Perfect Power slashed to 8-1 for next season’s 2,000 Guineas

Ace French jockey Christophe Soumillon pulled off a daring near last to first victory on Perfect Power in the Group One Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket as the Richard Fahey-trained colt was slashed to 8-1 for next season’s 2,000 Guineas.

Fahey had feared being drawn furthest from the stand’s rail in stall one might be a disadvantage impossible to overcome for Perfect Power but his lightning turn of foot got the colt out of trouble – just as it had done when he won the Prix Morny under Soumillon at Deauville in August – with a half-length win from Castle Star.

Soumillon said: ‘I know the horse is able to accelerate. The problem was when I hit the downhill part of the track he stumbled twice and lost his balance so I was a bit too far from the front.

‘It has not been easy to come from off the pace but I knew I was on the best horse in the race and just needed to be confident on him.’

Fahey added: ‘It took a special ride and special horse to win.’

A week on Sunday, Soumillon will ride Dermot Weld-trained favourite Tarnawa in the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

Aidan O’Brien is likely to have three runners in the race with Ryan Moore on No 1 contender Snowfall, Japanese jockey Yutaka Take on Broome and Frankie Dettori coming in for the mount on Love.

O’Brien’s Tenebrism is 8-1 for the 2021 1,000 Guineas after she hauled back clear leader Flotus to win the Cheveley Park Stakes by a length under Ryan Moore.

Tenebrism had not run since suffering an injury after making a winning debut at Naas in March and O’Brien conceded he had been worried she might need the run.

Mark Johnston-trained Royal Patronage pulled off an even more unlikely victory overturning a five-length advantage held by Charlie Appleby’s Coroebus to win the Royal Lodge Stakes.

Royal Patronage will be aimed at next year’s Derby but Coroebus, who had the race won before tiring, might ultimately prove the best horse,