Kalpana - now rated within three pounds of Bluestocking
Timeform analysis on Kalpana, Charyn and Anmaat
By Timeform
16:41 · MON October 21, 2024
Get the Timeform view on three key performances from Champions Day.
Fillies & Mares Stakes
A representative field, featuring a pair of Group-1-winning 3-y-os, the pick of the older fillies scorers at Group 2 level last time out, though the market was headed by the impressive September Stakes winner Kalpana, who took the rise in class in her stride, producing an effort well up to standard for the race; the pace was pretty steady, quickening over 3f out, and few got involved, the first 3 well positioned all the way, though no suggestion that the winner was flattered, seeming comfortably the best prospect of these for next year.
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KALPANA has taken significant strides since she was a beaten favourite in the Ribblesdale here in the summer and capped her first season with a resounding success, well positioned tracking the pace but showing a decisive turn of foot to settle matters in strides when going to the front under 2f out and kept up to work to maintain a comfortable advantage to the line; she was unraced at 2 yrs and is only now showing all that she has, her physique promising more to come at 4 yrs, and her rise to prominence could even have a knock-on effect on the decision as to whether or not Juddmonte's other star filly Bluestocking races on next year; this was a significant first Group 1 for Study of Man from his first crop of three-year-olds.
Kalpana's Timeform rating has improved to 120 (from 117); for context, Bluestocking's rating is 123.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Charyn had established himself as the best older miler in Europe with wins in the Queen Anne and Jacques Le Marois, defeats in the Lockinge and Moulin coming against enterprisingly-ridden rivals, and he fully confirmed that status with another authoritative win, helped by the absence of the best of the 3-y-o division, having to work only relatively briefly to see off last year's runner-up Facteur Cheval, the remainder well strung out behind them on testing ground, the field racing well over to the far side of the track.
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CHARYN has been on the go since March but looked in good order beforehand and is still at the top of his game, signing off his European season with a fifth win from 7 starts, cementing his position as the best older miler around; handy, travelled strongly, led on bridle over 2f out, tackled over 1f out, shaken up, hung left briefly but knuckled down well, finding extra to assert last ½f; he's due to retire to stud in France at the end of the year, though another run overseas is an option before then, the Mile Championship in Japan mooted as a possible target.
Charyn's Timeform rating has improved to 127 (from 125); St James's Palace Stakes winner Rosallion is rated 126
Champion Stakes
A clash between 2 of the star three-year-olds of the season seemed a fascinating prospect, Economics, unbeaten in 4 races this year, including the Irish Champion, against Calandagan, beaten only by City of Troy on his last 4 outings; it didn't work out that way, Economics amiss, Calandagan doing well to get to the front but then run out of it, space at a premium in the straight in a messy race with the round-course races again having been moved to the hurdles track on the inside of the Flat one, the field finishing in too much of a heap to take a high view of the form; the winner was the third 6-y-o to win the Champion Stakes this century, following Pride and Addeybb, the only older winner in the race's history being the 7-y-o Bendigo, successful in 1887.
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ANMAAT, lightly raced for his age, bounced back to his best just a fortnight on from a lacklustre effort at Longchamp, overcoming adverse circumstances in fine style, producing the biggest shock in this race in a long time, by some way the longest-priced winner this century (David Junior was a 25/1 winner in 2005), and trading at far bigger prices in running when shuffled right back 2f out, that he was able to overcome the position he found himself in 1½ furlongs out quite remarkable; waited with, travelled well, still to be asked for effort when short of room over 2f out and lost place completely, good progress entering final 1f and crucially got seam between Royal Rhyme and Economics before getting up to thwart Calandagan in the final 50 yds, feeling the whip just once to boot, when already having edged ahead; for all he doesn't have that many miles on the clock, whether he can reproduce this sort of form as a 7-y-o remains to be seen.
Anmaat's rating has improved to 125 (from 117); City of Troy is the highest-rated horse in training on 130p
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