Sans Frontieres

Sans Frontieres put up an impressive display to land the Princess Of Wales Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday and he could still be under-rated. He travelled really well through the race and looked like the winner at every stage in the home straight. He found as much as he looked like he would this time for Tom Queally, he quickened away well to go past Tazeez and he was always holding the late run of Redwood.

Sans Frontieres is not the most straightforward, Jeremy Noseda has tried various pieces of equipment on him, but there is no doubting his talent when things fall right for him. He did a tendon after the Dante last year and was out for the rest of last season, but he could make up for lost time now, as long as the equipment continues to work. He has run well in the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot on his previous run when fitted with a tongue-tie for the first time, and he had it fitted again here. He also had cheekpieces on for the first time on Thursday, and both pieces of equipment combined to enable him put up a career-best. Also, this was just his second run over a mile and a half, a distance over which he seems to be at his most effective. Jeremy Noseda’s colt was not fit enough for his seasonal debut at Newmarket in April, Frankie Dettori apparently got off him and said that he would need another run to get fit. He was disappointing on his next run at Chester, and he could never get a position through the Hardwicke Stakes, he didn't really travel that well, but it was still a much better indication of his ability. Spanish Moon under-performed here, and that Tazeez may not have stayed, but this was still almost certainly a career-best from Sans Frontieres.

He could still be under-rated next time as people may treat this as a one-off. He is by Galileo out of a Shirley Heights mare, his half-brother Dilsaa won a flat race over a mile and six furlongs and a hurdle race over two and a half miles, and Sans Frontieres may be even better if stepped up to a mile and six. He travels easily and he showed a fine turn of foot here at the end of a mile and a half. Connections are talking about the Ebor, in which he would be an intriguing participant, although a penalty incurred for this would almost certainly ensure that he would have to carry top weight. That said, he would still be well-in, as the handicapper raised him 12lb to a mark of 117. He is also in the Irish St Leger, and he would be even more interesting in that.

8th July 2010

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