Royal Ascot 2015: Queen Anne contender Solow and trainer Freddie Head

Royal Ascot 2015: How does Solow compare to Freddie Head's best?

By Timeform, Monday 08 June 2015

Posted in: Royal Ascot Tips

Solow is currently rated as the second-best horse in Europe - behind only Golden Horn - but how does he compare to his trainer Freddie Head's best horses of recent years?

Five-year-old gelding Solow has developed into something of a winning machine, successful nine times from his last 10 outings, and he was phenomenally impressive when destroying his rivals to win the Dubai Turf in March, beating dual Group 1 winner The Grey Gatsby by four and a quarter lengths. Solow is set to tackle Hong Kong superstar Able Friend and recent Lockinge winner Night of Thunder in an enthralling edition of the Queen Anne, and currently heads the betting at 7/4.

We look back at how Solow – rated 130 - compares on Timeform ratings to Freddie Head’s most recent superstars.

Goldikova - TF rated 133

Having won 14 Group 1 races (a record for a European-trained horse), including three runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, it’s remarkable to think that Goldikova wasn’t even the best three-year-old filly in France during her classic campaign, that accolade belonging to Zarkava. A large part of the Goldikova love-affair revolved around her longevity, the ability to keep coming back year after year and beating the next crop of upstarts, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that her performance in winning the 2009 Prix Jacques le Marois was one of the best stand-alone performances by a filly at a mile in the last 40 years.

Moonlight Cloud – TF rated 129

Moonlight Cloud was a Group 1-winning miler, but she was arguably at her most electrifying over seven furlongs, and she posted one of the most visually-impressive successes ever seen when displaying a truly-remarkable turn of foot to win the 2013 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp. Set plenty to do, Moonlight Cloud passed all of her rivals within the space of a furlong, making high-class rivals look positively ordinary as she exploded by. She may not have been quite as good as Goldikova, but that ability to settle a race in strides made Moonlight Cloud one of the most exciting racehorses to watch in recent times.

Charm Spirit – Tf rated 127

Charm Spirit perhaps wasn’t as explosive as Moonlight Cloud, or as talented as Goldikova, but there’s no doubt he was a high-class racehorse, victorious three times at the highest level. Charm Spirit got the better of 2000 Guineas winner Night of Thunder on two occasions – in the Prix Moulin and QEII – showcasing a tremendous attitude which allowed him to be so successful. Charm Sprit was retired to stud at the end of his three-year-old season and, having established himself as a tough, versatile, high-class horse, he’s expected to fare well as a stallion.

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