Weekend Review: Ascot's Victoria Cup goes Global

Since joining Ellison's yard Global Village has recorded five wins from 10 starts, with this latest career-best success providing his most significant victory to date. The seven-year-old travelled fluently on the far side, held-up under Tadhg O'Shea, taking up the lead just under a furlong out before staying on well. He is sure to continue to give a good account in similar big-field handicaps.

Runner-up Bonnie Brae ran an excellent race in defeat and connections may well have their eye on the mare gaining some valuable black type, the five-year-old easily good enough to be competitive in listed events. Lincoln winner Brae Hill seemed to be just undone by the rise in the weights for his Doncaster success, but still matched his Lincoln victory to finish fourth, whilst Lightning Cloud 's effort is worth plenty of credit as he did best of the group that stuck to the centre of the track.

The John Gosden-trained Aiken landed his fifth consecutive win earlier on the card, easily defeating his four rivals in the listed Buckhound Stakes. He took his form to a new level in winning by such a large margin (10 lengths), and he now looks ready for a step up in grade, likely to be a leading contender if returning to Ascot for the Hardwicke Stakes next month.

Grumeti, winner of the Grade 1 four-year-old hurdle at Aintree last month, returned to the Flat and proved better than ever on the level, putting up a useful effort to beat Local Hero. The winner is still unexposed, particularly at a mile and a half or further, and may well have a big middle-distance handicap on his agenda later in the year.

Haydock's feature race, the Swinton Hurdle, went to the Timeform Betfair Racing Club-owned Red Merlin. This was a typical renewal of the race, with plenty of useful hurdlers in the line-up, and Red Merlin, trained by Donald McCain, produced a career-best to defeat Tony Star by two and a half lengths, jumping fluently before quickening to lead on the run-in. He remains with plenty of potential and is still unexposed in handicaps such as this, although it is highly possible that he could go on to be successful on the Flat, in similar style to stable companions Overturn and Ile de Re.

Our Jonathan made a winning seasonal return at Haydock, landing a good quality minor event over six furlongs. The Ayr Gold Cup winner didn't need to improve to triumph, but he still looks well worth his place in some of the better sprints this summer.

The Richard Fahey-trained Euxton Hall made a winning racecourse debut, looking above average in beating the Richard Hannon-trained Annunciation by a length and a quarter in the first six-furlong juvenile maiden of the year. The winner is sure to progress, and is likely to try his hand in better company next time, whilst Annunciation shaped as if just in need of the run, and a similar event ought to be his for the taking.

Moving on to Lingfield, where Vow cemented her position towards the fore of the Oaks market in beating Colima by three and a quarter lengths. Her performance smacked of a filly going right to the top, looking much improved from her debut win but clearly nowhere near the finished article yet, wandering markedly in the closing stages showing plenty of greenness. The race did not get to the bottom of her however, and, whilst she cannot boast the form or maturity of those heading to Epsom, few will have her potential and fast-improving profile, and she is currently third-favourite at 9.08/1.

Main Sequence can be backed at 18.017/1 for the Derby following his win in an up-to-scratch Derby trial at Lingfield, taking his fourth victory and showing further improvement. He has risen to every challenge presented to him as yet, offering hope that he can pull out more at Epsom, but he may just fall short against the likes of Camelot and the exciting Bonfire, who will contest the Dante later this week.

A quick mention has to go to Chachamaidee earlier on the card as, left with far too much to do a furlong out on her polytrack debut in a Group 3, demonstrating an impressive burst of speed to lead in the last 50 yards; she is well up to contesting Group 1s and 2s against her own sex.

Sunday saw plenty of International racing, with Black Caviar gaining her 21st successive win in emphatic style. She was barely made to work by her rivals, and will head to Royal Ascot with the Diamond Jubilee seemingly at her mercy.

Longchamp staged the French 1000 and 2000 Guineas, the former won by Beauty Parlour and Lucayan landing the colt's version. Beauty Parlour, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, travelled well and shot clear in the closing stages for minimal pressure, comfortably beating the Aidan O'Brien-trained Up into second, whilst Lucayan was something of a surprise winner later on the card, 10 of the 12 runners finishing within a couple of lengths of each other in a bunched finish.

The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial went the way of Light Heavy, edging out Tower Rock in a duel that began early in the straight. Light Heavy was an impressive winner of the Ballysax Stakes last month, seemingly matching that form, and although he will have something to find in the Irish Derby, his next reported target, he appeals as the type to raise his game in stronger company.

Yellow Rosebud took the Irish 1000 Guineas Trial, and she will be a live contender for the Classic on May 27. She didn't need to improve a great deal on the pick of her two-year-old form here, but her second in a Group 2 last year, splitting Maybe and Lightening Pearl, reads very well and she is likely to make her presence felt at the Curragh.