Ratings Update: Vandeek remains unbeaten
John Ingles provides the Timeform ratings reaction to the weekend's big races, including the Prix Morny won by Vandeek.
Deauville’s Sunday card staged the two Group 1 contests of the weekend and the Prix Morny looked a seriously competitive contest beforehand with no fewer than seven last-time-out pattern winners taking each other on. But the betting suggested it would revolve around just three of them, a trio who had only one narrow defeat between them beforehand, and so it proved. It was Richmond Stakes winner Vandeek (115p from 107p) who kept his unbeaten record for Simon & Ed Crisford as he dug deep in the final furlong and got up late by a short neck to reel in the favourite Ramatuelle (111 from 111p) who struck for home with what looked a race-winning move after Vandeek was stuck behind her briefly.
In contrast to the runner-up who made her debut in April, Vandeek’s career is barely a month old so he has come a long way in a short time and will be tough to beat assuming he goes for the Middle Park Stakes next. As for Ramatuelle, her only two defeats have been narrow ones against colts, and she’d be very interesting back against her own sex in the Cheveley Park.
Third in the Morny, keeping on from the rear without landing a blow at the first two, was River Tiber (remains 111p). The Coventry Stakes winner lost his unbeaten record and didn’t quite run up to that form but only took his chance after a canter the day before, having met with a recent setback, and should still have more to offer, even if he’s been overtaken in the pecking order of Ballydoyle two-year-olds during his absence since Royal Ascot. City of Troy sits at the head of the juvenile division with a rating of 119p.
A stablemate of River Tiber and City of Troy who’s very much on the up is Henry Longfellow (112p from 97P) who confirmed considerable debut promise when convincingly winning Saturday’s Futurity Stakes at the Curragh by two lengths from another promising type in Islandsinthestream (106p from 88p). Henry Longfellow, out of his stable’s high-class filly Minding, left the impression there was more in the tank if needed and will continue to take plenty of beating, the Dewhurst reportedly next on his agenda.
In the fillies’ equivalent of the Futurity, the Debutante Stakes, maidens took the first three places but it wasn’t necessarily a below-par renewal as Vespertilio (104p from 94p) got off the mark in impressive fashion for Willie McCreery, making smooth headway from the rear before quickening to lead entering the final furlong. It wasn’t Vespertilio’s first try in pattern company either as she’d been runner-up to Ylang Ylang in the Silver Flash Stakes and paid a compliment to that filly whom she could well meet again in the Moyglare Stud Stakes next time.
Back at Deauville, the other Group 1 on Sunday’s card was decided by an even tighter margin than the Morny, with only a nose separating Mqse de Sevigne (122 from 117) and favourite Via Sistina (remains 122) in the Prix Jean Romanet for older fillies and mares. The Andre Fabre-trained winner’s career has mainly been one of near misses but this was her second Group 1 at Deauville in a matter of weeks after she’d dropped back to a mile to win the Prix Rothschild at the start of the track’s big meeting.
Via Sistina was right back to her best after disappointing in the Falmouth Stakes the time before, and, as when winning the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh, she again finished in front of Irish fillies Above The Curve (remains 118) and Trevaunance (114 from 111) who completed the frame here.
A couple of results from the weekend focussed attention on the final classic. Chester Vase winner Arrest (117 from 114) landed the odds with a strong staying performance from the front in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, tactics which will be harder to pull off in the St Leger, though the extra distance is likely to suit him. His older rivals looked beatable beforehand, and he was chased home by the filly Ching Shih (109 from 100) who seemed to excel herself, she too looking well served by the test of stamina.
Over at the Curragh on Sunday it was the Irish St Leger Trial, though the winner Shamida (112p from 103p) has a Doncaster entry too and she looks an exciting staying filly for Dermot Weld, progressing at a rate of knots and landing a second successive Group 3 success in grand style, this one against a trio of older rivals from Joseph O’Brien’s stable.
Newbury’s big race on Saturday was the Hungerford Stakes in which Richard Hannon trained three of the first four home, though with favourite Chindit (118 from 119) not at his best in this race for the second year running (seems more effective at a mile), he was only third to stablemate Witch Hunter (119 from 115) who proved better than ever up in grade on his twelfth run of the year, adding to his 50/1 win in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Runner-up New Endeavour (116 from 108) had been runner-up in the Britannia himself at Royal Ascot and he too ran a career best, faring best of those ridden prominently before being worn down late.
A similar level of form had come earlier in the week from the principals in Salisbury’s Sovereign Stakes over a mile. Three of the five runners served up a thriller with Mighty Ulysses (remains 117) and Embesto (117 from 110p) dead-heating half a length in front of eight-year-old and former winner Regal Reality (remains 119) who was as good as ever and emerged best at the weights under a penalty. Roger Varian’s three-year-old Embesto was therefore the improver among that trio and showed a willing attitude to share the spoils whilst paying a compliment to Nostrum who beat him with such authority at Newmarket last month. Stablemate New Endeavour, incidentally, was third in the same race at Newmarket.
