Weekend review: Top-drawer Moore

Our racing team gather their thoughts over the weekend action and pick out a couple of possible future clues.

What does the future hold for Gleneagles after his clear-cut victory in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas? How good a performance was it?

Matt Brocklebank: It’s hard to argue this year’s 2000 Guineas was up there with some of the better renewals we’ve seen in recent seasons, last year being just about as good as they get, but Gleneagles was a class apart. He displayed loads of quality as a juvenile and has clearly carried on his progression but I could see things getting tougher for him as the campaign rolls on, when some of the ‘darker’, less forward three-year-olds have had the time to reach his levels of maturity both physically and mentally. Ivawood was the one I took from the trials and he ran a blinder in third, but I hope the Hannons go back in trip now rather than persevere over a mile as he could be lethal at six.

I don’t think Ryan Moore is a little bit better than his contemporaries, I think the gap in class is a little bit wider than that. He’s ruthless, rarely makes an error and there’s nobody stronger in a finish. He’s the go-to man for every owner that wants to win a race.

Ben Linfoot: I imagine it holds another couple of Group Ones over a mile in the short-term. Unlike the 1000 Guineas, just about all the top juveniles turned up and he was a worthy winner, and one of the few in the race that looked a genuine top-notch miler. The Irish 2,000 Guineas looks to be his next target and I imagine he’ll stick to a mile throughout the campaign, taking in races like the St James’s Palace Stakes before having a crack at the older milers in the Sussex Stakes and the QEII. With Aidan O’Brien about to unleash a raft of choicely-bred middle-distance horses there seems little point in him being asked to attempt 10 furlongs anytime soon. If there isn’t a star among them, perhaps he will step up in trip later in the season for something like the Juddmonte International at York, but at this stage you’d have to say he’ll stick to a mile. And he’ll win more Group Ones over that distance.

Will Hayler: He's clearly quite a fizzy customer, albeit one with very conspicuous and considerable talent. I suspect Aidan O'Brien's heart was a little in his mouth when he watched him walk around the parade ring dripping with sweat 15 minutes before the race. As I see it, much will depend upon how he takes his races, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him take after his relative Giants Causeway and be kept fairly busy this season as I have hunch it might just make him easier to train.

Ian Ogg: There'll always be those ready to play devil's advocate and the flops of Estidhkaar and Ol' Man River, the absence of Elm Park and the proximity of the seemingly exposed Bossy Guest provide enough ammunition, but there was plenty to like about the performance and, as my colleagues have pointed out, his campaign rather maps itself.

From Gowran to glory in the space of seven days. What were your thoughts after the victory of Legatissimo?

BL: I thought 'Why didn’t I back the Coolmore-owned, Ryan Moore-ridden filly?!' I was put off by her run last week – not that it wasn’t any good, but just that it happened only last weekend. She was a bit of a super-sub for Found and Together Forever and that she managed to win over a mile despite being bred to get further was to her great credit. She could be very good once stepped up to 10 furlongs and beyond and it is no surprise to see her at the top of the market for the Oaks. Would I back her at 4/1 for Epsom? Absolutely not. It’s not a given she’ll turn up given her operation’s strength in depth in the Classic department and I can’t help but feel this was a weak 1000 Guineas with so many of the top juveniles from last season missing.

MB: My honest thoughts were that I felt a bit sorry for Lucida. She was beaten fair and square at the line but she’d overcome a strange start, came wide around rivals to take the lead and effectively got mugged by an inspired Ryan Moore. Jim Bolger still has a lot to look forward to with her and I’ll be keen to be on her side if the pair meet again at the Curragh at the end of the month.

WH: I tend to agree with everything above, other than to add that Tiggy Wiggy far, far exceeded my expectations over a trip I didn't believe she could possibly hope to stay and her raw speed ought to give connections a great deal of fun this season - it was her gallop that left some fair rivals in trouble soon after halfway.

IO: The relentless gallop did for a number of her rivals and appeared to play to her strengths in a manner rather reminiscent of Blue Bunting. She did appear to become unbalanced in the dip and that would have to be a concern should she head to the more demanding cambers of Epsom but she powered up the hill to collar Lucida, who was the form horse, and the race looks rock solid. The fact they were betting 6/1 the field at one point suggests there were more questions than answers for most going into the race but David Wachman said it was only in the winter that he began to get excited about her and it's hard to know when her progress will stop.

Tiggy Wiggy far, far exceeded my expectations over a trip I didn't believe she could possibly hope to stay and her raw speed ought to give connections a great deal of fun this season - it was her gallop that left some fair rivals in trouble soon after halfway.

How significant is the formal appointment of Ryan Moore to the Coolmore team? Did he play a significant part in either victory or was he merely asked to steer home two horses who were much better than their rivals?

BL: It’s hugely significant. I don’t think Ryan Moore is a little bit better than his contemporaries, I think the gap in class is a little bit wider than that. He’s ruthless, rarely makes an error and there’s nobody stronger in a finish. He’s the go-to man for every owner that wants to win a race. His task on Gleneagles was relatively simple but his ride on Legatissimo was perfect. I don’t think many people would argue that Legatissimo is definitely a better miler than Lucida, even after we just witnessed her beat Jim Bolger’s filly by nearly a length. For me, the timing of Moore’s challenge was the difference between a Guineas win and a Guineas defeat.

WH: Look at the way he all but walked Gleneagles to post in the 2000 Guineas, keeping him to the opposite side of the track as the other horses and gently giving him a reassuring pat or two to help calm him down after the excitement of the parade ring. He took a horse who was on fire and turned him back into an athlete ready to perform, all in a matter of a few minutes. He's the jockey that covers all bases, thinks of everything, gives every ride every chance. 

