Ratings Update: Say Hello to new sprinting sensation

Three-year-olds have dominated the Sprint Cup in recent seasons, and in the absence of Advertise and Ten Sovereigns – both of whom were withdrawn after the final declaration stage – it was another member of the classic generation who stepped up to continue their excellent run, in both this race and the all-aged sprints so far this season.

Off the track since finishing third in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June, Hello Youmzain (up 5 lb to 124) took another step forward on Saturday to make his Group 1 breakthrough back at a track where he's now unbeaten in three starts, with the switch to forcing tactics seemingly bringing out the best in him, making just about all to beat the previous year’s winner The Tin Man (up 2 lb to 122) by half a length.

Ten Sovereigns’ July Cup win is still rated as the best effort in a six-furlong Group 1 this season, and while he now looks likely to end his career by contesting The Everest in Australia, another clash with Advertise in the Champions Sprint at Ascot in October should prove a better guide as to Hello Youmzain’s standing in this division; Kevin Ryan’s charge has a length and a half to find with that rival from their meeting at Royal Ascot, but he is no forlorn hope to reverse the placings given how much progress he appears to have made in the interim.

Hello hello!

Hello Youmzain wins The Sprint Cup after brilliant finish!🏆🏇 pic.twitter.com/WcUewCcjZy

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) September 7, 2019

The Tin Man was back near his best after a spell in the doldrums and is evidently still up to winning at this level on his good days, with the Champions Sprint – a race he won in 2016 – also likely to feature on his agenda, while German raider Waldpfad (remains on 121) was possibly value for a bit extra in third, having been forced to make his run well away from the pair who beat him.

Also at Haydock on Saturday, Great Scot (up 7 lb to 119) enhanced his own fine record at the track with a much-improved effort in the Superior Mile, benefiting from an enterprising ride – in conditions that he clearly relished – to gain a first win in pattern company.

It was hard not to be impressed by the manner of his success, but it's fair to say that he'll do well to have quite so much stacked in his favour next time, very well ridden from the front on this occasion with a couple of his chief rivals on paper underperforming.

The feature race at Kempton on Saturday was the September Stakes, which attracted the largest field for the race since the all-weather was introduced at the track in 2006.

The winner Royal Line (up 1 lb to 121) may not be of the calibre of stablemate Enable – who beat Crystal Ocean in a memorable renewal of this race 12 months ago – but he is clearly a very smart performer in his own right, as he showed on Saturday with a decisive defeat of the all-weather specialist Mootasadir (down 1 lb to 120). Making only his second start of the season at the weekend, Royal Line remains a relatively fresh horse going into the autumn, and a tilt at a Group 1 may now be on the cards judging by his entries.

The beautifully-bred Royal Line follows superstar Enable with victory in the Group 3 September Stakes for John Gosden and Rab Havlin at @kemptonparkrace pic.twitter.com/aVRvP1y6TA

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 7, 2019

The card also featured a slightly sub-standard renewal of the Sirenia Stakes, with the pair at the head of the market already established as no more than useful.

However, that shouldn’t detract from the performance of the winner Streamline (up 10 lb to 106p), who found more improvement up in trip to take his career record to three wins from four starts. Clive Cox’s charge doesn’t have any fancy entries as yet, but there could be even more to come from him, given his record of race-to-race progression so far, and it would be no surprise to see him supplemented for a race like the Mill Reef – the same double achieved by Kessaar in 2018.

There was also pattern-race action for the two-year-olds at Salisbury on Thursday, with two useful fillies pulling clear of the field in the Dick Poole Stakes, Dark Lady (105 from 97+) ultimately getting the verdict after a prolonged battle with Irish raider Millisle (up 6 lb to 104) inside the final two furlongs.

The form is well up to scratch for the level, the winner definitely more at home over six furlongs as she improved on her recent placed efforts at this level over further. She's set to head for the Cheveley Park next, and while it's easy to see her improving again in such company given how she travels, she'd need to even just to make the first three.

Last but not least for the domestic action, the thriving Dakota Gold (remains on 121) didn’t need to improve to complete the four-timer in listed company at York on Sunday, his first start outside of handicaps since his two-year-old campaign.

He typically found plenty for pressure, despite racing with the choke out for the first half of the contest, and sticking to listed/minor pattern races looks the most suitable path for him to take going forward, either kept to this trip or back down at five furlongs.

Four-timer! Dakota Gold is in flying form and brings up a fourth victory at the track in the Listed Garrowby Stakes for @mdodsracing 👏

Results ➡ https://t.co/glajGV55GR pic.twitter.com/Sp45rRJ4JG

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 8, 2019

The Prix du Moulin took centre stage at Longchamp on Sunday, a Group 1 with a roll of honour that can boast such illustrious names as Miesque (1987), Rock of Gibraltar (2002) and Goldikova (2008).

Circus Maximus (up 2 lb to 124) became the latest to add his name to that list when getting the better of a sustained duel with Romanised (up 1 lb to 123), though whether it will still be there in years to come remains to be seen; connections of the runner-up are set to appeal the result after he was carried off a true line by Circus Maximus in the straight.

In any case, the pair – both of whom had already won Group 1s earlier in the campaign – are worth crediting with marginal improvement on the day, having pulled a length clear of Line of Duty (up 5 lb to 121) in a finish dominated by the British and Irish raiders.