Expert Analysis

This ended up being very one-sided, with Palace Pier more than fit enough to do himself justice on his first run since British Champions Day at Ascot in October, and his most credible rival on (all-weather) form performing badly. But a wide-margin defeat of the useful and in-form Bless Him still amounts to plenty, especially when, as was the case here, the effort was largely backed up by the clock. One further thing to add is that the ground was more testing than given officially, as implied by times (all of them, not just this one) and reflective of “good to soft” more than “good”, let alone anything firmer than that. One consequence is that a visual margin of 6.5 to 7 lengths was returned as 8 lengths as required by the BHA’s fixed conversion of time lapses in line with official descriptions of the going.   

PALACE PIER (124 here, 126 previously) was one of the best horses in the world in 2020, certainly among milers, winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville before coming only third in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes back at Ascot. He promises to make an even bigger impact this year, starting off in fine fashion with a wide-margin win in an ultimately shallow affair but backing up his performance with a good time, over 2.0s quicker than the smart three-year-old Naamoos posted earlier on the card and running approximately 25.5s for the last 2f (101.0% finishing speed) despite softish ground and an uphill finish. He raced in second before disputing the lead from 3f out to 2f out, sent about his business thereafter, more than doubling his margin between 1f out and the line. A son of Kingman, he may well be a specialist miler but has some stamina – all his runs since his debut have been with give in the ground – to go with a superb turn of foot.

BLESS HIM (105 previously and here) will do well to repeat the feat of finishing second in a Group 2 but put it all together in a shallow contest, held up in last until moving up 2f out and continuing to run on despite having nothing like the pace of the winner. This is his trip, and, like others from his stable, he is holding his form well as he gets older.

HAPPY POWER (97 here, 115 previously) was well below his best, the trip plenty far enough for him on easy ground on what was his reappearance, a bit free in third until moving up quite threateningly 2f out, only to empty thereafter and wander a bit. He won three on the trot in 2020, all at 7f and culminating with the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket, and he will probably run quite a bit better with this under his belt.

KHUZAAM (65 here, 116 previously) failed dismally to confirm the form of his impressive win in the All-Weather Mile (in which Bless Him had been 6 lengths back in third), leading but done with in strides 2f out. He had shown promise on turf, without winning, earlier in his career but possibly needs all-weather, or at least sounder turf. Simon Rowlands