WE saw a brilliant performance in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp last Sunday, and it was not from the horse who won it.

Persian King is a fine individual, the winner of a Poule d’Essai des Poulains and a Prix d’Ispahan before, and every bit as good in victory in this, but it is highly likely that he would have been beaten by Pinatubo had that one not been set so much to do.

In a race that had been run at a steady pace, Persian King raced close up, saw off Circus Maximus and quickened from the front. At the same time, Pinatubo had been held up and was a few lengths adrift before being asked for maximum effort only in the final 400 metres.

Pinatubo closed the gap between him and Persian King from about five lengths to just under two at the line but could not get in a blow.

The sectionals told a stark tale, with Persian King running that closing split in about 110% of his average race speed and Pinatubo managing over 112%. According to sectional upgrading, that suggests Pinatubo can be rated the winner by at least two lengths.

For the first time this season, Pinatubo truly looked like the champion he had seemed to be at two, and yet he had lost. I have a rating of 126 on him now – the equal of Palace Pier who had beaten him in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot – and 120 still on Persian King.

This was a good Moulin, but, more than anything, it is a race that is likely to be remembered for a great ride by Pierre-Charles Boudot on Persian King and for that flying but ultimately futile finish by Pinatubo under a less accomplished one from James Doyle. It goes to show just how difficult these things are to judge right at times.

Doyle had also possibly been hoodwinked by the underperformance of most of Pinatubo’s rivals, not least Siskin, who he ended up tracking. Both colts had given some trouble at the stalls, incidentally.

In amongst everything else, this will surely dispel any lingering doubts about Pinatubo’s stamina for a mile, other than, perhaps, for a really strongly run one like he got in the Guineas. The Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland in November looks an obvious target, travel restrictions allowing.

There were several other group races at Longchamp in the last week, if none to compare with the Moulin.

Kalahara (105) put up one of the better two-year-old efforts of the campaign in beating the US raider Wink (102) in the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg, while Go Athletico (103) was a ready winner of the Group 3 Prix la Rochette.

Paix (103, Prix de Lutece), Glycon (108, La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte), Chachnak (110, Prix du Prince d’Orange) and Called To The Bar (112, Prix Gladiateur) were other Group 3 winners in France recently. Normandy Bridge and Philomene won the two juvenile newcomer races at Longchamp that sometimes go to stars of the future, but neither in an especially good time, both worth figures of 92 after sectional adjustment.