Timeform / Timeform / 06 July 2009 / Leave a comment

Timeform reflect on a weekend when history was made a Sandown...

Sandown on Saturday saw Sea The Stars establish another page in the history books, emulating Nashwan in 1989 by recording the 2000 Guineas, Derby and Eclipse treble and showing that he possesses every attribute of a top-class racehorse.

Having looked vulnerable when taking the lead two furlongs out, he repelled the strong challenge of fellow three-year-old Rip Van Winkle, showing battling qualities allied with superb acceleration. The form looks top class, with a strong gallop producing a superb 132 Timefigure, and the 2008 St Leger/ Breeders Cup Turf winner Conduit comfortably held in third.

Sea The Stars ran to a Timeform rating of 133, the best Eclipse figure since Nashwan, and looks set to run next in the Juddmonte International at the Ebor meeting in August. Rip Van Winkle failed to beat his nemesis for the third time but produced comfortably his best performance all the same, travelling well and looking a likely winner two furlongs out, before being outrun in the final furlong. He's more than good enough to run in Group One company, though he may struggle to turn the form around with Sea The Stars.

Conduit looked a big challenger two furlongs out and will be a strong contender for the King George, with more improvement expected from connections as the season progresses. Also on the card, the 'Greek Freak' Ialysos as he is known, ran on strongly to win the Coral Charge over five furlongs, putting to bed a disappointing effort at Royal Ascot in the Golden Jubilee, and setting up a possible run in the Nunthorpe. The combination of Luca Cumani and Christophe Lemaire struck again with Acrostic in the Coral Challenge, who produced a sustained run to deny front-running Crackdown near the finish.

Over at Haydock, the quirky Red Merlin continued his progressive four-year-old campaign by landing the valuable Old Newton Cup, and securing his third successive victory. There was mention of the Ebor for the winner after the race, where he beat the rejuvenated Munsef, with a gap back to Mezzanisi in third.

The Group Two Lancashire Oaks saw a clash between the fillies and mares, with another quirky character Barshiba landing the prize for the older generation. It was her first success over a mile and a half and she's set to run next in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks, after her defeat of Fallen In Love.

Sunday saw a paucity of good quality racing in Britain, with cards at Ayr, Brighton and Market Rasen, and Irish meetings at Limerick and Sligo. Chantilly hosted the best card of the day, featuring the Group One Prix Jean Prat, won in tenacious fashion by Karl Burke's consistent Lord Shanakill. The win gave both horse and trainer the first Group One successes of their careers, with the colt just holding on from fast-finishing Oiseau De Feu, and German 2000 Guineas winner Irian. This week, Burke is likely to find out the BHA findings of an investigation into alleged corruption on his part.