John Ingles reviews Timeform’s highest-rated older horses due to reappear over the next month or so.

White Birch was an unheralded winner of the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his reappearance at three when winning that Derby trial as the outsider in the field of six. But he strengthened his Derby claims when a neck second to The Foxes in the Dante Stakes under contrasting conditions and then race a fine race at Epsom considering he came from last of all three furlongs out to stay on for third, just over five lengths behind Auguste Rodin. But that proved to be the peak of White Birch’s form at three as he ran poorly in the Irish Derby next time and was only fourth of seven dropped back to Group 3 company for the Paddy Power Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend on his final start in 2023.

White Birch’s progress at four was therefore also unforeseen but he went from strength to strength with a hat-trick at the Curragh in the spring under Colin Keane who had ridden him in the Derby, making into one of the highest-rated middle-distance performers in Europe. After wins in the Alleged Stakes, and the Mooresbridge Stakes where he had a lot more to spare, he came up against Auguste Rodin again in the Tattersalls Gold Cup where the pair dominated the market. They duly finished well clear of the rest, with White Birch turning the tables on the Derby winner in impressive style by three lengths (replay below).

Unfortunately, White Birch ended up missing the rest of the season with some minor setbacks before a hock injury in the early autumn put a definite end to his campaign. However, he returns at the Curragh in Monday’s Mooresbridge Stakes before a bid to win the Tattersalls Gold Cup again. It’s worth noting that he has won first time out for the last two seasons, though conditions were heavy both times.

Rosallion (126)

Rosallion was another who had his 2024 campaign cut short but not before he’d proved himself one of the best three-year-old milers around. He’d already shown smart form at two when winning three of his four starts, notably the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, and was regarded as the main threat to odds-on City of Troy when returning in the 2000 Guineas. But it wasn’t City of Troy he had to worry about but Notable Speech, proving no match for the strong-travelling winner but settling better than he had done at two and seeing the mile out thoroughly.

Rosallion went one better in the Irish 2000 Guineas when he did well to run down stablemate Haatem, a place behind him at Newmarket, in the shadow of the post for a head win after conceding first run. Maturing all the time, Rosallion followed up in the St James’s Palace at Royal Ascot where he had only a little more to spare but put up a high-class effort to lead late on again for a neck win over Henry Longfellow, the pair of them finishing clear with Notable Speech disappointing this time.

A respiratory infection kept Rosallion out of the Sussex Stakes as well as the Prix du Moulin and with connections not keen to run him on softer ground in the autumn, he was put aside for a four-year-old campaign. That’s due to begin with the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 17th where he heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.

Anmaat (125)

Gelding Anmaat will return to action as a seven-year-old this year but he’s lightly raced for his age, particularly in recent seasons when he has had just eight runs over the last three years. Six of those have resulted in wins, though, and while he’s had something of a stop-start career, his ability has long been evident.

Anmaat’s first high-class effort came in his four-year-old campaign when he won all three of his races, notably a four-length win in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock against a smart field. That came in between wins in the John Smith’s Cup at York and the Prix Dollar at Longchamp. Anmaat managed just two starts the following season but landed a first Group 1 victory in the Prix d’Ispahan back at Longchamp when just holding on in a blanket finish. An absence of more than a year followed, but he returned last August with another win in the Rose of Lancaster and then signed off with a shock win at 40/1 in a messy Champion Stakes which showed he was as good as ever. Anmaat did particularly well, recovering after completely losing his place in Ascot’s short straight to get the better of favourite Calandagan by half a length.

Anmaat has the Prince of Wales’s Stakes back at Ascot as his early target, though he’ll reappear first at the end of May with either another crack at the Prix d’Ispahan or the same day’s Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Economics (125)

William Haggas carefully managed Economics’ three-year-old campaign with an eye on the colt’s longer-term future so he’s as exciting a prospect as any of the older horses staying in training. Whilst still raw in his early races, Economics developed through the year, winning his first four starts in 2024 having had one run at two, and making into a high-class performer. Following a successful reappearance in a maiden at Newbury, Economics shot to prominence with a six-length win in the Dante on his first try at a mile and a quarter.

Rather than the Derby, for which Economics would have had to have been supplemented in any case, he was given a break until the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville in August where he won in good style again, chased home by two more British-trained colts Jayarebe and Almaqam, both smart. That set Economics up nicely for his first clash with older horses and a Group 1 debut in the Irish Champion Stakes. In a thrilling finish with the previous year’s winner Auguste Rodin, Economics needed to show battling qualities for the first time to hold off that rival by a neck in game fashion.

Economics had completed his four-timer on good ground but the going was soft at Ascot for his final start in the Champion Stakes. There was more to his disappointing show than the conditions, however, as he was reported to have bled in weakening to finish only sixth behind Anmaat. He remains a very good prospect for this year and is pencilled in for another meeting with Anmaat in the Prince of Wales which is looking likely to be his first run of the year.

Notable Speech (125)

Unraced at two, Notable Speech had an unorthodox preparation for a 2000 Guineas winner, making his debut at Kempton at the end of January and taking his chance at Newmarket after two more wins on the polytrack. Whilst he impressed in completing his hat-trick at Kempton, he was sent off at 16/1 at Newmarket in a market dominated by City of Troy. But with the favourite misfiring, Notable Speech improved again for his turf debut, impressing with a sharp turn of foot to beat Rosallion by a length and a half after travelling strongly.

Notable Speech didn’t develop into the top-class miler his 2000 Guineas win had promised, winning only one of his four remaining starts last year, but he made the most of Rosallion’s absence to win a less than vintage edition of the Sussex Stakes in the summer. That had a followed a lacklustre display in the St James’s Palace Stakes when beating only one home behind Rosallion, while he couldn’t land a blow either in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in September on softer ground, though top older miler Charyn was also caught out in a tactical race where winner Tribalist enjoyed an uncontested lead. Notable Speech was closer to his best on his final start at Del Mar when bidding to become connections’ fourth consecutive winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but he could only keep on to be beaten just under a length in third behind older US colts More Than Looks and Johannes.

With entries in the Lockinge and Queen Anne, Notable Speech looks set for another meeting or two with Rosallion in the coming months with only a pound between the pair on their best form.

And some who have already run…

Some of Europe’s best older performers have already reappeared this year, including Francis-Henri Graffard’s high-class geldings Calandagan (129) and Goliath (128). Calandagan completed a hat-trick in pattern company with an impressive six-length win in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and proved himself one of the best of his generation when running City of Troy to a length in the Juddmonte International before his meeting with Anmaat in the Champion Stakes. He found one too good again on his reappearance in the Dubai Sheema Classic but did well to finish as close as he did behind Japanese Derby winner Danon Decile after not being ideally placed.

Older stablemate Goliath, last season’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, had things go even less his way on his return in last weekend’s QEII Cup in Hong Kong, he too not best placed but additionally meeting trouble in running in the straight which ended any chance he still had. Like Calandagan, he’ll still be a major player in the top international middle distance contests for the remainder of the year, though as geldings neither is eligible for the Arc.

Meanwhile, top stayer Kyprios (128) is firmly on course for a third Gold Cup after taking his winning run to eight races with a straightforward success on his return to action in the listed Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan which he was winning for a third time. He’ll complete his Royal Ascot preparation again in the Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown later this month.

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