Jan Brughel (far side) dug deep to win the Gordon Stakes
Timeform ratings analysis | Goodwood winners including Opera Singer
By Tony McFadden
12:56 · MON August 05, 2024
Tony McFadden provides the key Timeform ratings reaction following the action at Goodwood, where Opera Singer and Jan Brueghel were among those who advanced their form.
There wasn't much to split the two-year-old Group winners at Goodwood last week in terms of performance as Vintage Stakes winner Aomori City (105 from 96) and Richmond Stakes winner Black Forza (104p from 88p) ran to a similar level as Big Mojo on Timeform's figures.
However, Big Mojo's success was arguably the most eye-catching as he went into the Molecomb Stakes as a maiden after finishing a promising runner-up on debut at Beverley.
Representing the same connections of last season's Molecomb winner Big Evs, Big Mojo showed marked improvement to cope with the step up in class to Group 3 company, impressing with how he travelled through the race and winning despite still understandably looking green in front.
Big Mojo's rating is slightly lower than that of a typical Molecomb winner in the last ten years, though he ran to a similar level as Big Evs who progressed to make his mark at a higher level and he too has the potential to carry on improving (still has the Timeform 'p'.)
The highest-rated colt in the juvenile division so far this season is Railway Stakes winner Henri Matisse (110p).
Jan Brueghel had to work hard in the Gordon Stakes to extend his unbeaten record to three (replay below) but he still took a step forward on form and underlined that he's a strong St Leger contender.
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Jan Brueghel, a brother to Irish Derby winner Sovereign and Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Dawn Rising among others, had looked a strong stayer when winning a maiden and a Group 3 over a mile and a quarter at the Curragh and he duly relished the extra couple of furlongs on offer at Goodwood.
He was shaken up to close the gap on the leader over half a mile out in a well-run race but, despite still looking raw at times, he stuck to his task admirably and found extra to fend off a persistent challenge from Bellum Justum who had been a good third in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot on his previous outing.
It's worth remembering that Jan Brueghel was conceding 3 lb to each of his rivals and a rating of 116p doesn't leave him loads to find with standard-setting stablemate Los Angeles (120p) in the St Leger, particularly with the step up to an extended mile and three-quarters promising to bring about further improvement.
A dominant five-length win in the Prix Marcel Boussac earned Opera Singer the title of highest-rated juvenile filly of 2023 and she is now the highest-rated three-year-old filly following her game success in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
An interrupted preparation perhaps counted against Opera Singer when only third in the Irish 1000 Guineas on her return but she built on that to finish runner-up to subsequent Falmouth Stakes winner Porta Fortuna in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot - matching the level she had shown as a juvenile - and she progressed again at Goodwood last week to fend off the much-improved See The Fire (115 from 107) by a neck.
Opera Singer, making her first start at a mile and a quarter, did well to sustain the tempo after being sent on a long way from home and the style of that success offers hope that she will stay a mile and a half.
She now heads Fallen Angel (117) and Porta Fortuna (116) in the three-year-old fillies' division and her run-by-run improvement this year suggests there could be more to come. Stablemate City of Troy (127p) is the highest-rated three-year-old colt.
Lead Artist had been a beaten favourite in the listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket last month but got firmly back on the up in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood on Friday, producing a really taking effort that is bordering on very smart form (120 is the benchmark for that level on Timeform's scale).
Lead Artist set a strong gallop but he was still able to find a decisive turn of foot and was in control throughout the final couple of furlongs, despite being closed down late on. He holds some entries at Group 2 level and will be well worth his place in such company as he has already run to a level that would have been good enough to win the last three editions of the Celebration Mile.
On ratings he's already not far behind the pick of the older milers, such as Charyn (123) and Quddwah (122p), though more would be needed up against the best of his fellow three-year-olds, Rosallion (126) and Notable Speech (125).
Big Evs reversed form with Royal Ascot conqueror Asfoora in the King George Stakes at Goodwood (replay below), though it was the Australian sprinter in second who arguably emerged with the greatest boost to her reputation given she was carrying a 5 lb penalty.
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Big Evs is blessed with dazzling speed and last year's Molecomb Stakes winner again showed his effectiveness over Goodwood's downhill five furlongs, impressing with how well he travelled before digging in to cling on by a short-head.
That earned him a rating of 122 which equals the highest figure achieved by an active sprinter trained in Britain or Ireland (Bradsell and Mill Stream are also rated 122).
King's Stand winner Asfoora was only just denied over the sharper five furlongs at Goodwood where she got going a fraction too late, but her effort under a 5 lb penalty marks her out as the one to beat in the Nunthorpe. She won't have a penalty at York and, as things stand, is 4 lb clear at the head of Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings for that division-defining sprint.
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