Handicappers' Corner: Excelebration dances to Deauville success

Although somewhat eschewing the chronological order this piece customarily takes, the obvious starting point when looking back at the weekend's racing is Excelebration's triumph in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville. To briefly summarise, the four-year-old has taken to the track 13 times in his career to date, tasting success on seven occasions, including a brace of both Group 1 and 2 events, and meeting with defeat on the remaining six, five of which have come at the hands of Frankel.

His victory on Sunday represented his best performance of this season, running to a Timeform figure of 130 in beating Cityscape by a length and a quarter. Excelebration's career-best rating of 133, achieved when readily taking last season's Hungerford Stakes and when finishing second in the QEII in October, evidences the fact that he is capable of slightly better, but had to be close to his best to conquer a field comprising no less than eight individual winners at the highest level.

The John Gosden-trained Elusive Kate (122) ran another excellent race to finish third, a performance on a par with her success in the Prix Rothschild on her previous outing. Although clearly a smart filly, there remains a lingering suspicion that she has had the run of things on each of her three starts this season.

Her stable's other representative, Fallen For You (119), was in nothing like the same form as for her Coronation Stakes win but there are obvious excuses in that she was granted little cover and pulled too hard to do herself justice. Golden Lilac (122) and Most Improved (119) were others to race freely, both running some way below their previous form, whilst the held-up Moonlight Cloud (126) is worthy of extra credit having been bumped and not allowed much room before finishing strongly.

Our attention now turns closer to home, as Certify put up a noteworthy performance in the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket, in doing so handing Godolphin a fourth consecutive triumph in this event. Certify got her career off to the best of starts, beating subsequent Goodwood winner Pearl Sea over six furlongs on the July course last month, and she improved upon that effort here to earn a rating of 110p. The winner and second, Sky Lantern (107p), were more superior to the remainder than they were able to demonstrate due to the modest pace set, and they are both entitled to progress further.

One more performance to draw attention to at Newmarket was Mubaraza (100), who got trainer John Dunlop off the 'cold list' when gaining a second career success. The three-year-old resumed his progress over this two-furlong longer trip, looking ideally suited by the test of stamina, and he should have more yet to offer at this distance.

Hunter's Light provided Godolphin with further Group 3 success this weekend, in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock. It was not a strong affair by Group 3 standards, but it represented Hunter's Light's breakthrough in pattern company and also an improvement in form, as he took his rating to a new high of 118.

It was incredibly tricky to distinguish between stars, hoops and plain caps at Ascot's Shergar Cup meeting, the absurd system of colours doing no one any favours, but one horse that was easy to spot in the closing stages was Sun Central, as he stormed up the straight under James Doyle to earn a new rating of 100p. The three-year-old, a half-brother to George Washington and Grandera, proved well ahead of his new BHA mark, looking to be a colt going places in beating Ahzeemah by a length. He is now ready for better handicaps, high on the list for the Melrose at York, and may well be contesting Group races in time.

Gospel Choir, Zumbi and Alnawiyah were others to catch the eye on these shores, and more can be read on their performances and future prospects in our new feature, the Timeform Notebook.

The Curragh looked to host some intriguing racing on Sunday, but there were a number of disappointing performances. The Royal Whip Stakes had looked a match on paper but Born To Sea couldn't run up to the 122 figure he recorded when second in the Irish Derby, leaving Famous Name (124) to gain a deserved first success at Group 2 level.

It was a substandard renewal of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, the lesser fancied of the Aidan O'Brien pair coming leading home a pair of fairly exposed maidens. Pedro The Great (109) quickly put a poor run in the Railway Stakes behind him but he could prove vulnerable in stronger races at the highest level later in the year. Stablemate Cristoforo Colombo looked sure to play a hand in proceedings when clipping heels and coming down entering the final furlong, although it is difficult to determine where he may have finished as he did not find much for pressure on his previous outing.

One other race to mention at the Curragh is the Debutant Stakes, where My Special J's (108) reversed the form of the Silver Flash Stakes as she beat the John Oxx-trained Harasiya (107); the winner will reportedly be aimed at the Prix Marcel Boussac, where a a repeat of this run would see her placed in an average renewal. It was somewhat disappointing that Harasiya could not maintain her unbeaten start to her career but, although she clearly handles soft ground, she may well be seen to better effect when conditions are less testing.