3 minute read

Perfect Power made a winning return to action when landing the Group Three Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury for Richard Fahey.

Piloted by Christophe Soumillon and the 6-4 favourite, the colt was running for the first time this term after a fruitful two-year-old campaign.

Winning four times from six runs last season, including Group One successes in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park, the son of Ardad consequently holds leading claims for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.

Those claims were further boosted by his comfortable length-and-a-half Greenham victory as he proved for the first time that he can stay seven furlongs and was subsequently slashed from 20-1 to 8-1 with both Betfair and Paddy Power.

Soumillon settled in behind Angel Bleu, who set out to make all, before moving to the front around a furlong out.

Perfect Power lengthened away in impressive style, galloping right to the line hold Lusail, who finished with purpose to grab second, beating Angel Bleu by a nose.

Soumillon said: "I hope he will (be a Guineas horse), but I have seen a very nice horse winning at Newmarket a few days ago (Native Trail). I don't know. It depends on how the horse will come after his run. Today, he did nearly everything perfectly and the hardest way to ride him was going down to the start.

"He was a bit tricky again in the first three or four-hundred metres as he was trying to pull a bit, but the rest of the race he was nearly perfect.

"You can't ask for much more on his first race of the season – his prep race.

"He did everything perfect. The horse that we beat (Angel Bleu) won two Grade Ones last year. So, I'm very pleased and now we will see how the ground is at Newmarket in a few weeks' time and how the condition will be with the runners.

"He is a top horse and I'm so pleased to ride such nice horses.

"If you don't try to go a mile, you don't know. The way he ran today, he settled well in the race and he can be very relaxed, and his big turn of foot is what you need in such kinds of races, so why not? We will see. I am not the manager, the owner or the trainer, but we have a very nice horse on our hands now."

Fahey always felt seven furlongs would be within Perfect Power's compass and while he is unsure about a mile, a Guineas tilt remains a possibility.

He said: "I was very confident he would get seven, Christophe said he'd stay seven last year. When a horse has so much speed like he has, it is always a worry on your mind. But today was great and everything worked well.

"We will sit down and have a think about the Guineas. Christophe was delighted because he jumped out the gates, because he was a little bit slow before and at no stage did he think he was going to get beat, which was good. It was a decent race today. I thought it was quite a deep Greenham.

"He is a fast horse who will stay seven (furlongs). Whether he will stay a mile, I'm not sure.

"What would we have to lose (by running at Newmarket)? We'd get beat. I'm not being awkward, I'm not making any decisions today. He has definitely improved a lot.

"I love this guy. At home, he is an absolute gent. And I need a big gun to fire!

"He wasn't fully wound up. I just didn't want to have him fully fit here and wanted a run just to put him right for the Guineas if we went there.

"Does he look like a miler? He settled well enough. He was doing a half-speed behind them. He has won there at Newmarket, except I didn't think he came down the hill well that day."