1. LQP. Another champion performance by the best horse currently in training. Legal Eagle remains unbeaten over 1600m and took his earnings over the R10m mark, racking up his 12th win in just 21 starts. Captain America made a bold attempt to steal the race and 200m out looked as if he had poached a winning lead. Legal Eagle hunted him down close home. The surprise of the race was the flying finish of Copper Force to nab 2nd place. Sail South ran his usual game race and finished in fourth just behind his stablemate. Marinaresco will undoubtedly shorten for the Met with a fast finishing 5th less than a length adrift the winner. Gold Standard was somewhat disappointing only managing 8th some 3 lengths back.
My ratings for this race:
Legal Eagle 119
Copper Force 118
Capt America 118
Sail South 117
Marinaresco 116
Paddock Stakes
The race was dominated by the younger set with the three year olds filling the first three places. Nother Russia was a tame 4th. Nightingale appeared to suffer interference from her stablemate and was never in the race. Silvan Star was caught three wide the whole way and ran out of puff the last 100m after looking dangerous halfway down the straight and was pipped by Safe Harbour in 5th. It is very hard to rate this race as none of the older fillies and mares ran to their best.
Perhaps
Oh Susanna 103
Lady in Black 100
Fresnaye 98
Which means that
Nother Russia only ran 98
Safe Harbour 97
Silvan Star 96
Seattle Gold 95
Peninsula Handicap
Eyes Wide Open ran a super race and will be a huge runner in the Derby. Using The Slade as the line horse makes EWO run 105 and if Platinum Prince is the line horse then 107. Nothing else in the field did their reputations any good and certainly none of the older horses should bother to enter the Met.
It was particularly pleasing to see the two Gr1 juvenile winners, Eyes Wide Open and Lady in Black return to their best form.
Sceptre Stakes
Magical Wonderland thrashed a strong looking field, although the two top older fillies, Just Sensual and Live Life both failed to run to their best ability. This race confirmed that MW is an exceptional sprinter and I have no doubt that she will pick up a Gr1 in due course.
Politician Stakes
Nothing emerged from this race that looks any kind of threat in the Derby. Ancestry still well below his juvenile form although did show some improvement on his previous run.
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