All Set for Arc Weekend

[Wandering Eyes]

As Khalid Abdullah’s Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) starts out from Clarehaven Stables on Saturday morning on her journey to Chantilly for her overnight stay prior to her day of days, ParisLongchamp’s two-day meeting gets underway with her stable simply dominating the feature G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu. John Gosden’s season has been dramatically successful on just about every level, but it with his middle-distance fillies and mares that he has particularly excelled and the evidence of that comes in the line-up for the newly-promoted 14-furlong test. With the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in action against ‘TDN Rising Star’ Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Enbihaar (Ire) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), a thriller is guaranteed before any of the outside stables are even considered.

Enbihaar has proven a revelation in 2019, winning the July 6 G2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock, Aug. 3 G2 Lillie Langtry S. at Goodwood and G2 Park Hill S. at Doncaster Sept. 12 and carrying a penalty in the latter two events. Whereas she had 13 pounds more to carry than Ballydoyle’s game runner-up Delphinia (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Park Hill, Shadwell’s 4-year-old has only to give the Classic generation a seven-pound concession this time. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s racing manager Angus Gold said, “She’s a lovely filly, but she’s got a few others of John’s as well as everybody else to contend with, including the Oaks winner. She’s done nothing but improve all year and everybody loves her. She’s a thoroughly good filly, so hopefully she’ll run very well.”

Anapurna is one of the sophomore crew in receipt of the weight-for-age and Frankie has opted for her over the Lloyd-Webbers’ June 30 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud third Lah Ti Dar. She was having her first start since the Oaks when seventh in the G1 Prix Vermeille over 12 furlongs here Sept. 15 and is entitled to come forward for that effort over a trip that promises to suit. Meon Valley Stud’s Mark Weinfeld commented, “She looks to have a nice enough draw and we’ve got Frankie on board, so fingers crossed. We’re always hopeful. She was boxed in when she ran in the Vermeille and couldn’t get out and didn’t really have a race. She’s in the race on Champions Day at Ascot [the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S.] later in the month, but we’ll get Saturday out of the way before we make any plans.”

Perhaps Andre Fabre represents the biggest obstacle to a Gosden whitewash as he sends Godolphin’s Musis Amica (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) back to the scene of her latest second placing to Star Catcher (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the Vermeille. Mickael Barzalona knows the 4-year-old well and the fact that she likes to be ridden cold early on may help if this turns into an attritional battle. “Musis Amica is in great form,” Godolphin’s Lisa-Jane Graffard said. “She has been given plenty of time to come back to her best this season and we expect her to improve again for her run in the Prix Vermeille. We will have to see whether she stays this trip but, if there is plenty of pace on and she gets a clear run up the straight, she should run well.”

ParisLongchamp’s Arc Saturday now boasts a welcome brace of Group 1 events, with the Qatar Prix du Cadran seemingly entrenched in the warm-up fixture. Connections of Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) have opted to give all else a chance by staying at home and waiting for Ascot, which must be a relief for those involved with his regular subordinate Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}). Runner-up to Bjorn Nielsen’s dual millionaire without any hint of progress beyond that placing in the June 20 G1 Gold Cup at Ascot, July 30 G1 Goodwood Cup and G2 Lonsdale Cup at York Aug. 23, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s 4-year-old will be begrudged a first top-level success by nobody if he can take full advantage of his nemesis’s absence.

Charlie Johnston, assistant to father Mark, is hoping this is Dee Ex Bee’s time as the stable look for a first Group 1 success of 2019 after a string of seconds at the highest level. “He’s had a fantastic year, running some great races in defeat–without bumping into Stradivarius in his last three races, he’d be unbeaten and would have won a £1million bonus himself. Ever since Goodwood, this has been his main target. I think the softer ground and going back up to two and a half [miles] will suit him. Everything looks to be in favour, so hopefully this will be his day.”

Last year’s Cadran hero Call the Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) may have failed to truly shine for the most part of this term, but the way George Strawbridge’s homebred came home when second in the 15-furlong G2 Prix Kergorlay at Deauville suggests he is ready to peak again. There is no Marmelo (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in this line-up and with his old rival Holdthasigreen (Fr) (Hold That Tiger) giving signals that he might be finally at the end of his fine run Call the Wind looks the most potent threat among the home-trained contingent.

The third Group 1 event on Saturday comes at Newmarket with the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. serving as the stand-off between five winners at that level including Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who has six in total including the 2018 renewal of this race. Her latest defeat when fourth in the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown Sept. 14 was a rare deflating performance, as she failed to see out her effort with her usual spirited fight. Three of her five outings this season have been up to scratch and trainer Karl Burke is hoping the 4-year-old can end her career in style. “Laurens is in great form. I couldn’t be happier with her going into the race and my daughter Lucy, who knows the filly inside out, is delighted with her,” he said.

Burke revealed that a change in direction was suggested by the owner. “John [Dance] was fairly keen to run her back over seven furlongs in the Prix de la Foret, but personally I think a mile is her best trip. John slightly disagrees with me, but he’s let me have my way so I hope she proves me right,” he explained. “We know she likes the track–the only time she’s been beaten on the Rowley Mile was when she finished second in the 1000 Guineas. We’re going into the race with plenty of confidence. As far as I’m aware, this will be her last run. She has been a privilege to train–we’ve been very, very lucky to have her. I don’t think I will really appreciate what she has done for us for a while.”

