Barathea

Luca Cumani's Barathea was strongly tipped a couple of years ago in his juvenile season and has since proved to be top class, if slightly unlucky.

As a 3-year-old he had the misfortune to come up against the exceptional Arazi in the 2000 Guineas. And the French horse cracked the Newmarket course record when beating Barathea into second place.

In the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last week Barathea was second again when giving weight for age to the improving Henry Cecil colt Distant View, whose winning time was also a course record.

Otherwise, Barathea has won the Irish 2000 Guineas and scored at the 1994 Royal Ascot meeting. He was a respectable fourth over an unsuitable six furlongs in the July Cup at Newmarket and was second to Bigstone in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot's last September meeting.

A mile still seems to be his best trip. He may well be given another outing in France at the Deauville August meeting. But, hopefully, he will be gaining another well-merited Group One success in this year's Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Meanwhile, the Goodwood meeting brought some cheer in the shape of a 10-1 victory by Fraam, who was noted last week for the Schweppes Golden Mile handicap.

Fraam has had more than his fair share of injury problems which has made him difficult to train and accounts for his in and out record.

However, he has a touch of class. If he stays sound, he seems to sure to win some more valuable handicaps over about a mile. Fraam may even become a candidate for the Cambridgeshire Handicap this Autumn.