Newmarket's not normally considered to be one of the serial offenders in this regard, (in fact they're one of the best). The RP have been altering their standards of late, and in line with something we've noted before about the Rowley Mile being quite punitive. They've added a bit in here and there, but not enough to alter things that significantly (well nothing like the 7 secs they've added to the staying hurdles standard at Cheltenham anyway). 0.10 secs at 10F's and 0.20 secs at 7F's, 0.30 secs at 9F's isn't massive, and they've taken 0.20 secs off at 6F's.
At this stage I'd be inclined to wonder if they weren't running into something of a headwind? This would show up in the race times without altering what the clerk thinks he's got.
In 2008 they ran on what was declaerd as good ground, and most the corresponding races from yesterday appear slightly faster but not a full going descriptions worth.
The opening 10F maiden was 1.85 secs slower (probably due to a slow early pace which Native Ruler backers could draw comfort from)
The 2yo race was +0.89 secs faster
The free handicap -0.05 secs slower
Nell Gwyn +0.22 secs faster
The Fielden +1.42 secs faster
7F 3yo Mdn +0.40 secs faster
6F 0-100 3yo H'cap +0.48 secs faster
If you take out your two extreme values then yesterday's ground was on average just 0.38 secs faster than last years, which isn't the difference between Good and Good to Firm.
It only really leaves two possibilities. The ground was Good to Firm, but a headwind was affecting the times. That either one of 2009 or 2008 was declared inaccurately. Can anyone shed any light on this who was there yesterday?
As mentioned the Redwoods win in the Fielden looks like being the stand out performance, and where as the respective winners of the Nell Gwyn and Free handicap and other races tended to run a bit quicker than last years winners, he's pretty well put double the same distance again between himself and his respective winner
Fantasia's Nell Gwyn is interesting. The overall rating isn't that brilliant and yet she's won decisively. Last year Infallible earned plaudits in many quarters for her decisive victory of 3.5L's over a 66/1 shot. To double this distance off what can't have been a particularly punishing pace is impressive.
It suggests that she's either done a couple of things;
a) beaten trees
b) settled it with a devastating turn of foot
She was certainly far enough ahead of the others on ratings and form to make a) a possibility, but even then, you'd still expect something to have got nearer than 7L's in Gp3 from a moderate pace. Without seeing the sections you couldn't be 100% certain, but it hints at b). That being so, if she possesses that kind of acceleration then she looks ideally suited for the Pouliches.
The other noteworthy performer is Monsieur Chevallier whose runa figure that would be consistant with a Royal Ascot 2yo winner, but then there's likely to be a few others in the next month or so that do the same
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