First and second in the Matron, the 3-year-olds Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) and Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will be on Laurens’s case again here with the latter returning to the course-and-distance of her G1 1000 Guineas success May 5. Her full-sister Hydrangea (Ire) only began to come good at this time of year and with that Matron run under her belt it would be no surprise if she was able to turn the tables on Joseph O’Brien’s flagbearer. “She’s in good form and she won’t mind the ease in the ground,” Aidan said of Hermosa. “She hasn’t done an awful lot since Leopardstown, but what’s she has done we’ve been happy with. It was her first run back in a while last time.”

Saturday’s group action starts early, with the G2 Qatar Prix Dollar over an extended nine furlongs launching the festival just after an early lunch. Godolphin will be hoping that the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and G1 Prix du Moulin third Line of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will provide them with a strong opening flourish and he will be a warm order to do so. “We tried him over a mile and a half in the Derby earlier in the year, but he blatantly didn’t stay,” Charlie Appleby said of last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero. “His last couple of runs over a mile have been very good and you’d think stepping back up to an extended mile and one is going to suit him. He ticks a lot of boxes in that he has track experience and will appreciate the ground. On the evidence of his last couple of runs, he is the one to beat.”

Jean-Claude Seroul’s momentum-gaining 4-year-old Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) comes into the reckoning on the back of a career-best win in the G3 Prix Quincey over a mile at Deauville Aug. 25, while another entering the fray off a first pattern-race breakthrough is the Devin family’s Sept. 16 G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte winner Villa Rosa (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}). The French have more solid claims in the G2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein, where ‘TDN Rising Star’ Olmedo (Fr) (Declaration of War) returns to the course and distance of his success in last year’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches. At his best on a turning track, Ant Caro’s bay was a place behind Line of Duty in the Moulin and a reapeat of that might be enough. “He is better than ever, I think. I’m very confident with him,” trainer Jean-Claude Rouget commented.

Godolphin are ever-present this season and may provide the biggest threat to Olmedo in the Andre Fabre-trained Impulsif (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who is on a roll after three straight successes culminating in the G3 Prix Messidor at Deauville July 21. “There is a slight question mark over the ground, but he seems to handle soft fine in the mornings,” the operation’s Lisa-Jane Graffard said. “Being a gelding, he wasn’t eligible to run in the Prix Jacques le Marois or the Prix du Moulin, but he seems to be in great form. Everything seems to be going right for him and we don’t quite know his limits yet.”

Also in the royal blue is Moonlight Spirit (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay for the budding Cup horses over 15 furlongs. Having won the traditional stepping stone to this, the course-and-distance G3 Prix de Lutece Sept. 1, with real authority Charlie Appleby has expectations he can make into a performer of substance in this sphere. “Moonlight Spirit is a nice, progressive stayer. He has a bit to find on the book with a couple of his rivals but has course-and-distance experience, while ease in the ground will suit,” he commented.

The Chaudenay is, on the face of it, set to be dominated by the Brits this time with the Mariscottis’ June 19 G2 Queen’s Vase winner Dashing Willoughby (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) challenging alongside one of his old rivals, Mohamed Obaida’s Aug. 1 G3 Gordon S. scorer and Sept. 14 G1 St Leger third Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and Team Valor’s Aug. 17 G3 Geoffrey Freer S. winner Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Charlie Johnston said of Nayef Road, “After Doncaster, we were thinking we’d probably finish him for the year but he was already entered in this race and it just looked too good an opportunity to pass up. He has conditions to suit and I think a mile and seven will be just about ideal for him. He’s the top-rated horse in the race and if he reproduces his Leger run, he should win.”

At Ascot, Shadwell test another potential sprinter of note in the Owen Burrows-trained unexposed 4-year-old Tabdeed (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) in the G3 Bengough S. after trying their 1.5million gns 3-year-old son of Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}), Faylaq (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), in the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. Both are making their black-type debuts and the operation’s racing manager Angus Gold commented, “Tabdeed is a horse with a lot of ability. He needs easy ground, so that should suit him. He’s just a hard horse to train physically. He’s had plenty of problems, but at his best he’s a decent horse. We haven’t run him in a proper race, so we can’t tell, but he’s potentially a smart horse. Faylaq is a great, big horse. He’s been immature and it’s taken a long time to get him together. Hopefully he’s on the right track now, so this will tell us a bit more.”

At Redcar, there is perhaps the epitome of a racing certainty in action in the valuable Listed Two Year Old Trophy. It is Saturday’s G1 Middle Park S. third Summer Sands (GB) (Coach House {Ire}), who attempts to take advantage of highly favourable race conditions with weights based on the median price of a sire’s yearlings sold in Europe and North America in 2018. The Richard Fahey-trained colt, who surprised so many in a vintage edition of the Middle Park last week, gets an abundance of weight from all bar one of his 17 rivals.

Click here for the complete Saturday group fields.

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