Ratings Update: Betfair Sprint Cup reaction

It was an understandably lower-key weekend of racing with Doncaster's St Leger Festival and the Irish Champions Festival on the horizon, though there was still Group 1 action at Haydock where the Betfair Sprint Cup took place.

There's no standout sprinter in Britain and Ireland and there wasn't much to split the principals in the Sprint Cup with Montassib (120 from 118) edging ahead inside the final 100 yards to win by a head from Kind of Blue with Unequal Love only three-quarters of a length back in third.

Montassib, a six-year-old, was one of the oldest runners in the line-up, though he is relatively new to the sprint scene and he proved better than ever to make the breakthrough at the highest level on his first try in Group 1 company. Montassib is clearly closely matched with the other principals from the Sprint Cup, though his effectiveness with cut in the ground and his form over further suggest that the Champions Sprint on Ascot's stiffer track should play to his strengths.

In the following Ascendant Stakes, a listed race for two-year-olds, there was an impressive winner in Luther (104p from 100p). Luther had shaped well when narrowly denied by a more experienced and better positioned rival at Salisbury and he built on that promise to register a stylish success at Haydock, readily settling matters under a hands-and-heels ride. He is now rated the same as the previous week's Solario Stakes winner Field of Gold and, like that one, remains capable of better.

There were also a couple of significant performances in valuable handicaps on the card with Master Builder (101p from 97p) and Epic Poet (116 from 108) both showing improved form to win.

Master Builder, who had been an excellent third in the Melrose Handicap at York, stayed on strongly to win the mile-and-three-quarter event for three-year-olds and his strength at the finish suggests he'll stay even further. It's likely that he has more to offer, at this trip or over two miles, after only five starts.

Epic Poet, who was also arriving on the back of a creditable effort having finished fourth in the Ebor, also raised his game to win the Old Borough Cup. He hadn't fully convinced with his stamina for a mile and three-quarters in the Ebor but saw things out thoroughly in a more steadily-run affair to land the big prize he had been threatening to do for much of the season. He won by only a neck but the runner-up is a progressive filly and was four and three-quarter lengths clear of the third who in turn was four lengths ahead of the fourth. Epic Poet's performance was the best in the race in the last decade.

The highlight of Kempton's card was the Group 3 September Stakes which was won in impressive style by Kalpana (117 from 107). The race was run at just a steady gallop but Kalpana was still able to draw four and three-quarter lengths clear of a smart rival in Lion's Pride, settling matters with the minimum of fuss after being produced to lead over a furlong out. For context, she is rated only 1 lb lower than Yorkshire Oaks winner Content and Nassau Stakes winner Opera Singer, so is likely to be a big player in the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day.

Earlier in the week, Cathedral (88P) marked herself out as an exciting prospect with a decisive success at Lingfield on debut. The €800,000 purchase was really strong in the betting and proved a class apart from her rivals, despite looking a bit green early on. She really started to motor in the straight, however, and sprinted four and a quarter lengths clear, earning the Timeform Large P to highlight she's open to significant improvement.

The feature race on Sunday, the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, had been billed as a match between top older miler Charyn and the 2000 Guineas/ Sussex Stakes winner Notable Speech, but the pair were upstaged by Tribalist (122 from 121) who benefited from an enterprising ride from Mickael Barzalona. Barzalona soon poached a clear lead on Tribalist, a prolific winner at a lower level, and had enough in reserve to hold on by a length and a quarter from Charyn, who ran the fastest last two furlongs but had too much to do. Charyn is better judged on the form he had shown in the Prix Jacques le Marois and remains the one to beat in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Tribalist confirmed he's a very smart performer but is unlikely to have such favourable circumstances next time.