BLUESTOCKING took centre stage last weekend, winning the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
She put up the best performance of her career, benefitting from a low draw and a prominent position in a race run at a modest gallop. Twelve furlongs on soft ground suits her ideally and, while several horses underperformed, her connections deserve credit for having the foresight to supplement her for the race.
It remains to be seen if she will stay in training. A decision is set to be made in the coming weeks.
With the focus on France, some domestic performances may have gone under the radar last Saturday and, while Aidan O’Brien saddled five winners in Paris, he also won with two promising two-year-olds at the Curragh. I will put them under the Sectional microscope, but will start by analysing the Group 1 Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.
The racing at Newmarket on Saturday must be seen in the context of a strong headwind that faced the runners all day.
This and the ‘Good to soft ground’ caused the final times to be affected negatively. The Race IQ time index for the meeting indicated an average score of 4.56 out of 10, with Tamfana recording the lowest score at the meeting of 3.42. This relatively poor time was the function of the headwind, easy ground and a modest tempo.
Steady gallop
Tamfana raced handily, dictating a steady gallop alongside the outsider Darnation. Her prominent position was helped by her being quickly into stride.
She took just 2.34s to reach 20mph and, in so doing, was the fastest in the race. For context, it is worth noting that Inspiral, who finished second, blew the start and was a second slower to reach 20mph.
The Race IQ Par Sectionals identify this race as being a race of two halves. The first four furlongs rated as slow against Par. As the pace picked up, the fifth furlong was rated as being equal to Par and the final three furlongs were faster than you would expect for a race of this standard over a mile at Newmarket.
This fast finish is identified by Tamfana’s Finishing Speed Percentage (FSP) of 105.59%, meaning that her final two furlongs of 23.79s were 5.59% faster than her previous six furlongs.
Every horse in the race recorded an FSP above 100%, indicative of a steady gallop allowing the field to save energy for a fast finish. Given the tempo and the positional advantage that Tamfana had, her success was achieved without her having a hard race nor did she have to produce her best, this bodes well for a possible tilt at the QEII at Ascot on Qipco Champions Day.
Inspiral was unlucky not to finish closer. Hampered by her slow start, she travelled with zest whilst poorly placed. She quickened from the rear to fire herself into contention before paying for that effort in the final furlong.
She ran the fastest splits through the fifth and sixth furlong to propel her into contention. A comparison between her and Tamfana is displayed below.
Tamfana Inspiral
F5: 11.73s 11.58s
F6: 11.52s 11.33s
F7: 11.34s 11.35s
F8: 12.45s 12.67s
The numbers aptly display the move that Inspiral made from the rear of the field through F5, F6 and F7, but just ran out of energy in the final furlong.
A better start would have enabled her to distribute her energy more evenly and throw down a more potent challenge to Tamfana.
There is plenty of evidence in this data that Inspiral retains her ability, but the decision has been made to retire her after a wonderful career, in which she won six Group 1s.
THE action at the Curragh, rather like Newmarket, must be analysed in the context of a strong headwind.
The average Race IQ time Index score was lower than at Newmarket at 4.24, the times during the second half of the card being the best, as the strong wind abated.
Expanded recorded a low score of 2.54 in winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden and, therefore, the overall time performance can be rated as slow, but final times can be deceptive and, when you dig deeper into the data, he is a useful prospect.
This was a performance full of promise among obvious inexperience. He was tardy at the stalls, being the 11th fastest of the 14 runners to reach 20mph. Thereafter, he raced in mid-division in a contest that was run at a modest tempo.
The first four furlongs were particularly steady, with the leader taking them through slow splits of 13.59s 12.40s 12.68s and 12.45s. The pace quickened three furlongs out and Expanded looked booked for third place through the penultimate furlong, where he was unable to pick up as well as the runner-up. Their penultimate furlong splits are below.
1st: Expanded 11.64s
2nd: First Wave 11.37s
It was his final furlong, where he seemed to realise what was required, surging between horses and clocking 12.24s compared to 12.58s for the runner-up. That strong finish helped him record a faster than Par FSP of 106.59% and is indicative of his raw ability amid an obvious lack of know-how. He would have been much better suited by a stronger gallop and more of a test and we will see a more polished version of him next time out.
Giselle on track for Group 1 success?
THE Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden was won in a time 0.32s slower than Expanded and produced a low race IQ time index score of 2.69, yet this was a very good performance from a filly, who I believe will win a Group 1 race.
She seemed to have sharpened up from her debut run, when second to Bedtime Story.
She was smartly into stride from her wide draw, being the second fastest to reach 20mph (2.53s). Her wide draw (17) meant that she raced with no cover and was keen through steady early fractions.
Rather like the other maiden, this turned into a three-furlong dash. Unlike Expanded, she was not the one to get caught out by the injection of pace.
In effect, she laid down the gauntlet by being the one who could quicken best. She went to the front with a fifth furlong of 11.73s and backed that up with a sixth of 11.54s (both quicker than Expanded).
This surge took her clear of the field and won her the race. She did get tired in the final furlong (12.47s), but that is understandable, having raced into headwind with no cover and then using her energy to sprint clear between the three and one-furlong poles.
When interviewed on Racing TV, jockey Wayne Lordan was effusive in his praise, saying that she felt like she was doing a half speed for much of the race.
The data backs up his enthusiasm and she must be followed wherever she goes next.