prominent, ridden and effort 3f out, weakened under pressure 2f out
chased leaders, ridden and outpaced 3f out, hard ridden and stayed on same pace from over 1f out
held up 5th, steady headway on outer over 2f out, ridden to lead just inside final furlong, ran on strongly, ridden out
held up 6th, under pressure entering straight, stayed on steadily final 2f, took 3rd inside final furlong, not trouble first 2
led at good pace, 6 lengths clear 5f out, challenged over 1f out, headed just inside final furlong, rallied final 100 yards, but held
dwelt, soon tracked leader, ridden over 3f out, weakened 2f out
held up rear, struggling over 4f out, soon tailed off
We will give Magistretti another chance here, with his main rivals looking to be Vespone, Kaieteur and Muqbil. The selection has been a little disappointing this year but, if anywhere near the form of his International Stakes second to Falbrav last season, would take all the beating. His connections retain a lot of faith in him and we will follow suit. Kaieteur holds a similar profile in that a return to the form that saw him finish third in last year's Eclipse and a promoted runner-up in the Arlington Million would also give him a big chance. A big, aggressive horse, it could be that he still needed his run at Royal Ascot last time. Vespone beat Magistretti by a length and a half in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris last June on good to soft going but, again, has been a bit disappointing this season. As with the other pair mentioned, he holds big claims on official ratings going into this race. Much as Muqbil has seven or eight pounds to find on official marks, he looked good when scoring at Doncaster last time and, while this represents a step up in class, he has a progressive profile and could yet go well. The others, promising as they are, have a bit more to prove on form and ratings so our selection, Magistretti, has been found a good chance to silence his doubters.
