Weekend Review: Ross Millar looks back at the Easter weekend action

I’m covering this edition of the weekend review column for Tom Collins who is away on holiday, I suspect his highlight involved sipping a pina colada by the pool!

Perfection at Newbury

The flat season is starting to find its stride and over the coming weeks we’ll see plenty of colts & fillies put their classic credentials on the line in the various trials; hopes will be dashed and dreams ignited.

At Newbury on Saturday, the Greenham Stakes delivered the most up to date Classic clue in the shape of Perfect Power, who proved in no uncertain terms that he has certainly trained on. As a son of Ardad – who himself struggled as a 3yo – out of the solid yet unspectacular mare, Sagely - rated 90 at her best – he does not have the pedigree of a stereo-typical 2000 Guineas horse; but on the track he has proven himself to be a tough and talented performer.

He is adaptable too, his win on Saturday meant he now has wins over five, six and seven furlongs; additionally he was ridden in a more prominent fashion when previously ridden with restraint. Heading into the Greenham I was confident he would win (as tipped on the SBK Betting Podcast) but I was sceptical as to whether he would stay a mile in the Guineas, now I’m not so sure.

He wasn’t hard driven by Christophe Soumillon to win a tad cosily and he certainly wasn’t stopping at the line. Newmarket is a stiffer test than Newbury but you could understand if connections were tempted to try it, you only get one shot at the Guineas and they always have the option of dropping back to six-furlongs in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot if necessary.

Regardless, Perfect Power looks set to enjoy another fine season and certainly brightened up my Saturday afternoon.

Galopin to the Gold Cup?

Anyone who listened to the SBK Cheltenham Festival podcasts will know that I am a fully signed up member to the Galopin Des Champs fan club; his engine and athleticism is indicative of everything I love about horses. As we all know he was superlative at Cheltenham until making a minor error on landing over the last – my betting slip was in tatters, but my faith was unshaken.

On Sunday he was again exceptional, his Cheltenham experience clearly had no ill effect and if anything he jumped the early fences neater and lower – in contrast to the Festival where he arguably jumped with too much flamboyance in the early stages.

While he only had three rivals to beat he could not have been more impressive, beating Master McShee by an easy eighteen lengths; nine lengths more than when they met at Leopardstown in February.

Next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup is shaping up to be a vintage one as pretenders; Galopin Des Champs, L’Homme Presse, Ahoy Senor and Stattler can all have reasonable hopes of toppling the current champion, A Plus Tard.

Excitement already growing ahead of the Cheltenham Festival next year

More to come from Horton

Finally a mention for rookie trainer James Horton, who at Redcar trained not only his first winner but his first treble, courtesy of Phantom Flight, Il Bandito and Asjad; all owned by John and Jess Dance to who he is private trainer.

The new partnership had only had five-runners prior to Monday but given the ambitious plans they have for the newly redeveloped Manor House Farm in Middleham, more winners are sure to follow.

The wins surely topped off a memorable weekend for John and Jess, as their high-class racemare, Laurens, gave birth to a striking Kingman filly on Sunday night – now that is what dreams are made of!