Tony McFadden highlights the key developments in the past week with Royal Ascot in mind.
Huge weekend for O'Brien aces
The 2000 Guineas at Newmarket had been a bitter disappointment for Aidan O'Brien whose short-price favourite Auguste Rodin beat only two rivals home, with one of those being his stablemate Little Big Bear, the champion juvenile of 2022.
However, the Irish 2000 Guineas was dominated by O'Brien who enjoyed a one-two with the progressive Paddington leading home Cairo to give the trainer a twelfth win in the race.
Five of those winners - Black Minnaloushe, Rock of Gibraltar, Henrythenavigator, Mastercraftsman and Gleneagles - followed up in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and Paddington is now a top price of 7/2 (from 14/1 before Saturday) to emulate them.
It was not a strong renewal of the Irish Guineas that Paddington won, but he was well on top at the finish to complete his four-timer, and he still has the 'p' attached to his Timeform rating to highlight that he is likely capable of better. A rating of 119p suggests that he wouldn't have to make significant progress to seriously threaten Chaldean (123).
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Prince of Wales's could be race of the meeting
It may not have been a strong renewal of the Irish Guineas but Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup looked like a cracker.
Some of the gloss was taken off by Vadeni - last season's French Derby and Eclipse winner - failing to give his running, but two Group 1 winners in Luxembourg and Bay Bridge still served up a good race, with the former proving game to get the verdict by half a length.
Last season's Irish Champion Stakes winner Luxembourg had failed to fire in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and was also below his best when a beaten odds-on favourite on his return in the Mooresbridge Stakes earlier in the month, but he proved a different proposition with that outing under his belt and ran right up to his best under a well-judged front-running ride at a meeting where such tactics proved advantageous.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsHe was cut to a standout 9/2 (from 10/1) for the Prince of Wales's Stakes, though is as short as 3/1 favourite with most firms. He could clash again with Bay Bridge, who didn't get such a smooth run through as Luxembourg though did have plenty of time to get past if good enough.
Bay Bridge's stablemate, Desert Crown, could also be a contender for the Prince of Wales's Stakes after shaping with encouragement behind Hukum on his first start since winning last season's Derby, while Adayar, the 2021 Derby winner, is another high-class contender in what has the makings of a cracking contest. There is only 3 lb separating Luxembourg (130), Bay Bridge (129), Adayar (128) and Desert Crown (127p) on Timeform's figures.
Little Big Bear shows Commonwealth Cup credentials
It was a highly successful three-day meeting at the Curragh for O'Brien who won with his only runner on Friday, sent out a double on Saturday and then enjoyed a fantastic four-timer on Sunday. He also enjoyed a notable success with his only runner in Britain at the weekend as Little Big Bear got back on track with victory in the Sandy Lane Stakes and was consequently cut to 7/4 (from 9/2) for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Little Big Bear, whose seven-length success in the Phoenix Stakes was comfortably the best performance by a juvenile last season, missed the second half of 2022 after meeting with a setback and he failed to beat a rival on his return in the 2000 Guineas (reportedly returned lame).
That left him with a question to answer, but he put his Guineas blowout behind him on his return to sprinting, posting a ready length-and-a-quarter success without needing to match the level of form he had shown in the Phoenix.
Note the Haydock draw bias
Little Big Bear scored with plenty to spare and, as his two-year-old form suggested, was clearly the best horse in the Sandy Lane, though it is worth pointing out that his task was eased by having the benefit of a high draw at a meeting where those who raced near the stands' rail were at an advantage.
It is worth keeping that draw bias in mind when assessing Dramatised's victory in the Temple Stakes and her claims in the King's Stand, for which she was cut to to a general 6/1 (from 14/1). She showed she has clearly trained on well, enhancing her Timeform rating to 116 from 106, but the Temple was a much less competitive race than had looked likely as those drawn low had little chance. It will take a bigger effort to threaten an on-song Highfield Princess (126).
Elite Status sizzles in National Stakes
Dramatised was successful at last year's Royal meeting, landing the Queen Mary Stakes, and her trainer Karl Burke has another leading juvenile this time around in Elite Status, who was cut to 9/4 favourite (from 12/1) for the Norfolk Stakes after his sizzling display in the National Stakes at Sandown on Thursday.
Elite Status had scored in comfortable style on his debut at Doncaster and he built on that with a seriously impressive five-length success in the National Stakes, earning a Timeform rating of 109p which is the joint-highest awarded to a juvenile this season (Asadna is also rated 109p).
A leading contender also emerged for the Queen Mary in the shape of Jane Chapple-Hyam's Born To Rock who is now 8/1 joint-favourite following a four-and-a-quarter-length success on debut a Yarmouth.
Born To Rock, a 110,000 guineas purchase at the breeze-up sales, travelled well, quickened clear over a furlong out and could hardly have created a much more positive impression. She earned a Timeform rating of 95p which is the highest by a British-trained juvenile filly so far this season. Porta Fortuna (101p) and Navassa Island (100p) head the division in Ireland.
Royal Ascot eyecatcher
The trouble in running that Yaanaas met when fourth at Sandown could have ramifications beyond just costing him all chance in that race as he could have done with a rise in the weights to increase his chance of making the cut for the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot.
The mark of 93 that Yaanaas ran off at Sandown would not have got him into the Hunt Cup last year - the cut-off was 95 - so connections now face a wait to see if he gets a run.
Yaanaas, who remains a 16/1 shot for the Hunt Cup, will be a fascinating contender if sneaking in. The 320,000 yearling purchase - whose dam is a sister to the top-class Almazor - failed to make it to the track at two or three, but is making up for lost time this season.
Yaanaas won his first couple of outings in comfortable fashion and then shaped well when runner-up on his handicap debut over the same course and distance as the Hunt Cup. He may have lost his unbeaten record at Ascot, but he travelled through the race like a well-handicapped horse, and he also left the impression that he's one to be positive about at Sandown, despite trouble in running costing him all chance. Yaanaas did well to finish as close as he did at Sandown, running on well under hand riding, and the feeling remains that he has a bigger effort in his locker.
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