Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 9 September 2024

The pecking order for the top older horses this season must be all over the place following the two big races over the weekend.

I could never have fancied Montassib to win the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock while the following day Tribalist made all to spring a surprise in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin at Longchamp.

Montassib had never tackled Group 1 company before, his best effort coming on his previous outing in June when he beat Kinross by three-quarters of a length in the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle.

That saw his BHA rating rise to a career-high 110, but that was still 10lbs adrift of the top-rated Bucanero Fuerte in Saturday’s race.

The winner’s trainer William Haggas also had the third, Unequal Love, and he said afterwards that he hadn’t expected his winner to handle the quickening ground while he felt both his horses would struggle from their low draws.

Montassib had been well regarded as a two-year-old, winning his only start, but then had to miss the following season due to a heart problem. He was campaigned over seven furlongs and a mile as a four-year-old and for most of last season, until his last two runs when he finished fifth in the Ayr Gold Cup and then won a 6f 0-105 handicap at York.

His next target will be the Champions Sprint at Ascot where he could again meet Saturday’s runner-up Kind Of Blue. Others that could take their chance include Kinross and Mill Stream, but one has to say that the sprinting division lacks a star name this season.

Looking back at Sunday’s Prix du Moulin, the general consensus is that Mickael Barzalona stole the race on Tribalist, with the writer of the Racing Post’s analysis stating that the ‘best horse finished second’ and that Charyn ‘ought to have won.’

The fractions reveal that Charyn covered the final 600 metres in 34.37 seconds – the winner took 35.66 seconds – and the final 400 metres in 22.61 seconds, which was over a second quicker than the winner.

It is rare to see a front-runner so far clear on the turn for home at Longchamp and the second, third and fifth were closing the gap on him in the final furlong.

Tribalist had brought a very consistent record into the race, having finished in the first three in 16 of his 20 races, winning eight. He had won two Group 2s and three Group 3s – making all each time – but on the three occasions that he tackled Group 1 company the nearest he had finished was when he ran third to Modern Games in the 2022 Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

Looking back, with more than a smattering of hindsight, Tribalist was always going to be the pacemaker in Sunday’s race but the feeling beforehand was that he would set the race up for the three market leaders, who had each shown that they possessed a turn of foot.

Having thought this through I am not entirely convinced that the winner should be marked down for this success. He had not been disgraced in Group 1 company – placed in a Classic – and had a consistent record as a very effective front-runner performer who acted well in soft ground.

Looking elsewhere I was impressed with the manner in which Windlord won the 1m novice stakes at York on Sunday.

Andrew Balding’s son of Dubawi, who is from the family of Goldikova, won in a faster time and with 9lbs more than the three-year-old Zain Blue almost two hours later, beating a horse by five and a half lengths who had previously run second to Angelo Buonarroti in the prestigious Convivial Maiden Stakes here at York.

Windlord revealed a telling turn of foot inside the final furlong and afterwards the trainer’s wife revealed that the colt had ‘delighted’ them in his recent work.

I confidently expect him to shine in Group company, with the Royal Lodge Stakes a possible target.

By the way Lever Up, who attracted support at very long odds, ran well in fourth. He will give the Easterbys a lot of fun.

Talking of two-year-olds Dan Briden’s Two-Year-Old Prospects is out now and ready for dispatch. It costs £12 and orders can be placed by calling Rebecca on 01539741007.

Bye for now

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