Tony McFadden gives the Timeform verdict on five winners at Newmarket's Craven meeting who showed much-improved form.
More Thunder (Timeform rating 104p from 93p)
6f handicap, Tuesday
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More Thunder had been campaigned at around a mile and a quarter by Sir Michael Stoute last season, but he's out of the listed-winning sprinter Buying Trouble and was dropped markedly in trip on his first start for William Haggas.
A well-run six-furlong handicap, against useful sorts who have spent their careers competing as sprinters, would have provided a significantly different test for More Thunder, but it was one he relished.
More Thunder travelled fluently under a patient ride, made headway inside the final couple of furlongs to lead 100 yards out and was well on top by the line, scoring by a length and three-quarters.
That performance represented a significant improvement on his previous efforts and, still completely unexposed as a sprinter, it would be little surprise were he to progress beyond handicaps. More is required as, for context, the winner of the Group 2 Abernant Stakes, Sajir, earned a rating of 115, but More Thunder is a smart prospect
Almeric (112p from 93p)
1m1f Feilden Stakes, Tuesday
Almeric boasts a superb middle-distance pedigree - his granddam is the dual Champion Stakes winner Alborada - and he has clearly inherited plenty of ability based on his performance in the Feilden Stakes
Almeric had made an encouraging start to his career during a very light juvenile campaign, getting off the mark in a York maiden on his second start, but he took a big stride forward on his reappearance to successfully make the leap to listed level.
A well-run race on rain-softened ground ensured it was a thorough test at the trip and that emphasis on stamina seemed to suit Almeric who stuck to his task to score by a length, with the runner-up seven and a half lengths clear of the third. Almeric ran to a similar level as last year's winner, Jayarebe, who went on to win the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes and the Group 2 Prix Dollar, and he still has the 'small p' to show he's expected to improve further, especially when stepping up in trip again.
For context, Delacroix was also given a Timeform performance rating of 112 for his victory in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown, though that one ran to a slightly higher level when runner-up in the Futurity Trophy last season.
Treasure Fleet (102p from 86p)
1¼m handicap, Tuesday
This mile-and-a-quarter handicap for three-year-olds is often a strong race and, although this year's edition lacked depth, there's plenty to like about the pair who fought out the finish.
Treasure Fleet and The Trickster both arrived with unbeaten records and in search of the hat-trick, but it was the former who ultimately prevailed by a length and a half after a good battle through the final couple of furlongs.
Treasure Fleet's two previous victories had come in steadily run novices at Wolverhampton which hadn't allowed him to show anything like the full extent of his ability, but the rain-softened ground at Newmarket ensured this was more of a test, for all the gallop was only modest. A stronger pace should enable the progressive and unexposed Treasure Fleet to step forward again.
Good horses have used the race as a stepping stone in the last decade, including subsequent Group 1 winners Old Persian and Kalpana. They produced similar performance ratings to Treasure Fleet in this handicap, though both clearly improved markedly afterwards.
Field of Gold (121p from 110p)
1m Craven Stakes, Wednesday
Field Of Gold's impressive victory in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday has propelled him to the head of Timeform's three-year-old ratings and marks him out as the one to beat in the 2000 Guineas.
Field Of Gold earned a Timeform rating of 121p, narrowly passing the benchmark set by Shadow Of Light who was Timeform's champion juvenile last season with a rating of 120.
Field Of Gold, winner of the Solario Stakes at two, had ended his juvenile campaign with a rating of 110p but showed much-improved form on his reappearance in the Craven to comfortably quicken three and a half lengths clear of Royal Lodge winner Wimbledon Hawkeye.
The only Craven winners who have been rated higher after the race in the last decade are Native Trail (122p) and Masar (123) who both went on to finish placed in the 2000 Guineas. Field Of Gold's victory continues a fine spring for owners Juddmonte who have also been successful with talented colts Cosmic Year (111P) and Jonquil (112p), and landed the Nell Gwyn at Newmarket with improving filly Zanzoun (104p from 84p).
It had taken Zanzoun three attempts to get off the mark as a juvenile and the form of her, admittedly impressive, maiden win at Southwell was only ordinary. However, Zanzoun showed she had clearly progressed well over the winter by quickening up a stylish success in the Nell Gwyn. She advanced her form significantly, though Duty First (109) ran to a higher level when winning the Fred Darling.
Pellitory (102+ from 91)
7f conditions stakes, Thursday
Pellitory had been held back by immaturity at times as a juvenile, though he was still largely progressive and had signed off for the campaign with a win in nursery company at Doncaster.
The seven-furlong conditions stakes at Newmarket on Thursday looked a tough task for Pellitory on the face of it, meeting rivals who had run to a higher level at two, but he improved on previous efforts to beat the favourite Anno Domini by half a length.
There was a muddling pace and those that raced towards the far side - as Pellitory did - seemed at an advantage, but it's worth taking the winner's performance at face value for now as his tall physique offers an obvious reason why he may have done particularly well over the winter.
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