Sergei Prokofiev© Photo Healy Racing
Sergei Prokofiev could be bound for the Breeders’ Cup after outclassing his rivals in the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt looked a top-class prospect after registering successive wins in the spring and was far from disgraced when third behind Calyx and Advertise in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He was a shade disappointing on his two most recent outings in the Phoenix and Middle Park Stakes, but showed his true colours in this five-furlong Group Three on the Rowley Mile under a confident ride from the trainer’s son, Donnacha.
The 3-1 favourite was still at the rear of the field racing inside the final two furlongs, but made rapid headway once switched wide and passed the post a length and a quarter clear of Well Done Fox, without being asked for maximum effort.
O’Brien said: “He was always so quick at home. The first time we stepped him up to six furlongs he lost that bit of brilliance. It’s amazing the difference a furlong makes — obviously he is really a five-furlong horse.
“We were going to let him relax wherever he was. Donnacha did give him a very good ride. It’s very rare to come from the back like that.
“It’s possible he could go to America (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint). He has had a busy enough campaign and it might be possible we put him away for next year.”
The father-son combination looked to have a strong chance of completing a quickfire double in the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes with Dundalk maiden winner Frosty.
However, the full-sister to four-times Group One winner Winter finished well-beaten behind Roger Varian’s 12-1 winner Mot Juste.
Successful on her third start at Beverley last month, the American-bred filly was pressed by Angel’s Hideaway late on, but passed the post three-quarters of a length to the good under William Buick.
Buick said: “She travelled very smoothly. It was very windy, but she had a nice bit of cover and did it well.”
Asked whether he felt Mot Juste could be a 1000 Guineas contender, the jockey added: “I’m sure the connections will be thinking that way and rightly so. They can dream through the winter and I see no problem with her getting the mile.”
