Fahey looking forward to Perfect Power stepping back in trip in Commonwealth Cup
The first two in last year’s Norfolk Stakes head a tremendously competitive field of 20 in the £500,000 Commonwealth Cup.
The Group 1 six-furlong race for three-year-olds, which is part of the 35-race QIPCO British Champions Series, got off to a flying start when champion sprinter Muhaarar won the first running in 2015 and it has continued to deliver every year since, 2021 producing a dramatic finish in which the Wesley Ward filly Campanelle prevailed only after the intervention of the stewards.
Friday’s field includes another worthy challenger from America in the Christophe Clement-trained Slipstream, who beat Breeders’ Cup winner Twilight Gleaming at Keeneland last time.
The Norfolk Stakes result was somewhat unsatisfactory as Perfect Power and Go Bears Go, separated by only a head at the finish, had raced apart in two separate groups. Both went on to confirm themselves high among the season’s sprinting two-year-olds, Perfect Power winning both the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes and Go Bears Go ending his season with a fine second at the Breeders’ Cup.
Their trainers report them both in rude health, so the rematch is keenly anticipated, not that this is a two-horse race by any stretch of the imagination.
Perfect Power was last seen finishing in mid-division in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, where trainer Richard Fahey always had reservations about him getting the trip. He said: “He looks like a sprinter and walks like a sprinter, so he probably is one. It will be good to get him back over six furlongs.
“He’s in great order and we are looking forward to seeing him run. I don’t think he has issues with any ground, but there’s no doubt he went very well on fast ground as a two-year-old.”
Go Bears Go stumbled badly at the start when beaten at Haydock last time and had previously won the Commonwealth Cup Trial over this course and distance, beating Hierarchy and Ehraz. David Loughnane is really sweet on his chance.
I’m very hopeful we can have some redemption for last year
Loughnane said: “I couldn’t be happier with him. He’s in a great place physically and mentally and he’s back to his favourite racecourse. He won’t mind fast ground and I’m very hopeful we can have some redemption for last year.”
Ehraz did too much that day but has since run really well in a strong Listed race at Newbury, where he just failed to catch Tiber Flow and had Cadamosto back in fifth. Richard Hannon fancies Ehraz to turn the tables on Tiber Flow, but at the same time William Haggas suspects the winner is a bit better than the bare result.
Hannon said: “Ehraz still hasn’t come in his coat, which is the weirdest thing, but he’s looked like that all year. He’s an extremely good horse who travels very well, and I was very pleased with his second to Tiber Flow at Newbury, where he finished well.”
Haggas said: “Tiber Flow is a nice horse and earned his place here when he won at Newbury. We are putting cheekpieces on as we thought he dossed a bit there.”
Another key contender is El Caballo, who has won the last six of his seven races and represents Karl Burke, winner of the second running of the Commonwealth Cup with Quiet Reflection.
El Caballo coped with a step up in grade to beat Flaming Rib and Wings Of War in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock last time, where Go Bears Go did well to finish fourth after what happened at the start.
Irish challenger Twilight Jet ran well in many of the best two-year-old sprints at two and gained a second Group 3 five-furlong win at Naas on his reappearance. The French filly Miramar needs to improve again on her Group 3 win at Chantilly in April but now represents powerful Japanese interests and also merits respect.
