Good

5:10 JRA Conditions Stakes (3) (3yo+)

[off 5:12] £9,094.40, £3,449.60, £1,724.80, £784.00, £392.00, £235.20 (1m2f18y) 1m2f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Etesaal (USA) (7) Saeed Bin Suroor 5 9-7 t L Dettori 7/2 105 — —

2 nk Big Bad Bob (IRE) (2) J L Dunlop 5 9-2 I Mongan 4/1 108 — —

3 2½ Almuraad (IRE) (6) Sir Michael Stoute 4 9-2 R Hills 7/2 105 — —

4 2 Kings Quay (5) R Hannon 3 8-8 R L Moore 100/30F 105 — —

5 shd Colisay (4) Mrs A J Perrett 6 9-2 S W Kelly 9/2 104 — —

6 dist King´s Thought (1) S Gollings 6 9-2 p T Quinn 16/1 91 — —

6 ran TIME 2m 7.02s (slow by 1.02s) TOTAL SP 111%

NON RUNNER: Jath

1st OWNER: Godolphin BRED: Morven Stud Ltd TRAINER: Saeed Bin Suroor

2nd OWNER: Windflower Overseas Holdings Inc

3rd OWNER: Hamdan Al Maktoum

TOTE WIN £3.80 PL £2.00, £1.90; Ex £14.10; CSF £17.43

ANALYSIS: This was contested as usual by ‘twilight' horses - horses who are rated too highly to be competitive in valuable handicaps but are not quite good enough, by and large, to make it pay in Group races. There were two confirmed front runners in the field, King's Thought and Big Bad Bob, but they didn't go that quick and the final time was a bit slower than that recorded by Gavroche half an hour earlier in the handicap, in which they went very quick.

ETESAAL had not been at his best on either start since his Newmarket defeat of Colisay in April, and he was badly treated with that rival under the 5lb penalty, so his chance wasn't obvious. Having kept the leaders well in his sights he went second in the straight as King's Thought cried enough, but hereally had to battle to get the better of Big Bad Bob, who stuck on particularly well. He may not be easy to place again now.

Big Bad Bob was a Group winner in Germany two years ago, but he is not quite so good these days and had been below form on his last two starts. He was best in here on BHB figures, enjoying an 8lb advantage with Etesaal at the weights, and while he was very game, the form is nothing to get too excited about.

Almuraad travelled well enough, but he wasn't good enough totake advantage when Big Bad Bob briefly came off the rail and offered him a chance. It was only the fifth race of his career and his first for nearly 10 months, but he had made a winning reappearance in both previous campaigns so might not make as much improvement as one would normally expect. Kings Quay, the only 3yo in the race, made his effort up the outside but looked as if he might not have been putting it all in. He has had some stiff tasks this year - he ran here in the Derby - but this looked a good opportunity.