Features / Timeform / 04 October 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet View Market

Epsom Derby winner Workforce bounced back to his very best on Sunday to land the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Timeform reflect on Workforce's win, as well as the rest of the action from the weekend.

"Maybe there was an element of 'change the rider and change the result', Ryan Moore appearing to get that bit more out of his partner than Masayoshi Ebina, but to focus on that would be to detract from a fantastic training performance by Sir Michael Stoute, who was putting right a wrong by winning his first Arc. Workforce is now apparently under consideration for the Breeders' Cup."

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is widely regarded as the pre-eminent Flat race in Europe, so even though the card at Newmarket occurred the day before we're going to start off looking at the action from the Bois de Boulogne.

Britain's big hope in the big race was Derby winner Workforce (133), and he certainly didn't let his backers down, bouncing back from his King George flop to confirm himself the leading middle-distance performer of his generation with a hard-fought defeat of Japanese raider Nakayama Festa (132) in what was a very rough race. Maybe there was an element of 'change the rider and change the result', Ryan Moore appearing to get that bit more out of his partner than Masayoshi Ebina, but to focus on that would be to detract from a fantastic training performance by Sir Michael Stoute, who was putting right a wrong by winning his first Arc. Workforce is now apparently under consideration for the Breeders' Cup.

With a performance rating of 133, we view this year's Arc in a positive light compared to that won by Sea The Stars twelve months ago. That said, Workforce's overall figure of 133 is still 7 lb shy of the 140 with which Sea The Stars ended his exceptional career. In behind, plenty of credit goes to third-placed Sarafina (125), as she did exceptionally well to finish as close as she did after being baulked badly when still well off the pace in the false straight.

Elsewhere on a stellar card, Goldikova (133) took the headlines with a record-breaking eleventh Group/Grade 1 success in the Prix de La Foret. A game victory over the Richard Hannon-trained duo Paco Boy and Dick Turpin looks to have put Goldikova spot on for another record at Churchill Downs next month, this time a third successive win in the Breeders' Cup Mile. It's beginning to look a formality.

The latest running of the Prix de l'Abbaye was a substandard one, but that won't matter one bit to Clive Cox or Luke Morris, respective trainer and jockey of Gilt Edge Girl (122), both of whom were enjoying their first success at the highest level as she beat Lady of The Desert (124) a length. It would be difficult to imagine it was an up-to-scratch renewal of the Prix de l'Opera, either, but credit where it's due, Lily of The Valley (125), who beat the favourite Stacelita by three-quarters of a length, has now won her last six and progressed into a bona fide high-class performer.

The Prix Jean Luc Lagadere was never likely to have a great deal of bearing on next year's classics in light of the remarkable impression created by the top-class duo Frankel and Dream Ahead, but Wootton Bassett (119p) still deserves all the credit going for making a successful transition to elite company. He's been a fantastic money-spinner for connections, and whatever happens during the course of his three-year-old career - we think he'll improve further as it happens - he owes them nothing.

Frankel's credentials were strengthened by the performance of Rainbow Springs (101p), a filly he'd smashed out of sight at Doncaster, in the preceding Prix Marcel Boussac as she finished an excellent third to Misty For Me (112). At the time there were doubts about the solidity of the form in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, but Aidan O'Brien's two-year-old confirmed it in beating odds-on favourite Helleborine a length. Admittedly she didn't need to improve in the event and will need to if she's going to hold her own in the classics of 2011, but in winning Group 1s on her last two starts she's shown herself one of the best of an admittedly substandard crop of juvenile fillies.

Back to these shores, and Newmarket came under the spotlight on Saturday. With the principals in the thirty-five runner Cambridgeshire consistent rather than progresive, it seems unlikely the latest renewal of the famous nine-furlong handicap makes for as strong form as is often the case, though it was clearly as competitive as ever. Camerooney (96) ensured a good gallop and the four who beat him home all came from off the pace, Credit Swap (100) doing best of those and beating Steele Tango (114) by three-quarters of a length.

Elsewhere on the card, the fillies took to the stage in the Sun Chariot Stakes. With the subsequent performance of Goldikova the following day, the race rather paled in comparison, the principals not in that one's league. That said, Sahpresa (123) continues to show herself a tough and high-end miler, and she won the race for the second season in succession, this time by one and three-quarter lengths from Strawberrydaiquiri (119).

Tags: Cambridgeshire, Goldikova, Newmarket, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Sir Michael Stoute, Workforce