David Cleary assesses the Classic trials at Newbury on Saturday and felt by far the most signifcant was Perfect Power's win in the Greenham.
An afternoon of Classic trials at Newbury, with surely the more significant result coming in the Greenham for colts. A pair of dual Group/Grade 1 winners at two headed the market, with the much better backed of the pair, Perfect Power, running out a decisive winner on his first attempt at seven furlongs. The form looks up to scratch, a view supported by the overall time.
Perfect Power is a bit nondescript in appearance and was bandaged in front, but he's evidently a smart colt, will stay a mile and will be worth his place in a Classic, whether at Newmarket or Longchamp, the latter option, avoiding Native Trail, surely worth considering.
The placed pair also hold 2000 Guineas entries. Angel Bleu will at least benefit from going back up in trip, though the runner-up Lusail might be the more interesting prospect this year, having done well physically over the winter. He might be best kept to six and seven furlongs.
Wild Beauty got the better of Jumbly in the Fred Darling, the fillies' trial. In a race run in a significantly slower time than the Greenham and with some outsiders relatively close up, the form of the race looks ordinary and the winner is unlikely to have had to improve on her best 2-y-o efforts.
Wild Beauty was a Grade 1 winner in Canada last autumn and holds the Guineas entry, though the main conclusion from the race is how her victory further enhances the claims of the current classic favourite Inspiral. Wild Beauty had finished fifth behind Inspiral in the Fillies' Mile in October, with Cachet, who had taken third that day, the winner of the Nell Gwyn earlier in the week.
