A truly run Goodwood produced a true result with winner Black Heart Bart producing a Timeform rating only bettered by Black Caviar in the race's recent history.
The Goodwood was a maiden Group 1 win for Black Heart Bart, following second-placed efforts in both the Group 1 Newmarket and Group 1 All Aged Stakes this preparation, and he matched his best form to take the prize, returning a Timeform rating of 123.
Black Heart Bart arrived at Darren Weir's stables rated 119 but has been able to post ratings of 120 and above in all four starts for the yard - a familiar pattern for horses joining the master trainer in recent times.
A rating of 123 has only been trumped in the recent history of the Goodwood by Black Caviar who ran to 127 when winning in 2012. The 2016 running was a much more competitive affair, however, with the first three across the line posting ratings above a Black Caviar-less winning average.
The best were to the fore as the tempo was a genuine one, allowing for Black Heart Bart, Under The Louvre (rated 118) and the fast-improving Supido (116) to show their true worth.
Sectional times show the overall finishing speed of the Goodwood to be 101.1% - fairly close to the 102% that Racing And Sports considers optimum.
Black Heart Bart's race was split in half as 35.79 seconds and 34.24 seconds. The sectional time was taken from 609m which needs to be adjusted for, after which we see Black Heart Bart returned a finishing speed of 103.8% - outside the optimum and enough to suggest that Black Heart Bart could still be slightly better than the bare result, but not by much.
The same can be said of Under The Louvre and Supido. There may be more to come, but probably not much, with the Goodwood looking a fairly true reflection of their abilities at this point in time.
The undercard wasn't always so satisfactory with several races slowly run - the Lee Stakes farcically so, and that hardly suited the high-profile runners, Prince Of Penzance, Alpine Eagle and Tall Ship, who would all be better suited by a sterner test of stamina.
Despite being well below his best form Tall Ship has to be afforded a pass mark, and he remains a good staying prospect, while Prince of Penzance's fast-finishing second was ahead of the expectations of most.
Alpine Eagle was the disappointing run in the race, finishing fifth without ever looking a winning hope despite being very solid in the market, but it's perhaps wise to reserve judgement off such an unsatisfactory contest.
The first on the card is also worth comment, the winner I Am A Star posting her second consecutive fast-time win and she now has a Timeform rating of 102p. She may not have beaten much in Adelaide but the form around her Flemington win prior has already worked out and she's done nothing to suggest that her name is a misnomer as yet.
