’s Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. Although Paddington had only three rivals to beat on his first try beyond a mile, the older trio included high-class filly Emily Upjohn (remains 128) and the two market leaders served up a thrilling duel, with Paddington emerging half a length in front after always looking in control once leading under two furlongs out. He is evidently thriving on his racing and this was his third Group 1 win in six weeks, while he's won all five of his races this term.
A drop back to a mile for the Sussex Stakes looks next for Paddington, but with his effectiveness over another two furlongs now proven that opens up other options as the season progresses, depending also, of course, on how connections choose to campaign Auguste Rodin.
Emily Upjohn had beaten Westover in the Coronation Cup on her previous start and, on the same afternoon, last year’s Irish Derby winner registered his first win since then in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, that too a small-field contest. Westover ran right up to his best (126), though, beating second favourite Zagrey (122 from 117) by two lengths, his winning time the fastest in the race since at least 1987. The first two had met previously in Dubai where they’d been second and third respectively behind Japan’s Equinox (rated 132), underlining the strength of the form of the Sheema Classic in which Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner Mostahadaf was behind them in fourth.
The third Group 1 of the weekend was the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday for three-year-olds over seven furlongs which drew a much more competitive-looking field of a dozen, including a strong cross-Channel challenge boosted by 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean being supplemented. In the event, though, very few gave their running behind surprise winner Good Guess (122 from 110) who put up a much-improved effort, having spoiled his chance with a slow start when fifth in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains on his previous try in a Group 1.
Chaldean (122 from 123) was the chief disappointment, but Hi Royal (117 from 118), runner-up to him at Newmarket and to Paddington in the Irish 2000 Guineas, was another to underperform (unable to lead this time after a slow start), as did Charyn (remains 116), who, like Chaldean, had been placed behind Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes. The 2000 Guineas form has taken several knocks, the only pair from the race to have been successful since being Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear, neither of whom, as was well documented, gave their running on the day.
There were a couple of smart sprinting performances over the weekend. Charlie Hills has another Group-race sprinter on his hands in Equality (118 from 113) who hadn’t done himself justice in a couple of attempts at pattern level earlier this year but had taken advantage of a drop in class to win a handicap at Windsor under a big weight in the meantime. Back in Group 3 company in the Coral Charge, he improved again, dominating his field and beating recent Ayr listed winner Makarova (109 from 104) by a length and a half and who put up an improved effort of her own. Meanwhile at Deauville, Karl Burke’s Spycatcher (remains 117), who was runner-up in the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle the previous weekend, quickly went one better with a decisive victory in the Group 3 Prix de Ris-Orangis, running right up to his best.
The same stable’s two-year-old Kylian (104 from 90) showed much-improved form to win the listed Dragon Stakes over five furlongs at Sandown on Friday by six lengths. He was helped by coming from off the pace but settled matters very quickly once switched wide, delivering a performance which explains why he was sent off at short odds when beaten on his first two starts.
An excellent few days for the Burke yard also included a career best from Poptronic (110 from 105) in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock where she gamely reversed form with runner-up Sea Silk Road (110 from 109) from their meeting in the Pinnacle Stakes over the same course and distance last month.
The other to show some improvement in the listed races on Sandown’s Friday card was Savvy Victory (116 from 113). He was the outsider of four in the Gala Stakes, all of whom had contested the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot. He had excuses on that occasion but bounced back to form in this less competitive contest, taking advantage of the market leaders battling it out to pick them off late on and win convincingly.
