Christophe Soumillon is all smiles aboard Perfect Power
Newmarket Saturday analysis: David Cleary on the Group Ones
By David Cleary
22:23 · SAT September 25, 2021
Timeform's David Cleary analyses the two Group One races at Nemarket on Saturday. Are Tenebrism and Perfect Power Guineas prospects?
Two juvenile Group 1 events, two races that answered some questions but left plenty more up in the air.
To start with the fillies in the Cheveley Park, in which a pair at double-figure prices finished clear, TENEBRISM wearing down the front-running Flotus late on. While the winner deserves plenty of credit for landing this, successful on her debut in March but not seen since, there looked a clear advantage in being up the stand rail. Flotus, drawn 13, was right against it, while Tenebrism from 11 made inroads into the leader's advantage only once switched to it herself. With the 100/1-chance Guilded from stall 12 taking fourth there has to be doubts whether the principals are so good as they look.
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That said, Tenebrism has plenty to recommend her on paper, out of a top-class miling filly in Immortal Verse, who won the Coronation Stakes and Jacques Le Marois. She is from the first crop of her sire Caravaggio, so it's early days to say how much of a limiting influence he will have on stamina and it seems likely she will be aimed at the Guineas next spring, even if she later drops back in distance.
The Cheveley Park was well run, the time quicker than that for the Middle Park, though the colts' race was also truly run, with the first three patiently ridden. After the rail had looked such an advantage in the Cheveley Park, it was no surprise that the field bunched up close to it.
Tenebrism sweeps past Flotus
PERFECT POWER did well to win from stall one in such circumstances, coming through on the inside of the field, just about furthest away from the rail; however, he had the best form coming into the race and probably didn't have to improve in a contest where under two lengths covered the first seven home, hard to take a high view of the form in such circumstances.
The placed pair Castle Star and Armor travelled better and didn't have such clear passages through, but it would be hard to call either unlucky.
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The winner, by another first-season sire in Ardad, has a pedigree of contrasts, with plenty of stamina on the dam's sire, and it wouldn't be a surprise were connections tempted to train him for the Guineas. He would need to improve further, even before stamina comes into consideration.
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