Perfect Power flies home to land Commonwealth Cup for Christophe Soumillon

Perfect Power (near): held on well in the Commonwealth Cup

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Friday: Commonwealth Cup, Royal Ascot

Christophe Soumillon timed his run to perfection to land the Commonwealth Cup on Perfect Power to give Richard Fahey a second winner of the meeting.

Sent off the 7-2 joint favourite, Perfect Power looked one of the less likely winners at halfway but when Soumillon asked him to go about his business, he picked up well before stretching again to master Flaming Rib inside the final half furlong. 

“I think today the track was a bit fast for him and with that draw [in stall one] I didn’t have a lot of choice but to set him back,” said Soumillon.

“At the two-furlong marker I saw I was six, seven lengths behind and I thought I was probably a bit far back. But in the race before I saw Ryan [Moore] was going on the same line, so the track was looking quite good there and I’d walked it just before.

“I’m sure he can be much better on softer ground so it’s good news.”

Perfect Power leads home the Commonwealth Cup field

Edward Whitaker

The winner of the Prix Morny-Middle Park double at two, the son of Ardad made a successful reappearance on a first try at seven furlongs in the Greenham before failing to get home in the 2,000 Guineas.

“That’s the greatness of a top trainer,” said Soumillon. “We had to try to give him a little bit more stamina for the Guineas – we had to try it – now we know he’s a top sprinter.

“He’s a great horse and he has such a big heart because I never thought he would be able to quicken a second time. And in the last 150 [metres] he gave me another turn of foot.

“Last year I thought he was probably the best speed two-year-old I’d ridden and now at three he’s given another great performance. I hope it’s just the first Group 1 for him this year.”

Fahey watched the race in company with bloodstock agent Richard Brown, who bought Perfect Power power as a breeze-up horse at Doncaster for Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum last April and within weeks had been repaid with success in the Norfolk Stakes at this meeting.

After watching his tenth Royal Ascot winner, Fahey said: “He was further back than I wanted and when you’ve got one fancied you always want to be up there at the front but Christophe is the man.

“When you’ve got a great belief in a horse and he doesn’t let you down, it’s fantastic and he’s a special horse.”

Brown added: “Every time you watch this horse you think ‘Is it today?’ and then he comes. The Coolmore horse [fourth Cadamosto] has come to him and he’s pulled out again. He’s got the heart of a lion.”

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FIRST PUBLISHED 3:14PM, JUN 17 2022