THERE were a couple of strong contests on the all-weather at Lingfield Park on Saturday, with the six-furlong Cleves Stakes attracting a field comfortably stronger than its listed status.

Kachy is about the best horse in action on the flat in Ireland and Britain this winter, but he had a wide draw to overcome and only just managed it with a short-head defeat of Kimberella worth a timefigure of 111 for them both.

Caspian Prince – outside his comfort zone at this extra furlong – Intisaab, Gulliver and Lancelot Du Lac were all beaten less than a length (recording timefigures of 109 or 110), but Kachy would probably have beaten them readily had he not had to do so much so soon. A good draw will make him very difficult to beat in the Sprint on Finals Day here next month.

The Winter Derby Trial was less evenly-run, with Utmost helped by racing in the lead and readily holding favourite Victory Bond while recording an unexceptional 100 timefigure.

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Total Performance Data sectionals reveal that fifth-placed Intern was fastest of all for the last three furlongs (33.1s), two furlongs (22.2s) and final furlong (11.1s), and the David Simcock-trained gelding looks up to winning at this level before long.

The recent meetings at Meydan have been a reminder of warmer climes and of warmer times ahead. Some of the names of those successful there will be more familiar than others, such as the Royal Ascot winner Benbatl, who made it two out of two in Dubai last Thursday with another 117 timefigure, in the Group 2 Al Rashidiya over 1800 metres on turf.

The son of Dubawi looks a likely one to be contending races like the Prince of Wales’s and Eclipse Stakes in the summer but before then should take some beating in the Dubai Turf on World Cup Day, March 31st.

Close behind Benbatl in timing terms last Thursday were Boynton (1600m Handicap on dirt) and Jungle Cat (1400m Group 2 on turf), both of whom put in 116 timefigures.