Ratings Update: Godolphin pair impress in Guineas trials

There’s little doubt which three-year-old put up the performance of the week. Racing Post Trophy runner-up Roaring Lion was all the rage for the Craven Stakes at Newmarket but he produced more of a whimper in the end, finishing only third to the impressive nine-length winner Masar (123 from 115). Making all back on turf after not taking to the dirt in Dubai, Masar is unlikely to have things all his own way to the same extent in the Guineas, but he doesn’t need to make the running and his form is already close to the standard required.

Masar wins the bet365 Craven Stakes in fine style for William Buick and Charlie Appleby, their fifth victory of The Craven Meeting pic.twitter.com/VJhSCcLMGj

— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) April 19, 2018

Another leading 2000 Guineas hope was turned over in Newbury’s Greenham Stakes with the defeat of the hard-pulling Expert Eye (114 from 117p). His second place was at least a step back in the right direction after his odds-on flop in last autumn’s Dewhurst Stakes, but it still wasn’t the performance of the horse who’d been so impressive in beating the Greenham winner James Garfield (112 from 111) and last week’s listed Feilden Stakes winner Mildenberger (111p from 106p), among others, in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last summer. James Garfield goes for the Guineas, though his form doesn’t look good enough even if he stays, while Expert Eye still needs to calm down to fulfil his potential.

As with the colts, it was Newmarket’s 1000 Guineas trial which proved more informative than Newbury’s. Masar’s trainer Charlie Appleby won the Nell Gwyn Stakes with Soliloquy (111p from 95p), she too making all the running and producing a decisive turn of foot. Already a winner at a mile last season (the filly she beat in a minor event at Ascot, Sheikha Reika, won a maiden at the Craven meeting), Soliloquy would need supplementing for the 1000 Guineas but would be a serious contender if added to the field.

The Fred Darling winner Dan’s Dream (101p from 75p) would also need supplementing for the Guineas, and while she showed considerable improvement at Newbury, it was still a weak-looking field for a race which hasn’t had much of a bearing on the 1000 Guineas for some time. In fact, a much better performance by a filly during the week had come from Guineas entry Anna Nerium (109 from 97) who was the outsider of the whole field when beating male rivals in the Free Handicap at Newmarket.

Before leaving the three-year-olds, and looking further ahead than the Guineas, there were a couple of very promising maiden winners to note at Newbury. Oaks entry Lah Ti Dar (94P) made an impressive winning debut by six lengths in the mile and a quarter fillies’ maiden; trained by John Gosden, she’s a sister to the stable’s Musidora winner So Mi Dar. Young Rascal (101p from 83p) had finished second on his only start at two for William Haggas and showed plenty of improvement (his performance backed up by an impressive timefigure) to win the eleven-furlong maiden by five lengths.

Among the older horses to improve their ratings last week, Defoe (122 from 119) brushed aside smart opposition to resume the progress he’d been making as a three-year-old until disappointing in the St Leger and will be worth his place back in Group 1 company before long. Another four-year-old to make a winning reappearance (gelded over the winter) was Forest Ranger (119 from 115) in the Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket, while a future outside handicaps is likely to beckon in due course for the very lightly-raced five-year-old Taqdeer (112p from 108+), winner of Newbury’s Spring Cup.

Defoe wins the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes at @NewburyRacing - Watch LIVE on @ITV pic.twitter.com/R6eImGOKQZ

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 21, 2018

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After a warm and sunny week, conditions for Ayr’s big jumps meeting were very different from those that have prevailed for much of the spring. Perhaps it was no coincidence, then, that there were big-priced winners of both the Scottish Grand National and the Scottish Champion Hurdle. Novices have a good record in the Scottish National and took the first three places, with Joe Farrell (140 from 134+) holding on by a nose in receipt of a stone from Ballyoptic (154), the most interesting of the principals with next year’s top staying chases in mind, and the reliable Vintage Clouds (143 from 142) in third.

ICYMI | Joe Farrell won a thrilling Scottish Grand National on Saturday @ayrracecourse!

Watch highlights and interviews of yesterday's racing on our website: https://t.co/yOn034xHHj pic.twitter.com/9zOXG6liab

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 22, 2018

Novices took the first two places in a competitive Scottish Champion Hurdle, too, with Vintage Clouds’ trainer Sue Smith successful here with Midnight Shadow (137 from 129). Runner-up Claimantakinforgan (148 from 144) ran well on his handicap debut, improving again from his fifth in the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham.

Apart from in the Scottish National, there were some other performances of note – in defeat - from novice chasers during the week. Kalondra (147p from 145p) was a good third in a record-sized field for the Silver Trophy Chase at Cheltenham, French import Full Glass (141p from 138p) shaped encouragingly on his first start for Alan King when third in the listed two and a half mile handicap at Ayr, while another five-year-old, Dolos (150 from 147), ran a career-best to finish second in a solid-looking listed two-mile handicap at the same course.