The much improved REVERENCE (125) joined Ouija Board, Les Arcs and Alexandrova as dual winners of British Group 1s when capturing the VC Bet Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock within ten days, both races being run on soft ground. At York he beat AMADEUS WOLF (118) by two lengths, really putting his stamp on matters entering the final furlong; at Haydock, Amadeus Wolf wasn't beaten quite so far, but this time QUITO (122) separated the pair, going down by only a neck after Reverence had opened up a gap of two lengths a furlong out. In terms of pure form, this was a little shy of what he achieved in the Nunthorpe, appearing to underline that he's at least as effective at five furlongs as six, and with that in mind he's clearly going to be a leading contender for the Prix de l'Abbaye. Another notable Group 1 double was achieved by LIBRETTIST (124+), who became the first since Spinning World in 1997 to win both of France's major mid-season mile races, the Prix Jacques le Marois and the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. More detail can be found in the preview of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
The two-year-old scene has really started to take shape of late, with performances from two colts that take them to the top of the rankings. TEOFILO (120p) was hailed as the best colt his trainer Jim Bolger has trained after he'd got the better of Eagle Mountain by a head in the Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes at the Curragh, and he went some way to justifying that claim when turning over the odds-on HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (114) in the Laing O'Rourke National Stakes on the same course three weeks later, and now leads the ante-post markets for next year's 2000 Guineas and Derby. Given a good lead by his stable-companion who was in as a pacemaker, Teofilo readily gathered him in with a quick change of pace, running on far too strongly for the favourite inside the final 1f. Potentially a high-class prospect, certainly for 2007, he may still run again this year, with the Dewhurst Stakes or the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere as options.
The Philippe Demercastel-trained SPIRIT ONE (117p) put up his second wide-margin success in a row when winning the Prix des Chenes at Longchamp, having taken a listed race at Deauville in August by eight lengths. While that Deauville win looked dubious at the time _ his rivals appeared guilty of giving him too much rope _ there was no doubting his ability this time, even though the official winning margin of six lengths over San Domenico flatters him somewhat (it looked nearer five). Bowling along in front again, he then lengthened in good style to pull away when shaken up in the straight. Proven on soft ground, he'll have good claims of following up in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud, as the last four winners of the Chenes, Dalakhani, Bago, Helios Quercus and Carlotamix, all did. Along with the unbeaten VISIONARIO (currently 110p after his win in the Group 3 Prix La Rochette), the French have a couple of very smart prospects for next season.
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