Ratings Update: Lightning Spear ready for return to the top

The feature race of the weekend, the Celebration Mile at Goodwood, only attracted five runners, though they were at least a high-quality bunch, with four of them having contested at least one Group 1 race earlier in the season.

The only horse that didn’t fit into that group was the favourite, Thikriyaat, who was stepping back up to Group 2 level after winning the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes at the Glorious meeting last month. Something was clearly not right with Thikriyaat from an early stage on Saturday, however, as he was off the bridle from a long way out, and he was later found to have a fibrillating heart. He is now Timeform rated 118 (loses his p), but had looked most-progressive prior to this, so is well worth another chance if all is well with him physically.

The Celebration Mile was won by Lightning Spear (124), who returned to the form of his third behind Tepin in the Queen Anne Stakes to take advantage of a drop in grade after contesting the Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques le Marois in two starts since. He now looks ready for a return to the top level, with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes likely to be on the agenda.

Zonderland (119), who was sixth in the 2000 Guineas at the beginning of the season, ran close to the level he showed when winning the Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury last time to finish second. Arod (117+) turned in his most positive effort of the season to finish third, though he did have his own way out in front and was likely seen to optimum advantage.

A good weekend at Goodwood for Qatar Racing was completed when Opal Tiara (110) won the Group 3 Supreme Stakes on Sunday with a career-best effort. She has been a tough filly for connections over the last two seasons and will continue to run well in this grade, though she may have limited options open for the rest of this season given that she seems best suited by seven furlongs on quick ground. Convey (116) was a little below his best in second but nevertheless got back to form after a poor run in the Hungerford, while Jallota (116) continued his consistent season and made the places at Group 3 level for the third time in his last five starts.

The stand-out performance on the Curragh’s Sunday card came in the Group 3 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes, which was won in emphatic style by Somehow, who is now Timeform rated 114 (from 106). Somehow had given the impression that we hadn’t quite seen the best of her prior to Sunday, possessing a slowly progressive profile despite having contested both the Epsom and Irish versions of the Oaks, and she showed much improved form to beat Epsom Icon (104) by seven lengths. Somehow has a range of options now open to her, with the speed she showed on Sunday meaning the Matron Stakes over a mile would probably not be out of her range. Skiffle (104) was back in third, and took a step back in the right direction after a disappointing run in the Oaks last time.

Sea of Grace (104p) and Eziyra (103p) fought out a good finish in the Group 3 Flame of Tara Stakes, and are both worth treating positively going forward after pulling clear of the rest of the field. Both will be worth a shot in a higher grade next time.

The Round Tower Stakes for two-year-old colts provided a good opportunity for Intelligence Cross (112p) to get off the mark in pattern company, and he provided another form boost for the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, in which he was third behind Blue Point (who went on to win the Gimcrack at York) and Mehmas.