Ratings Update: Alpha beats the males

Sunday

Sunday’s feature was the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, which saw Alpha Centauri (up 1 lb to 128) take on male rivals for the first time, and she duly enhanced her reputation with a clear-cut success. Whilst this wasn’t the strongest Jacques le Marois, five of those in behind her were Group 1 winners, and this victory has cemented her status as the stand-out performer over a mile this year. She’s now won four top level races on the bounce, and she will continue to be difficult to beat in the top mile contests, perhaps culminating with a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup if a busy season hasn’t taken its toll by then.

She's good alright - Alpha Centauri wins the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at @fgdeauville! pic.twitter.com/rJWatyKfHZ

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 12, 2018

The Phoenix Stakes is traditionally the first Group 1 race of the year for two-year-olds in Britain and Ireland, and it was billed as a rematch between Advertise (remains on 111p) and Sergei Prokofiev (remains on 109, loses p) – the pair who got closest to the now-sidelined Calyx in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. The anticipated duel never really materialised, Sergei Prokofiev pulling far too hard in the early stages, which allowed Advertise to take full advantage and ensure that there was a British-trained winner of this race for the first time since 1997. He should prove at least as effective at 7 furlongs moving forward, with the National Stakes back here and the Dewhurst sure to come under close consideration as future targets, especially with Calyx - the only horse to beat Advertise to date - reportedly ruled out for the season. The runner-up So Perfect (up 3 lb to 105) continues to progress, her Group 3 win at the Curragh 6 weeks ago being franked by Skitter Scatter winning since,  and she is likely to get another go in Group 1 company, perhaps against her own sex, if taking up her entry in the Moyglare Stud Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend. Sergei Prokofiev is better judged on previous form, though he will have a question to answer when next seen – his entries include the Gimcrack at York and the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh.

Speak In Colours (up 5 lb to 116) found life tough in the Commonwealth Cup, but he took advantage of a return to calmer waters when taking the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes on the same card, seeing off the admirable veteran Gordon Lord Byron (remains on 113). Speak In Colours remains largely unexposed and holds several Group 1 entries, though he will probably be best kept to this sort of level having had his limitations exposed at Royal Ascot.

Saturday

Saturday’s action was headlined by the Shergar Cup at Ascot, in which the Girls’ team sealed victory for the second time in four years. The most notable performance in terms of ratings came in the opener, the Shergar Cup Dash, won by Tis Marvellous (up 7 lb to 116), who bounced back from his poor run in the Stewards’ Cup last week to record his first win since 2016. He’s hardly reliable, but is a smart sprinter when putting it all together, having a strong pace to aim at courtesy of El Astronaute and Watchable on this occasion, and is one to keep an eye on in big handicaps.

Berkshire Blue (up 9 lb to 101p) found his ambitious entry in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy last month coming a little too soon into his career, but he got back on the up when returned to calmer waters in the Shergar Cup Classic. He’s got stamina in his pedigree (half-brother to 1¼m winner (stays 1¾m) About Glory) and will be suited by the step up to 1m6f when the time comes – which should unlock some more improvement in him.

Haydock’s two feature races on Saturday produced something of a surprise, with double figure-priced winners in each race. Unforgetable Filly (up 8 lb to 112) produced a career-best display from out of the blue to rout the field in the listed Dick Hern Stakes, making headway two furlongs out and soon pulling clear. Her up-and-down profile over the last 12 months leaves doubts as to whether she will be able to repeat this, considering she has generally been something of a disappointment since winning last year’s German 1000 Guineas, but if she does do so she would be a force back in pattern company.

Teodoro (up 10 lb to 119) arrived for the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes with the lowest pre-race rating, but he produced a career-best under optimum conditions to cause a surprise on his first try in Group company, reverting to the front-running tactics which served him so well last summer. He’s still in the Ebor, and would be well-in with a 4 lb penalty to shoulder, but there'd have to be doubts as to whether he'd be quite so effective in a maximum-field scenario at York over almost 4 furlongs further.

Newmarket’s feature, the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes, saw the first two in the Albany lead home the field, with Main Edition (up 3 lb to 107) confirming that form with La Pelosa (remains on 103). Whilst Main Edition, who made all, was the first winner of this race to score under a penalty since it was raised to Group 3 status, the proximity of the third-placed runner Model Guest (up 13 lb to 92) raises some concerns about the value of the form. The winner has several pattern entries over six furlongs, but races like the Rockfel or even the Fillies' Mile are perhaps better options.

Over in Ireland, Sizzling (up 4 lb to 109) picked up her first Group success at Cork, and things seem to be suddenly clicking into place in what was her eleventh start of a busy campaign, which a change of tactics bringing her stamina into play. She has several pattern entries moving forward, and the Park Hill at Doncaster appeals as an obvious next port of call.