David Cleary provides the initial Timeform reaction to American Affair's back-to-form win over five furlongs at Goodwood on Friday.
The outcome of the King George Stakes did nothing to dispel the view that there is very little between the best of the five-furlong performers currently contesting the top races at the distance in Britain.
After there had been little more than two lengths covering the first 10 home in the King Charles III at Royal Ascot, the four in the frame at Goodwood were covered by a bare length, three of them previous winners at Group 1 level coming back to something like their best.
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It was a race of fine margins. The field raced in two groups, both flat out all the way, the overall time on quick ground only fractions outside the course record. The winner American Affair was always to the fore in the smaller stand side group, in front overall a furlong out and finishing off the race well enough, despite his rider dropping the whip.
The other principals were on the far side of the track. The well-backed Rumstar got to the head of that group in the last 25 yards. Both Time For Sandals and Asfoora showed much more spark than of late in taking third and fourth. Time For Sandals, who finished best of all, repeated her third in last year's running. Asfoora, retirement pending, showed bundles of speed, perhaps enough to earn a Nunthorpe swansong.
American Affair was gaining a first win since last summer's King Charles III and he's worth viewing as having returned to his best.
What the outcome would have been had the field raced as one group is the great imponderable. In the six-furlong nursery, where they also raced in two groups, there was a short head between stalls 16 and 1.
Visual impression and sectionals both suggest Time For Sandals is better than the result. All in all, the outcome makes the pecking order for the Nunthorpe next month even harder to call.
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