Maxfield exits G1 Whitney Stakes with head held high

Maxfield lost little in defeat as he chased home Knicks Go in the G1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, USA, over the weekend.

The Brendan Walsh-trained colt stayed on resolutely to go down by four and a half lengths to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner in the midsummer dirt highlight for older horses.

It continued an excellent season for Maxfield following two injury-curtailed campaigns, with the homebred having now posted three impressive Graded Stakes wins this year and a third in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap in addition to Saturday’s performance.

“Maxfield ran great and we are very proud of him as always,” said Walsh. “He beat some nice horses and got beat by a very good horse. It happens. We will leave him here at Saratoga for a while, see how he comes out of this and come up with a plan.”

Creative Flair also placed at Saratoga the following day as she finished well to take third in the valuable G3 Saratoga Oaks, while Walton Street filled the same position in Germany on his return from a break in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin.

Paulele featured highly among Godolphin’s superb group of juveniles in Australia last season and the Dawn Approach colt started his three-year-old campaign with an emphatic Listed victory at Randwick on Saturday.

Deauville hosts the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois this Sunday, with last year’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains victor Victor Ludorum and Prix Jean Prat third Midtown in the mix for the prestigious mile contest.

On the same card, Philomene could make her make her first appearance since a fast-finishing second in the Prix de Diane in the G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano.

G1 winner Space Blues features among a trio of Godolphin contenders for the G2 Hungerford Stakes in the UK on Saturday, while Golden Slipper third Ingratiating headlines a group of three-year-olds entered at Caulfield, Australia, on the same day.