Handicappers' Corner: All go on the international front

A relatively sedate weekend on home turf allows the eye to wander overseas and take in some of the more prevalent international racing. In the past week, there have been three Grade 1 events in the US, more on which can be read in Simon Rowlands' US debrief by clicking HERE.

There was a most noteworthy performance in Germany as Pastorius demolished his six rivals in the Group 1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich racecourse, running out an eight-length winner. The three-year-old showed improved form on his previous start, when winning the German Derby on his first start beyond a mile, but the drop to a mile and a quarter proved to be no hindrance as Pastorius achieved a rating of 125 in defeating older horses, placing him second only to Camelot in the list of Timeform's top three-year-olds this year.

Elusive Kate ended 2011 rated 112, having landed Longchamp's Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and on her second start of 2012 she ran her best race yet in adding a further success at the highest level to her CV, Deauville's Prix Rothschild. Immortal Verse and Golden Lilac, rated some 11 lb and 7 lb superior to the winner prior to this event, both ran a good deal below their best, the former making her seasonal reappearance, as William Buick, rider of Elusive Kate, dictated a steady pace from the front and ensured his mount enjoyed the run of the race. The John Gosden-trained filly is now rated 118, with Immortal Verse's rating remaining unchanged and Golden Lilac being dropped 1 lb to 122.

Returning to home soil now, and the feature race of the weekend, the Group 2 York Stakes, went the way of Sri Putra, who ran right up to his rating of 121$ in seeing off Afsare by a neck. It almost goes without saying that the winner, long since known as unreliable, is far from certain to be in the same mood on his next appearance, but runner-up Afsare confirmed himself as being in the form of his life as he improved his rating slightly to 120. He is just the sort that trainer Luca Cumani will place to advantage, even if it means heading overseas.

Of those in behind, Side Glance demonstrated that he is still in good form, although he may prove best at a mile or nine furlongs, whilst Ransom Note now has a '?' attached to his rating of 119 on account of him being so far below form in three consecutive outings. Wigmore Hall, who for some reason does not appear to be firing on all cylinders this season, is now rated 116 having previously been rated 120.

It was an excellent Saturday for trainer Mark Johnston, his representatives hitting the mark no fewer than five times. Van Ellis and Fulbright, a pair of three-year-old sprinters, both put up winning performances to suggest that they may now be at home in pattern company, the former taking the York Dash and Fulbright seeing off the improving Duke of Firenze by a nose.

Van Ellis (115) is clearly a smart colt to defy a BHA rating of 100 on just his ninth start, and second at sprint distances, and it is unlikely to be long until he is making his presence felt outside of handicaps. Fulbright, now rated 116, had a bit more to spare than the winning margin would suggest as, having raced much closer to the pace than the next pair home, he did well to hold on in the closing stages. Better company now beckons for him also, and it will be intriguing to see how they fare.

A final performance worth mentioning from the weekend is that of Maureen, trained by Richard Hannon, as she made up for a most unlucky defeat in the Cherry Hinton with success in the Group 3 Princess Margaret at Ascot. Her rating remains unchanged at 106p, the bare form difficult to get excited about as her only realistic rival, Hoyam, ran some way below the form she showed when finishing second in the Queen Mary. Maureen is open to further improvement and will continue to run well at this level and higher, with the Lowther Stakes a likely next target.