Handicappers' Corner 
/ David Johnson / 11 July 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Dream Ahead quickens to win the July Cup
"Dream Ahead...certainly gave the impression there was more to come and his master rating was raised to 129, the highest figure awarded to a July Cup winner since Mozart in 2001."
The July Meeting was backed up by top action at York and Ascot this weekend and there was plenty of quality on show to keep our handicappers busy. David Johnson reflects on how the action has affected the ratings of some of the top performers this week...
There's a well worn phrase in racing relating to Sir Michael Stoute's record with improving older horses, and though not many 6-y-o mares remain in his hands, his handling of Crystal Capella shows there is more than a grain of truth to it.
Crystal Capella has been restricted to just seven outings in the last three years, but when she's made it to the track she's usually made it count, notably so when winning the Princess of Wales's Stakes last week by 8 lengths from Redwood.
In a race where they finished extremely well strung out, and only the third Buthelezi could also be considered to have run to form, Crystal Capella was awarded a rating of 127. This figure, if anything, is a lowish view of the form with race standards giving a range of 127-134 and prior-rating standards pointing to a figure of 130.
This rating promotes Crystal Capella to the head of the ratings for the middle-distance fillies and mares, 1 lb ahead of Midday. There's a strong possibility the pair could clash in the Yorkshire Oaks, and that would be a race to savour.
The feature of the meeting was the July Cup, switched to Saturday for the first time and last year's Middle Park winner Dream Ahead confirmed that 6f is his optimum trip by returning to form to land the spoils. Rated 128 at the end of last year, Dream Ahead didn't quite have to match that, running to 126, the same as runner-up Bated Breath, but certainly gave the impression there was more to come and his master rating was raised to 129, the highest figure awarded to a July Cup winner since Mozart in 2001.
The other Group 1 at the meeting, the Falmouth Stakes, failed to produce such a commanding winner. Tactics played a huge part in the outcome with Timepiece well suited by racing close up in a slowly run race, and it's doubtful that she'd confirm the placing with a few others on a more level playing field.
Even so Timepiece has been credited with a small amount of improvement and is now rated 118, but she remains rated lower than Sahpresa (122), River Jetez (120), Lily of The Valley (124) and Antara (119) who all finished behind her.
Some of the Royal Ascot juvenile form came under the microscope at the meeting too. Frederick Engels showed again what a shrewd acquisition he was by Pearl Bloodstock by adding the July Stakes to his Windsor Castle victory. He earned a performance figure of 110+ for beating Roman Soldier by a length, increasing his master rating to 114, and he's now second only to Bapak Chinta in the list of Timeform's top juveniles.
Gamilati, who was a maiden coming into the race, took a few notable scalps when winning the Cherry Hinton. Her rating of 108 still leaves her behind the below-form third Shumoos, whilst runner-up Russelliana, rated 103p, perhaps has the scope to improve past the pair of them.
The Superlative Stakes looks quite a strong renewal this year with Red Duke and Chandery pulling clear of the rest, and they earned figures of 110p and 107 respectively.
There were also some notable efforts outside of pattern company amongst the juveniles too. Harbour Watch had his field well strung out in the 6f conditions race and was awarded a performance figure of 108+ and a master rating of 111p, and he can be expected to make the step up to pattern company sooner rather than later.
It was off to York form some of the best handicap performances of the week. Green Destiny shrugged a poor effort aside at Royal Ascot to run out a one-sided winner of the John Smith's Cup, earning a rating of 118p. Even with a penalty, he'll look one of the best treated for the totesport Mile at Glorious Goodwood.
Rather lost in all of this was the Summer Mile at Ascot in which Dick Turpin got back to winning way. He recorded a performance figure of 126 in defeating Fanunalter, and his master rating remains unchanged on 127.
If there wasn't enough action in the UK over the weekend, there was also the Man O' War Stakes at Belmont where Cape Blanco got back to winning ways in defeating Gio Ponti. Race standards and prior rating standards suggest Cape Blanco didn't need to improve on his pre-race rating of 124. He has been rated higher than that is in the past, running to 130 in last year's Irish Champion Stakes.
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