TimeformBlog

Timeform look back over an interesting weekend with team Ireland winning the Shergar Cup, a big shock in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and a very promising filly emerging from the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket...


The Shergar Cup attracted 30,765 people this year and very few would have been disappointed with the exciting finish that concluded the afternoon. Going into the last race, Ireland were last in the team competition and were someway adrift of Britain and Rest of the World but a points tally of 28 in the final race helped them leapfrog the field and land the team prize for a third consecutive year.

The Silver Saddle was won on the afternoon by Paul Hanagan of Great Britain, who began the afternoon with a victory, taking the opening race aboard Sarrsar for Saeed Bin Suroor before finishing second in the next on Woolfall Treasure. Mirco Demuro finished joint-second in the silver saddle with Hugh Bowman and Colm O'Donoghue but managed one of the most impressive wins of the afternoon as Averroes won the Shergar Cup Challenge by two and a half lengths.

Besides the Shergar Cup there were also two Group 3 races on Saturday afternoon. Kieren Fallon took the Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock with Class Is Class, the pair running out impressive three and a half lengths winners over Elusive Pimpernel. This was the gelding's first Group win but given the ease in which he won, a return to better Company may not be too unrealistic. This was also Fallon's first winner of the season for Sir Michael Stoute but the chances are he may be called upon in future by the Newmarket trainer with Ryan Moore sidelined until late September at the earliest.

The Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket completed the Pattern action on Saturday afternoon and Godolphin took the race for the third consecutive year with Discourse, who produced the best performance by a juvenile filly this year. Discourse had beaten subsequent Cherry Hinton winner Gamilati in her maiden and followed up here with a four and a half lengths win over Lily's Angel, who herself brought a useful level of form into the race. The Fillies' Mile may be next on the agenda for Discourse and given her victory here this impressive filly looks to be a Group 1 contender in the making, currently trading at 8.6 for next season's 1000 Guineas.

The best racing of the weekend came on Sunday afternoon over in Ireland with no fewer than four Group contests at the Curragh. The ultra-tough Royal Ascot winner Banimpire took the first pattern race of the afternoon, landing the Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes by three parts of a length ahead of Dunboyne Express with Mutahadee back in third.

The second Group 2 race of the day, taking place just over an hour later, was won by Maybe, representing Ballydoyle and Aiden O'Brien. This filly was always prominent under Joseph O'Brien in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes and she quickened clear impressively going on to score by two and a half lengths from Yellow Rosebud in second. This victory saw her price contract for next season's 1000 Guineas for which she is now priced 6.4.

The Phoenix Stakes followed on from this contest and was the feature race of the afternoon. Ballydoyle once again possessed a strong hand with the unbeaten Royal Ascot winner, Power, starting favourite for this Group 1. Power ran well and looked the likely winner before being caught in the final stages by outsider La Collina, who quickened well to catch the leader and runner-up in the final stages. She's up there with Maybe in terms of form and will reportedly clash with that rival in the Moyglare Stud Stakes back at the Curragh.

A final pattern contest on the afternoon came in the penultimate race and Deacon Blues ran out a very impressive seven-length winner of the Phoenix Sprint Stakes, running to a big rating in the process. This was his second consecutive win in Group 3 company and given the style and substance of the success, he looks ready to make an impact in an even higher grade.

Over in France Dream Ahead was disappointing in the Prix Maurice De Gheest finishing only seventh in a race dominated by Freddie Head's four-length winner Moonlight Cloud. Society Rock ridden by Pat Cosgrave finished second for Britain with Genki back in fourth.

The German Oaks at Dusseldorf completed the weekend's racing and there was another success for Kieren Fallon as he landed the race aboard Dancing Rain, who didn't need to match the form she had showed when winning the Epsom Oaks to made all in ready fashion.


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