Time For Action

If his run in the G1 Juddmonte International was below expectations, Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) can be forgiven, as it was an ambitious tilt at Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and co and Friday’s G2 Shadwell Joel S. at Newmarket offers a far less demanding examination. Despite the presence of the multiple group scorer Custom Cut (Ire) (Notnowcato {GB}), this stepping stone to the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. should be well within his compass if the promise of his prior performances are any guide. After smooth wins in Newbury’s London Gold Cup H. May 16 and in Royal Ascot’s G3 Tercentenary S. June 18, Khalid Abdullah’s homebred must have disappointed when almost five lengths adrift in York’s premier contest last time Aug. 19. Laboring where previously he had traveled smoothly, the son of Passage of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is too exciting a prospect to be written off on the back of one below-par effort in a race in which Golden Horn himself was also uncharacteristically underwhelming.

Custom Cut, who took this last year, comes into his title defence on the back of a success in a weak renewal of the G2 Boomerang S. at Leopardstown Sept. 12, and that was a timely confidence boost for such a tough customer who excels over a mile on this type of rain-eased surface. With such a dearth of top milers in 2015, Roger Varian has taken the decision to try his luck with the progressive Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), but Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar’s July 29 Sandown handicap scorer has plenty to find to match strides with his trio of opponents.