Ratings Update: Earthlight another rising star for Godolphin

It was a relatively quiet weekend on the racing front in Britain, but Newbury staged a good card which was headed by the Hungerford Stakes. A Group 2 over seven furlongs, it was an up-to-scratch renewal, with little to choose on their best form between the seven runners, all aged four years or older. On the day, only three of them gave anything like their running, though, the ground probably softer than ideal for last year's winner Sir Dancealot (remains on 121) and Hey Gaman (remains on 118). The winner Glorious Journey (up 3 lb to 119) proved better than ever back up in trip, travelling best but having to knuckle down when Librisa Breeze (118+ from 109) threw down a stern challenge in the final furlong. Glorious Journey holds an entry in the Park Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting next month, while the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp will presumably also be under consideration.

Glorious Journey holds off Librisa Breeze to win the Group 2 Unibet Hungerford Stakes under @the_doyler@UnibetRacing
👏👏 pic.twitter.com/4145FVYdPH

— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) August 17, 2019

Earlier on the card, Technician (up 8 lb to 114) caused an upset in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes, the outsider of the quintet coming late to beat the favourite Morando (118 from 120) despite being the first off the bridle. Technician was clearly better suited by the softer conditions and how the race panned out, very much bringing his stamina into play, and the extra distance in the St Leger next month will clearly play to his strengths, though further progress will be required if he is to have a say there. The well-supported Durston (104 from 104p) ran well up in grade, though he was seemingly beaten on merit, typically travelling strongly but not finishing the race so well as has been the case previously.

The two-year-old listed race 35 minutes earlier was won in good style by the Mark Johnston-trained Thunderous (up 11 lb to 103p). It is a race that can vary quite a bit in quality, but Thunderous was well supported on softer ground than previously and duly delivered, showing a willing attitude to maintain his unbeaten record, edging left in the final furlong before finding extra. He is the type to go on improving and, though he will be suited by a mile, connections are right to be thinking about the Champagne Stakes next month.

Over at Ripon the Great St Wilfrid was the big handicap of the day. It has tended to go to a sprinter on the up in recent years, rather bucking the general trend seen in heritage handicaps nowadays, and Dakota Gold (up 10 lb to 120) put up a big career best with a dominant display, coming up the near rail to beat Summerghand (up 3 lb to 112) by two and a quarter lengths. Dakota Gold had always looked a smart prospect, but was often too headstrong for his own good at three and four, but looks more tractable now, allowed to stride on nowadays, and he may well be out under a penalty back at York this week (has been declared for Wednesday). The drop back to five furlongs is unlikely to inconvenience him, and he'll take plenty of beating if able to reproduce this effort.

Easy! The heavily-backed favourite Dakota Gold wins the @WilliamHill Great St Wilfrid at @RiponRaces for Connor Beasley and @mdodsracing! #WHGreatStWilfrid pic.twitter.com/b6SpfY99pn

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 17, 2019

It was Growl (up 6 lb to 105) who came out on top in the consolation race earlier in the day, capitalising on a drop in grade to belatedly resume winning ways, the group he raced in on the near side having a possible advantage, though the fact he had to do all of his own running from two furlongs out was hardly ideal. Growl will remain with handicapping scope on the pick of his form after this, so will remain of some interest, but he clearly isn’t the easiest to win with nowadays.

There was a bumper card in France at Deauville on Sunday which featured an excellent renewal of the Prix Morny. It was a really informative contest, with three  Royal Ascot winners in the field, up against the top French two-year-old seen out so far so far this year, and it was Earthlight (up 7 lb to 117p) who became the first home-trained winner since Dabirsim in 2011. He maintained his unbeaten record on the softest ground he has encountered, travelling well into the race and really knuckling down to get the better of Raffle Prize (up 4 lb to 113). His trainer Andre Fabre – who was celebrating winning the race for the first time since 1992 – nominated the Dewhurst and 2000 Guineas as potential future targets, both races won by Fabre's only previous Morny winner Zafonic. The third home Golden Horde (113 from 113p) ran respectably on much softer ground than he’d previously encountered, while Arizona (112 from 112p) failed to confirm his effort in the Coventry, but he never looked at ease during the race and is best not judged too harshly on this.

Earthlight - something special? He beat three Royal Ascot winners in the Prix Morny and is right up there in terms of ability and potential, agree @JohnBlance1 and @LynchySSR... pic.twitter.com/aXPOjkYzWk

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 19, 2019

The Prix Jean Romanet can be one of the weaker Group 1s of its type, but this year’s renewal looked a good one, and Coronet (up 2 lb to 121) provided the combination of John Gosden and Frankie Dettori with yet another top-level success. She wasn’t inconvenienced by the drop back to a mile and a quarter back against her own sex, and this time she had to pull out a bit more than what was required at Saint-Cloud the time before, typically carrying her head awkwardly in the closing stages but always looking in control. Coronet has placed in the last two runnings of the Fillies' And Mares' Stakes at Ascot, and there's no reason to think she won't do at least as well again.

It was a clean sweep for the British raiders in the other two pattern races on the card, with both Dame Malliot (up 5 lb to 115p) and Marmelo (remains on 120) winning their respective races, the Prix de Promone and Prix Kergorlay. The former confirmed herself a progressive filly by following up her Newmarket success from another in-form type, and looks the sort that has even more to offer. It is likely that she will be out in Group 1 company next, the Fillies' And Mares' Stakes at Ascot an obvious target for all the owner has Irish Oaks winner Star Catcher in his ranks too. Marmelo was winning the Kergorlay for the second time (also finished runner-up in 2018), enhancing his excellent record at Deauville and under Christophe Soumillion. Another crack at the Melbourne Cup – finished runner-up to Cross Counter 12 months ago – is now reportedly on the cards for which he will again arrive with solid claims.