OVER at York on Saturday, Pivoine won the Diamond Jubilee edition of the John Smith’s Cup Handicap with a 114 time performance which suggests that a couple of abortive earlier forays into Group 3 company should not be the end of the matter.

Muddling

Copper Knight won the listed sprint with just a 96 timefigure, a reflection of the race’s muddling nature, and similar remarks apply to Red Verdon’s Group 3 win in a substandard 104 time.

Royal Intervention had done better on the clock at the same course the day before, posting a 106 figure in winning the Group 3 William Hill Summer Stakes.

Fatal injury

A decent card at Ascot was marred by the fatal injury to Beat The Bank at the finish of a Summer Mile in which he ran at least as well as ever in posting a 120 timefigure, scoring by a nose from 117-rated Zaaki.

Beauty Filly came out on top with a 102 time performance in a listed race at Chester, where times implied that the ground had received plenty of water, either natural or artificial (but was described officially as “good”).

Peach Tree makes the most of weight received from rivals

A COUPLE of Group 3s took place in Ireland, with Peach Tree making the most of the weight she received from the year-older Moteo and Cimeara to win the Stanerra Stakes at Leopardstown with a 97 timefigure in quite a bunched finish.

She had run 101 behind Who’s Steph at Cork.

Close finish

The Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse on Sunday provided another close finish and underwhelming time, with Surrounding (previously 111) victorious but with only a 90 timefigure, her time only 1.03s quicker than the winner of the low-grade handicap which followed.

Alligator Alley – a son of Kingman and trained by Joseph O’Brien – looked one of the better two-year-old prospects in Ireland this year when winning a maiden at Navan on Saturday by five lengths.

Sprint races

However, his time was a fair bit slower than the other two races at the five-furlong distance on the card – who says all sprint races are truly-run?! – and merits just a 70 timefigure when something in the mid-to-high 90s might have been expected.