Perfect Power (7-2 joint favourite) scorched to a fine victory in the Group One Commonwealth Cup on the fourth day of Royal Ascot 2022.
The Richard Fahey-trained three-year-old landed a second successive victory at the Royal meeting, backing up his victory in last year's Norfolk Stakes with a win in the six-furlong Group One under French jockey Christophe Soumillon.
The Ardad colt was dropping back to sprinting, having been seventh behind fellow Royal Ascot winner Coroebus when stepped up to a mile in the QIPCO 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket last month following his win in the seven-furlong Greenham Stakes at Newbury on his seasonal return. But having won Group Ones over six furlongs – the Darley Prix Morny at Deauville and the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket – last season, he showed the power-packed speed to score again at the top level.
Under Soumillon, he came through to lead on the far side of the track and beat Flaming Rib (14-1) by a length-and-a-quarter, with Flotus (40-1) half-a-length further adrift in third and Aidan O'Brien's Cadamosto (40-1) fourth.
Perfect Power could go back up to seven furlongs for Prix Maurice De Gheest back at Deauville in August. But he could take on his elders in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket at the start of next month, for which he is a best-priced 5-1 with William Hill behind fellow Royal Ascot winner, Aussie raider Nature Strip –the 2-1 favourite for the six-furlong sprint.
Fahey was landing a ninth Royal Ascot victory and a second of the week, having had 50-1 shot The Ridler take the Group Two Norfolk Stakes, under Warrington jockey Paul Hanagan, on Thursday.
The North Yorkshire-based handler said: "We hoped this lad would stay but he's definitely happier back sprinting. He's a great doer and an absolute pleasure to train. You can switch him on and off.
"Christophe doesn't need any instructions. He loves him and so do I. I think we will stay sprinting with him and probably head for the Prix Maurice de Gheest over six and a half furlongs at Deauville.
"I was further back than I wanted, but Christophe Soumillon is the man.
"It's fantastic. When you have a great belief in a horse and he doesn't let you down – it's fantastic.
"When you're a small trainer from the north of England, you need Group One horses. He has won three Group Ones now, it will be four soon. He is a special horse."
Soumillon added: "It's great. I think the track was a bit fast for him and, with that draw, I didn't have any chance but to sit back. When I looked around at the two-furlong marker, I saw I had seven lengths to make up. I thought that was a bit far, but in the race before I saw Ryan Moore took the same line and the track was looking good there.
"I'm sure he can be much better on softer ground, so it is good news.
"That is the greatness of a top trainer. We tried to give him more stamina for the 2,000 Guineas, and you have to try. Now we know he is a top sprinter. He is a great horse. He has such a big heart and when I came by, I wasn't sure if he would quicken again and then the last 150 yards he showed another turn of foot.
"It's great. Perfect Power was the best two-year-old I have ridden in terms of speed and, now at three, he is still giving a great performance. I hope this is just his first Group One of the season and I'm sure if he went to Deauville for the Prix Maurice De Gheest, that would be his race and then maybe at the end of the season we go seven, but the trainer knows more than me."
Chester May Festival winner Flaming Rib – who is trained at former Liverpool FC striker Michael Owen's Manor House Stables by Hugo Palmer – was a gallant second again. He had also been runner-up to Karl Burke's El Caballo – the other 7-2 joint favourite who disappointed this time, finishing 18th – in the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park last month.
Palmer said of Flaming Rib: "I was nervous about the ground, and James (Doyle) actually said he'll improve again on better ground.
"He did a piece of work last week which, the horse has never worked badly the whole time, but his work last week was pretty wow stuff, and he beat a horse who is rated considerably higher than him, and did it impressively, and I thought there was just a chance we would have improved a lot today.
"Being second – you're the first loser; it's never where you want to be, but I'm very proud of what he's done."
Part-owner Owen added: “Flaming Rib is such a tough horse. He beat everything that was around him and then all of a sudden one appears on the far side that he might not have seen. He has run with so much credit."
Ed Crisford, joint-trainer of Flotus, added: "I was delighted with that – obviously she bounced back to her Cheveley Park form. She's been a bit unlucky this year, with the stalls at Newmarket, and ran a great race at Haydock, but to see her run like that was fantastic. I'm so pleased.
"We'll see what there is. I don't think she even has a Listed penalty now, because she won before August, so we've got all options and we'll see where she is. We'll pick and choose for her – we've got lots of options."
