ASCOT provided a spectacular finale to the 2021 flat season last Saturday with the day belonging to the Jim Crowley and Shadwell Stud alliance as their star performer Baaeed formed the centre piece of a sparkling high-profile treble.

Baaeed (124) maintained his unbeaten in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes with another display of exhilarating finishing speed as he swept down the outside of his field on his way to a neck victory which only scratches the surface of his superiority.

The run of the race was not too dissimilar to when the William Haggas-trained colt won the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood as the early fractions were pedestrian resulting in the overall time being just 0.07 seconds faster than the concluding Balmoral Handicap.

A comparison of the formative stages of the race shows Aldaary would have been 2.12 seconds ahead after travelling three furlongs, which equates to around 12 lengths.

Pat Cosgrave aboard Benbatl eventually quickened the pace heading through the fourth furlong as Jim Crowley moved his mount onto the heels of main opponent Palace Pier (123) to set up a finish of rapid closing sectionals which compared favourably with the sprinters.

Baaeed’s closing three-furlong sectional of 35.56 was 0.2 seconds faster than Creative Force in the Sprint and 0.25 seconds faster than Palace Pier who stopped the clock at 35.81.

The visual impression was Palace Pier was reducing the deficit as the line loomed which, in my opinion, was more about Baaeed possibly tiring a shade having travelled freely early in the race rather than John & Thady Gosden’s colt quickening.

Enhanced

The 2021 crop of fillies and mares has been well above average and in Lady Bowthorpe (119) and Mother Earth (115) their reputation was enhanced further against the colts.

Lady Bowthorpe heads to the paddocks having produced a career best, racing just inside Baaeed as the pace lifted the daughter of Nathaniel was momentarily outpaced before finishing off her race in 35.76 seconds, the equal of Creative Force.

Mother Earth, who was housed in the stall inside the winner, was restrained by Ryan Moore leaving stalls presumably to seek cover.

Passing the two-furlong marker Moore was awaiting those in front of him to falter to provide him with the cleanest run to the line. Eventually taking the inside route the daughter of Zoffany posted the fastest closing sectional of the field, stopping the clock at 35.46.

Sprint

The Qipco British Champions Sprint was the strongest run contest on the straight course with Creative Force (118) a most impressive winner for Charlie Appleby, who was landing his first Champions Day success.

Hollie Doyle set plans in motion for a repeat victory on Glen Shiel (115) with an aggressive ride which had all, but the winner, stretched running past the two-furlong marker.

However, as Doyle asked Archie Watson’s gelding for maximum effort William Buick sat poised on Creative Force waiting to pounce on his toiling rival.

The son of Dubawi produced a potent finishing effort considering the strong gallop covering the final three furlongs in 35.76 seconds with the admirable Glen Shiel holding on for second courtesy of his 36.22 finishing effort.

There were a host of finishers with Vadream (110) the best of them on the closing sectionals. The filly was slow to stride from her middle stall meaning she was always amongst horses, a position which inconvenienced her finishing effort as David Egan was forced to change course on more than one occasion, her effort can be upgraded slightly.

Charlie Fellowes’s three-year-old posted 36.07 seconds for the final three furlong with her concluding furlong of 12.58 the best of the field.

Minzaal (113) improved markedly on his seasonal debut to record a closing split almost the equivalent of the winner. The former Gimcrack winner stopped the clock at 35.77 seconds in coming from a similar position to Vadream, albeit the Owen Burrows-trained colt enjoyed a smoother passage.

Art Power (113) faired best of the small group who raced towards the stand side, led by Gustavus Weston who could not match the early speed of Glen Shiel.

This put Tim Easterby’s more patiently ridden colt on the back foot in terms of winning the race although his split time of 36.03 was also short of the winner.