Ratings review: Timeform reaction to Doncaster and the Irish Champions Weekend

Three Ratings Risers

Luxembourg (128p from 122p)

Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Saturday 10 September

Luxembourg had been only workmanlike when winning the Royal Whip Stakes by a neck at the Curragh last month, but, having met with a setback after finishing third in the 2000 Guineas, he was entitled to come on for that outing and he duly took a big step forward to win a strong edition of the Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday.

Luxembourg may have made his supporters sweat when landing odds of 2/9 in the Royal Whip but one pleasing aspect of that display was how well he knuckled down under pressure, and he again displayed a likeable, straightforward attitude to prevail in the Irish Champion Stakes, getting on top close home to beat Grand Prix de Paris winner Onesto by half a length after the pair had been locked together for much of the final furlong and a half.

The strength Luxembourg showed in the finish bodes well for his prospects of staying a mile and a half in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and he won't face many rivals in Paris with stronger form.

Should Baaeed turn up he would clearly be the one to beat, with his rating of 137 identifying him as the best we have seen on turf since Frankel retired, but Luxembourg's rating of 128p places him in a similar bracket as the likes of Titleholder (130), Adayar (130) and Torquator Tasso (128) but with less to prove.

A rating of 128p identifies Luxembourg as the joint-highest-rated colt from this season's classic generation - equal with Desert Crown (128p) who is out for the season - and his performance in the Irish Champion Stakes was of similar merit to what St Mark's Basilica produced last year.

Tahiyra (116P from 90P)

Moyglare Stud Stakes, Curragh, Sunday 11 September

We have a new 1000 Guineas favourite and unsurprisingly so after Tahiyra registered a hugely impressive victory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Tahiyra, a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Tarnawa, had looked an exciting prospect when scooting five and a half lengths clear of a promising sort on her debut at Galway in July and she confirmed that promise in no uncertain terms at the Curragh, putting up comfortably the best performance by a two-year-old filly so far this season.

Meditate, a winner of her four previous starts, including the Albany at Royal Ascot, had set the standard among European-trained two-year-old fillies prior to the weekend and she slightly advanced her Timeform rating in the Moyglare - to 109 from 108p - as she pulled four and a half lengths clear of the third, Eternal Silence, who was in turn two lengths ahead of fourth-placed Never Ending Story.

She was no match for the confidently-ridden Tahiyra, however, who was still on the bridle a furlong out despite being a couple of lengths behind. When Chris Hayes asked Tahiyra to quicken she did so impressively, drawing two and a quarter lengths clear under a hands-and-heels ride.

A rating of 116P places Tahiyra 5 lb in advance of Trillium (111p) and The Platinum Queen (111) among the European-trained juvenile fillies, while only Little Big Bear (126p) and Noble Style (119p) have achieved a higher figure among the colts.

There are some big names on the Moyglare roll of honour but none earned a bigger rating in the race this century than Tahiyra, who still has the large P attached to her figure to indicate she could be capable of much better form. A scary thought for connections of her opponents.

Trillium (111p from 105p)

Flying Childers Stakes, Doncaster, Sunday 11 September

Times had suggested that there was very little between Trillium and The Platinum Queen when they both won at Goodwood last month, with Trillium producing a sharp turn of foot to land the Molecomb Stakes and The Platinum Queen going slightly quicker when blitzing her rivals in a conditions stakes.

Trillium was running for the first time since Goodwood, though The Platinum Queen had subsequently enhanced her reputation by finishing runner-up in the Nunthorpe, showing plenty of pace to lead the field until overhauled by the high-class Highfield Princess inside the final furlong.

The Flying Childers underlined how this pair have contrasting styles but similar levels of ability as only a short-head separated them at the line after the patiently-ridden Trillium just managed to nab The Platinum Queen.

The Platinum Queen (111 from 107) ran even better here than she had when runner-up in the Nunthorpe and performed to a level that would have been good enough in the vast majority of editions of the Flying Childers. However, it was not quite enough against Trillium, who has shown significant race-by-race improvement and has an exuberant style that suggests there could be even more to come.

CLICK HERE TO READ TIMEFORM'S REPORT OF THE ST LEGER WON BY ELDAR ELDAROV

Three high-class efforts

Highfield Princess (remains 126)

Flying Five Stakes, Curragh, Sunday 11 September

Highfield Princess may have started out off a handicap mark of just 57 a couple of years ago but she has developed into the dominant sprinter in Europe and she registered a third successive Group 1 when landing the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

Highfield Princess, whose three-quarter-length defeat of Minzaal at Deauville looks even better following his Sprint Cup success, followed up her win in the Prix Maurice de Gheest with an emphatic victory in the Nunthorpe at York. She didn't need to improve on the form she had shown at York to win the Flying Five, but it was still impressive how she tanked through the race, travelling all over her rivals despite having spent much of her career racing at six or seven furlongs.

You have to go back to 2007, when Benbaun won prior to landing the Prix de l'Abbaye, to find a performance of similar merit in this race.

A clash with Golden Pal in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint is next on the agenda for the thriving Highfield Princess and there is little to separate the pair on Timeform's figures. Last year's Turf Sprint winner Golden Pal is rated 129 but must concede 3 lb to Highfield Princess whose last two performances suggest she will cope better with the sharp test of speed than previously imagined.

Kyprios (remains 126)

Irish St Leger, Curragh, Sunday 11 September

Kyprios didn't need to improve upon the form he had shown when winning a thrilling Goodwood Cup to land the Irish St Leger on Sunday but he arguably enhanced his reputation with another teak-tough display.

Kyprios had shown he stays two and a half miles when winning the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot - albeit a falsely-run edition of that race - so it is to his credit that he was able to land a Group 1 over a mile and three-quarters. Sensibly given a positive ride by Ryan Moore to make the most of his stamina, Kyprios was sent for home turning in and found plenty up the straight to fend off Hamish, a high-class opponent proven under testing conditions.

Trueshan (128) has a higher Timeform rating based on his superb weight-carrying display in the Northumberland Plate, but running in handicaps does afford high-quality horses a good chance to post a big figure, and while he ran creditably when third behind Kyprios at Goodwood he now has a question to answer after being turned over at long odds-on in the Doncaster Cup.

Kyprios, on the other hand, has won all five starts this campaign, from a mile and three-quarters to two and a half miles, and on ground ranging from heavy to good to firm, so he stands out as the one to beat in the division.

Adayar (remains 130)

Conditions stakes, Doncaster, Thursday 8 September

Connections could hardly have found a softer touch for Adayar than the three-runner conditions stakes he contested on his belated return to action, and last year's Derby and King George winner was never going to need to run to his best to prevail.

However, there was still a lot to like about the way he brushed aside a couple of inferior rivals, offering hope that he retains a lot of the ability that saw him earn a Timeform rating of 130 - the benchmark for a top-class racehorse - and become the first horse since Galileo 20 years earlier to complete the Derby-King George double in the same season.

If Adayar, an easy three-and-a-quarter-length winner on Thursday, does retain most of his ability he will be a major player in the Champion Stakes, which could take on an open look if Baaeed (Timeform rating 137) has his swansong in the Arc.

Among the horses entered in the Champion Stakes, only Baaeed has a higher rating than Adayar.

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