MB: Let’s make no bones about it: it’s massive. Moore’s worth a couple of pounds in the saddle at the very least and there are plenty of people who would suggest Joseph O’Brien was never quite up to the job in the first place. I’m not one of them, but having Moore on the pick of the bunch in the biggest races will no doubt produce even more success for Ballydoyle this season. Gleneagles was no steering job and Moore had him positioned in absolutely the right place throughout, while as suggested above I feel Legatissimo benefited from the jockey even more. He bided his time on the Wachman filly and picked Kevin Manning’s pocket when he probably thought he had the race won after mastering Tiggy Wiggy.

IO: The top jockeys can end up on steering jobs (see some of Ruby Walsh's rides last week) but they earn those positions through their abilities. Moore seems a perfect fit for Coolmore as evidenced by his firm denial on the way back to the winner's enclosure that the Oaks was the obvious next step for Legatissimo given her 'speed'. The cutaway appeared to contribute to both successes (and the new course configuration seemed to work well) but his positioning was not by chance. He has been the go-to-man for top connections from all around the world in recent years as evidenced by Japan and Melbourne Cup victories and he will play a huge part in the continuing success of his new team.

While most eyes were on the action at Newmarket, Cirrus Des Aigles took Longchamp’s Prix Ganay at the age of nine. Is he a realistic contender for further top-level prizes this season despite his rising years?

BL: I certainly wouldn’t hold his age against him as his advancing years don’t seem to matter at this stage. He looked very good on Sunday when winning his third Prix Ganay and it’s hard to argue with quotes of around 5/2 for the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June. They key thing is Aidan O’Brien doesn’t seem to have an older middle-distance horse to win these type of races (does he, anyone?) so old Cirrus can turn up to every dance with a chance of further Group One glory. He could be vulnerable to the three-year-olds later on in the season, but in the early part of the campaign I can see him winning at the top level again.

WH: Ben's point about the Ballydoyle lack of depth in the older-horse division is an interesting one. A glance at his possible runners in the Coronation Cup shows that they include the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer (all but pulled up in the Derby) and Kingfisher, last seen when being used as a pacemaker for Australia in the Irish Champion. Taghrooda's Yorkshire Oaks conqueror Tapestry might yet be the one to fly the flag for the team in that sphere, depending upon how she has done over the winter. As for Cirrus des Aigles, it's like having a free bet - every time you win, he puts a smile on your face, even if you haven't backed him.

MB: I keep writing him off in my own mind and he keeps defying me so I’ll give that a rest following his latest top-class success. Beating a race-fit Al Kazeem shows he’s still a class act and with not many O’Brien older horses on the scene, more early-season joy looks on the cards for Cirrus.

IO: It's a joy to still see him winning races and holding his form so well; he really is remarkable. There's no reason why he shouldn't continue to hold his own in top company and it's rather insulting to the old boy to suggest otherwise given his victory at the weekend. He may have had a fitness advantage over Flintshire in the Coronation Cup last year but the second went on to fill the same position in the Prix Foy, Arc, Breeders's Cup Turf and Sheema Classic as well as winning the Hong Kong Vase. That's not bad form and he looked every bit as good at the weekend and Corinne Barande-Barbe knows how to manage him and his season.

Which other performance(s) took your eye from the domestic action over the weekend with an eye to finding a future winner?

WH: Mr Lupton looks a good thing for an ordinary juvenile maiden, Bossy Guest will set a fair standard in the Jersey Stakes and although it's best to walk away from luckless sprint handicappers rather than expect compensation at some point, I'll be having another go on Boomerang Bob at Royal Ascot.

MB: Plenty to go at but Maxwell won cosily on his handicap debut at Salisbury on Sunday and he’s open to improvement over middle distances. The slow gallop wouldn’t have suited him and he could be even more effective in a bigger field next time, while the handicapper can’t really go overboard with his mark.

BL: Zanetto ran a belter in third the Havana Gold Handicap on Sunday. His handicap mark has dropped right down from 109 to 93 and a pre-season wind operation seems to have done the trick. He could win a big one, like the Wokingham or the Stewards’ Cup.

IO: The Qatar Racing Handicap that brought racing at Newmarket to a close is often a red-hot affair and it would be dangerous to assume this year's renewal is any different despite the fancied horses disappointing. Ralph Beckett remarked that he 'hasn't quite worked out Mama's Boy yet' so there could be a good deal more to come while I'd expect favourite Muqtaser to repair his reputation before the season's through.

What wins the Betway Chester Cup?

MB: The Irish don’t have a great record in the race in recent seasons but Quick Jack, Zafayan and Shu Lewis are all interesting this time. The last-named, drawn one with Silvestre de Sousa for company, has some quality staying form in the book from last season, including a win over Arctic Fire and a close second to Missunited. The mare made a pleasing return to action when second behind Cheltenham Festival scorer Windsor Park at Gowran last month and has been overlooked at around 20/1.

BL: I fear I’ve missed the price but Gabrial’s King must go well for Richard Fahey and the good doctor. He was a big eye-catcher at Ripon on his first start for his new yard, he’s landed a plum low draw and will benefit from Franny Norton’s Chester expertise.

WH: Dermot Weld had a bit of twinkle in his eye when I saw him talking about Zafayan's chances on At The Races. What kind of mug has a bet on the basis of purely a twinkle though, eh?

IO: At first glance Trip To Paris takes the eye towards the foot of the weights. He ended last season on a disappointing note but had run a blinder in the King George V at Royal Ascot and that form is rock solid. He's returned an improved performer and I don't think that we're anywhere near getting to the bottom of him.