A horse to take from the Eclipse, a sprinter to forgive and a future top-level winner? Three things we learned this week

Three key takeaways from across the week . . .

Al Riffa ready to finally make his mark

Amid all the noise surrounding City Of Troy, one part of the Eclipse which got completely overlooked was the performance of Al Riffa in second, just a length behind the horse who has been eulogised beyond almost any before him at Ballydoyle.

Is now the time for Al Riffa to live up to the abundant potential he displayed as a juvenile? 

After winning the National Stakes at the Curragh, he began 2023 as one of the leading contenders for several Classics. An injury-interrupted campaign limited him to just two starts, although that did include running subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact mightily close in a Group 2 last August.

The soft ground played more into his hands than it did City Of Troy's at Sandown on Saturday, and that makes Joseph O’Brien’s stated target of the Arc all the more interesting if conditions turned testing, as they often do, at Longchamp on the first Sunday of October.

Al Riffa has yet to be tested beyond a mile and a quarter, but everything in his pedigree suggests he will thrive upped in trip and it's surprising his connections have lasted this long without moving to a mile and a half. At 33-1, he could be an interesting Arc dark horse.
Sam Hendry

Al Riffa (right) chased home City Of Troy in the EclipseCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Another hot Lancashire Oaks?

The Lancashire Oaks is gaining quite the reputation for producing top-class fillies and mares, and Queen Of The Pride looks to have the quality to live up to its smart roll of honour.

Two of the last three winners have gone on to win Group 1s (six of them in 2021 victor Alpinista’s case), while the odd one out in that sequence, Free Wind, came within a head of claiming the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks last summer.

Haydock runner-up and favourite Tiffany had been on a roll for Sir Mark Prescott, but was readily accounted for, finishing three lengths behind Queen Of The Pride, who remains lightly raced and open to plenty of improvement.

The unexposed filly by late sire Roaring Lion did not race as a juvenile and had only two starts at three, and the patience of her trainers John and Thady Gosden appears to be paying off as she blossoms at four.

She would be worthy of a place against the likes of Bluestocking and Emily Upjohn in the Yorkshire Oaks next month.
Sam Hendry

Don’t give up on Live In The Dream

This season has yet to go to plan for Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream.

The Adam West-trained five-year-old shaped encouragingly when second in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock in May, but has since finished a beaten favourite in the Listed Achilles Stakes back at Haydock and in Saturday’s Group 3 Coral Charge.

Last season's Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream has yet to scale such heights again this campaignCredit: Edward Whitaker

However, there was enough in Saturday’s run to suggest he can still play his part in this season’s top-level sprints.

A perennial front-runner, connections changed tack in the Charge and let Live In The Dream take a pull behind the leaders.

This switch in tactics did not pay off, but, having looked set to mirror his Achilles run and drop away tamely in the closing stages, Live In The Dream did some of his best work late, rallying for fourth under Sean Kirrane.

With his campaign likely centred around a return to York to defend his Nunthorpe crown, it is reasonable to expect improvement from Live In The Dream. Getting back on better ground and reverting to his favoured catch-me-if-you-can tactics will also benefit him.

Therefore, the decision to push him out to a general 16-1 for next month’s Nunthorpe feels like an overreaction, particularly in a division which lacks a breakout star.
Joe Eccles

The Last Word:

Ante-Post Angles: City Of Troy did enough in the Eclipse, but it would be far from a done deal if he rocks up at York       

We know City Of Troy is better than this - but only one Eclipse winner has been rated worse in Racing Post Ratings history 

Cook Review: Why so downbeat? Let's celebrate City Of Troy's rare double - his fans had little to worry about 

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