Racehorse TALK

Goldikova: runaway Deauville victory rated best by filly on any surface

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker

Goldikova blitz the best by a filly for a decade

WORLD CLASS: An analysis of the best performances of last week according to Racing Post Ratings

TOP OF THE CLASS: Goldikova 130

Trainer: Freddie Head (Fr)

Prix Jacques le Marois, Deauville, 1m, August 16

SHE-FREAK this, America's Sweetheart that. But no sooner had Rachel Alexandra seemingly sewn up the fillies' dirt division than Goldikova produced an even more astonishing performance to establish her superiority among the turf distaffers.

The four-year-old put up the best filly's performance for a decade when blitzing the boys at Deauville on Sunday, where she posted a colossal RPR of 130 for her Jacques le Marois success. To put it into context, Zarkava received a mark of 129 for her Arc victory last season.

It was a big career-best from Freddie Head's filly, but the figure is backed up by both the collateral form and the clock.

The form: she beat Summer Mile winnerAqlaam(119) by six lengths and had the rest of the field, headed by Lockinge winner Virtual(108), a further five lengths away.

The clock: a time of 1m 33.5s is a second quicker than any previous winner of the race - a roll of honour that includes the likes of Dubawi, Dubai Millennium, Spinning World and Miesque.

Such was the level of Goldikova's stunning victory that if we combine the turf and dirt lists, an RPR of 130 puts Goldikova 3lb ahead of Rachel Alexandra, the filly with more nicknames than Rocky Balboa, on the global distaff list.

It also makes her the highest-rated filly or mare since Bosra Sham, who earned the same mark when beating Alhaarth by a whopping eight lengths in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes in 1997.

Goldikova's Jacques le Marois victory was clearly of the very highest order, but her participationlooked in some doubt at one stage due to her hijinks at the stalls.  She was kicking out and backing up. She just would not go into the gates.

Maybe she thought it was a pointless exercise? Maybe she took one look at her opponents, knew she would win easily and didn't want to have to prove it.

It would be like Usain Bolt being nagged into taking part in the fathers' race on sports day - fun for the spectators, but rather embarrassing for him and certainly for the other dads.

Or perhaps she thought going into the stalls was beneath her. They didn't force Maria Callas into a cattle crush before she went on stage, so why should she suffer that indignity?

Whatever her reasons were, the fact she is a bit of a diva only makes her more of an interesting individual. Admittedly, perhaps not to the stalls handlers.

A superior performance and a prima donna attitude - she really is a sporting legend.  It seems the only thing the queen of the turf lacks now is a suitablenickname.

In retrospective news, the mighty Coral-Eclipse has been raised a pound after sixth-placed Jukebox Jury gave the form yet another boost by landing the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes last week.

The Sandown feature already looked like one of the strongest races for years, but the form just keeps getting better.

After the rise, Sea The Stars now sits on an RPR of 134, while runner-up Rip Van Winkle is on 132.  A mark of 134 makes Sea The Stars the highest-rated horse since Ghostzapper (135) in 2004.

It also ranks him alongside Dalakhani as the best three-year-old of the last ten years.

Ghostzapper won nine of his 11 career starts and pulverised a red-hot field, including two Dubai World Cup winners, in the Breeders' Cup Classic; Dalakhani won eight from nine, including four Group 1s, and posted his big figure when landing the 2003 Arc.

Goldikova (nearside): all out to beat Paco Boy at Royal Ascot

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker/Racingpostpix.com

Goldikova has Miesque mark in her sights

Preview: France, Sunday 2.40pm BST (live on ATR)

Deauville: Prix Rothschild (ex d'Astarté) (Group 1) 1m, 3yo+ f/m

GOLDIKOVA (Freddie Head/Olivier Peslier) has the Group 1 record of the great Miesque in her sights on Sunday as she bids to land her tenth victory at the highest level by completing a hat-trick in the former Prix d'Astarte at Deauville.

The fantastic five-year-old will start hot favourite to beat seven rivals in this straight mile event after delighting connections this season with her progress towards a historic third success in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Victory would be Goldikova's tenth Group or Grade 1 win - a mark previously achieved by only Miesque among European-trained horses since the introduction of the Pattern at the start of the 1970s.

Everything looks in favour of Goldikova, whose trainer Freddie Head suggests "all the boxes are ticked".

Although the daughter of Anabaa's stamina was stretched to the limit when she won the Prix d'Ispahan, the form looks red-hot in retrospect given that the runner-up Byword went on to take the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Goldikova, whose stablemate Only Green (Davy Bonilla) will again act as pacemaker, also scored at the royal meeting, just holding on from the fast-finishing Paco Boy in the Queen Anne after looking to be cruising three furlongs out.

Goldikova casts an imposing shadow, but the ever-optimistic Mick Channon cannot wait to take her on with Falmouth Stakes winner Music Show (Richard Hughes).

Things had not fallen right for the daughter of Noverre in the top fillies' races until it all came together at the Newmarket July meeting, where she claimed a competitive event with a sharp late burst.

Jersey Stakes winner Rainfall (Mark Johnston/Kieren Fallon), third in the Falmouth, reopposes at Deauville.

Elusive Wave (Jean-Claude Rouget/Christophe Soumillon), who began 2009 with a victory in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, was beaten a length and a half by Goldikova in this race a year ago.

After a training setback prematurely curtailed her season, she has taken time to come to herself again but didn't run badly next time out in the Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord behind Fuisse, who has since trounced the opposition in the Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte.

Stephane Pasquier: rides Evading Tempete for Francois Rohaut

  PICTURE: Mark Cranham

Coronation Stakes fifth Evading Tempete (Francois Rohaut/Stephane Pasquier) is also a Classic winner, having landed the Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1,000 Guineas) in May.

The Wertheimer brothers not only own Goldikova but also the promising Evaporation (Carlos Laffon-Parias/Mickael Barzalona), winner last time out of the Listed Prix Amandine at Maisons-Laffitte and out of the first three only once in eight career starts.

Desmond Stoneham's selection: Goldikova

What they say

Michael Zerolo, racing manager to Martin Schwartz, owner of Elusive Wave

"She is in top form but rather a quirky filly - she can lose half her race in the paddock and on the way to the post, but if she keeps cool she will run very well. Her last run behind Fuisse was good as he is a very good colt."

Freddie Head, trainer of Goldikova

"I truly think she is in top form, better than ever - I'm very happy with her. She loves Deauville and always excels there, and she came out of her Ascot race extremely well. She hada hard race but was completely recovered one week later. She goes on all ground except heavy; I think all the boxes are ticked for this race."

Mick Channon, trainer of Music Show

"She came out of the Falmouth in great form and I am very, very pleased with her - she is definitely going the right way. It is no good having a good horse if you don't take on others of the same class."

Francois Rohaut, trainer of Evading Tempete

"She has recovered well since her run at Ascot, where she wasn't helped when they watered the track. Taking into account her long journey and the fact that she wasn't totally at ease in the race, it was still a very good performance. She's been down at Deauville for the past 15 days and has had a trouble-free preparation. I think she will run better on a straight track."

Carlos Laffon-Parias, trainer of Evaporation

"In principle Goldikova will be hard to beat but if we don't run against her you will never know. This filly won the Amandine nicely and this is a big step up in class but I hope she can make the places. It will be her first time running over the straight mile."