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The winner of this maiden, Absolute Ruler, looks an above-average recruit, a typically well-bred sort for top connections who won despite showing signs of greenness in the straight. It is therefore worth taking a positive view of Amortentia's performance, who pulled well clear of the remainder in second.
Amortentia won a barrier trial at Dundalk before making his debut at Leopardstown last month where he showed plenty of ability, beaten only by a rival who put their experience to good use. Although Amortentia didn't improve markedly on that initial effort here, there was still plenty to like about how he travelled through the race, always prominent and was the last off the bridle in the straight. He was only headed inside the final furlong but made the winner pull out all of the stops, sticking to his task well but just unable to repel the well-bred debutant close home. A similar race looks a formality for Amortentia next time, though he also has the potential to reach even higher heights, and his future entries suggest his trainer feels the same.
Shouldering is a lengthy, lightly-raced four-year-old who has shaped well on more than one occasion this season, and figures on a handicap mark that she is capable of exploiting when everything falls in her favour.
She presumably hasn't been the easiest to train, but she clearly possesses a fair amount of ability, and the manner in which she travelled through this race suggests she is well handicapped. Shouldering did plenty wrong in the early part of the race, refusing to settle in a race which wasn't run at a break-neck gallop. She was travelling powerfully in the rear at halfway, though, and was behind horses when the first two home began to make their moves.
Shouldering's chance was all but over approaching the final furlong and her jockey wasn't overly hard on her, so the fact she was able to finish a distant third from the position she was in is encouraging, especially given the energy she expended earlier in the race. She strikes as the type that will be well suited by a big-field handicap run at a sound tempo and isn't a horse to give up on just yet.
Monsieur Lambrays was an unlucky loser of the Colwick Cup but he moved like a well-handicapped horse and should be gaining a measure of compensation before long. Monsieur Lambrays wasn't best placed having been held up in a steadily run race, but he still travelled powerfully into contention. He caught the eye travelling best up the rail, but the gap never appeared, which meant Monsieur Lambrays wasn't able to fully open up until well inside the final furlongs.
By the time Monsieur Lambrays got into the clear it was too late to overhaul the front pair, but he kept on strongly, leaving the impression he would have won with a clear run. He had dropped to just 2 lb above his last winning mark and he is in the form to cash in.
Selby’s Pride was a huge price for this novice event after failing to make an impact in two previous starts, but she left those efforts well behind here to finish a good second, leaving the impression she probably would have won but for the troubled run she had in the final two furlongs.
She was away alertly and travelled strongly in a prominent position against the far-side rail. She was shaken up briefly at around halfway but then found herself short of room, needing to be switched off heels in search of a clear run. Her troubles didn’t end there, either, as she was badly squeezed out between runners over a furlong out to the extent that she lost her footing and had to be gathered up again by jockey Barry McHugh.
Selby’s Pride forfeited at least a couple of lengths as a result of this interference, doing so a time when the winner Ana Gold, who came from much further back, was starting to build up a head of steam against the far-side rail. Selby’s Pride, who by now found herself nearer the middle of the track, also finished strongly once back on an even keel, but the damage had already been done. She made up several places in the final 100 yards but still passed the post a neck behind Ana Gold.
The bare form of this novice event is nothing special, but Selby’s Pride certainly showed enough to suggest she is up to winning a similar contest when things pan out more favourably for her. She will also have the option of nurseries and looks one to be interested in for the Tony Coyle yard.
Ballet Shoes was a convincing winner of the opening five-furlong maiden at Beverley, impressing with the late surge she produced to get up close home, and most of the focus will understandably be on her performance.
It's also worth being positive about the fourth-placed Mereside Angel, though, as he continued his theme of run-by-run improvement and is now eligible for handicaps.
Mereside Angel went with zest and was still going nicely when short of room inside the final couple of furlongs. He took time to get rolling when the gap appeared, still showing signs of inexperience, but kept on nicely close home and finished with running left. He should come on for the experience and is likely to be handed a lowly opening mark, so he is one to watch out for in handicaps.
This looked a trappy nursery beforehand but, in the event, it proved anything but as the unexposed winner dispatched his seven rivals with consummate ease.
The horse in question was Aristobulus, who was strong in the betting and duly wasted no time getting back on track returned to six furlongs, making a mockery of an opening BHA mark of 71. Waited with in the early stages, he travelled fluently and quickly assumed control after being produced to lead entering the final furlong. It was only in the final 50 yards that he truly put his stamp on the race, though, powering clear to land the spoils by three and three quarter lengths with plenty in hand.
Aristobulus was disappointing when tackling seven furlongs on his previous start at Redcar, but his strength at the finish this time suggests he should stay at least at that far, giving him more options in the coming weeks. He is sure to go up plenty for this but remains with potential, appealing as very much one to keep on the right side for the James Ferguson yard which continues to go from strength to strength.
The pace was only steady in this handicap and the first two, Distinction and Asmund, were both seen to maximum effect given how the race developed. In fact, four of the first six were to the fore throughout, highlighting just how much of an advantage it was to have a prominent position.
With that in mind, the effort of the third Zoravan is well worth marking up, running a huge race to be beaten just a neck and a short head after being caught further back than ideal. Zoravan raced with only two behind him and was still travelling strongly when the tempo began to lift early in the straight. He made good progress from three out but simply had too much ground to make up on the pair who beat him, finishing strongly to be beaten in a tight finish for the second time in three days.
In any case, Zoravan has now proved beyond doubt that he is back in top form after a spell in the doldrums and a losing run which stretches back to August 2018. He lined up here from a very fair mark judged on the pick of his form (5 lb lower than when recording his last win) and it’s surely only a matter of time before he takes advantage.
Timeform Eyecatchers of the Week
August 2-8 - Girl On Film could be one to watch
July 26-August 1 - Boundless Power looks capable of better still
July 19-25 - Cliffs of Capri one to note for the Golden Mile
July 12-18 - Riches And Rubies will improve for a longer trip
July 5-11 - Hurricane Ivor remains a sprinter to be positive about
June 28-July 4 - Maglev one to note moving forward for William Haggas
June 21-27 - Clive Cox's juvenile Codify has more to offer in future
June 14-20 - Naval Crown is a horse to take forward from Royal Ascot
June 7-13 - Night Hunter caught the eye at Leicester
May 31-June 6 - To Be Wild was among the latest horses to take the eye
May 24-30 - Eyecatchers from Timeform including Bernardo O'Reilly
May 17-23 - Check out the week's eyecatchers from Timeform including Bezzas Lad
May 10-16 - Including a two-year-old to note from the Sunday meeting at Ripon
