ST NICHOLAS ABBEY LANDS DIAMOND JUBILEE CORONATION CUP

Click above to watch St Nicholas Abbey winning the Coronation Cup (Gr1)…
(Photo : Gulf News - Footage : Racing UK)

DIAMOND JUBILEE CORONATION CUP (Gr1)
Epsom Downs, Turf, 2400m
2 June 2012

Hard at work to shake off Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream) at the finish of the Investec Coronation Cup 12 months ago, St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) (Montjeu) made the whole process seem a lot easier when recording back-to-back successes in this race re-named in honor of the Diamond Jubilee.

There had been much talk about his reversal at 2-5 in the G3 Mooresbridge Stakes at The Curragh May 7, but the one-time hot Investec Derby favorite was only half-asleep in that contest used as a prep for this repeat bid. Wide awake back on the big stage, the livewire was reserved with only one behind by a confident Joseph O’Brien as the stable rabbit Robin Hood (Ire) (Galileo) set off in clear isolation to provide the favorite with a marker. Freewheeling into contention on the outer running downhill, the reigning Breeders Cup Turf hero swept past Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu) and to the front with 2 1/2 furlongs remaining and although his jockey dropped his whip a furlong out, St Nicholas Abbey needed no encouragement to slam overmatched rivals.

“When he goes to sleep early in his races, he’s a very special horse,” Joseph O’Brien commented. “He has always shown a lot of ability and he’s really coming back to his old form. I got to the front too soon, but he picked the bit up going past the four and I didn’t want to disappoint him. When he relaxes and quickens up like that, it takes a very good one to go by.”

This win means that St Nicholas Abbey continues his excellent record going left-handed, with only been defeat that way at the hands of the crack French performer Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top) in the March 31 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.

Nevertheless, Aidan O’Brien is looking at the major prizes on right-handed tracks for his immediate campaign. “He has the option of the G1 Prince of Wales’ Stakes at Royal Ascot June 20, the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot July 21 and G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp October 7,” the Ballydoyle conditioner explained, while Derrick Smith added after welcoming back his 99th top-level scorer. “He has vindicated everything we thought of him and it was a procession - he was very impressive.”

Connections of the second and third are looking at stepping back up in trip, with the G1 Irish St Leger at The Curragh September 15 mentioned as a long-term target for both.

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

CIRRUS DES AIGLES SOARS TO DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC WIN

Click above to watch Cirrus des Aigles winning the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1)…
(Image : Virendra Saklani/Gulf News - Footage : Dubai Racing Meydan)

US$5,000,000 DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC (Gr1)
Meydan, Turf, 2410m
31 March 2012

Not content with getting the better of So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral) in the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot in October, Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top) was back on the big stage once again Saturday at Meydan to upstage another Ballydoyle star in St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) (Montjeu) and add the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic to his impressive resume.

Sitting close to a moderate early tempo in second, the 6-year-old was allowed to stride to the front with over a half mile remaining and had first run on last year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf hero. That proved decisive as the line came in time for Cirrus des Aigles and first-time pilot Olivier Peslier, who were just a neck in front. “Cirrus des Aigles likes to fight,” trainer Corine Barande-Barbe commented. “If there is one in front, he wants to pass him and if one is behind it pushes him. He is a miracle. This was a big emotion and with him it always just gets better—it is just like a dream that doesn’t stop.”

One of France’s longstanding favorites, Cirrus des Aigles began his rags-to-riches tale in 2009 and ended that season with Longchamp’s G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris in the bag. Despite a subsequent fifth in the G1 Hong Kong Vase and a seasonal-best win in the G2 Prix Dollar in 2010, it was not until last term that the bay started to hit full stride. Each time he took on top-class opponents, it seemed to spur him on and seconds to Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp in May and to Sarafina (Fr) (Refuse To Bend) in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud preceded a hat-trick of Pattern-race triumphs in the G3 Grand Prix de Vichy in July, the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville and that venue’s G2 Grand Prix de Deauville the following month. In the latter contest, he demonstrated his inherent stamina with a 10-length score on deep ground and his versatility on his next start when second in the G2 Prix Dollar over an extended nine-furlong trip on fast ground at Longchamp in October. After his rousing Champions’ Day coronation, the gelding was sent to Sha Tin for the third time and for the third time failed to hit the board when only fifth in the Hong Kong Cup. Upset by Zazou (Ger) (Shamardal) in a conditions race over 1 3/16mile on Chantilly’s new Polytrack surface on his comeback March 3, that effort was to look more creditable later in the afternoon as his conqueror ran a close-up fifth in the World Cup.

Breaking well from his wide stall, Cirrus des Aigles stuck close to Bold Silvano (SAf) (Silvano) as that rival stacked up rivals behind his slow tempo. Turning up the heat in early straight, the Gallic raider had four lengths on St Nicholas Abbey there and despite the game effort of his chief rival, there was an inevitability to the result as the line neared. Jakkalberry (Ire) (Storming Home) followed in third with Treasure Beach (GB) (Galileo) in fourth.

“There was no question about the trip, as he won in Deauville by 10 lengths last year and was second in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud,” Barande-Barbe said. “If they had gone quicker he would have finished better, but as there was no pace he had to do it on his own.” Peslier added, “They told me he was very tough and very competitive and he is.”

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

CIRRUS DES AIGLES : ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR HONG KONG CUP

Cirrus des Aigles
(Photo : Hong Kong Jockey Club)

CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG CUP (Group 1)
Sunday 11 December 2011

Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top), who will vie for G1 Hong Kong Cup favoritism, got to stretch his legs through the Sha Tin stretch yesterday morning, and by all accounts, the 5 year-old knows raceday is near.

“Fred Spanu took him to the turf course today,” trainer Corine Barande-Barbe explained. “He’s in charge of the fine tuning when it comes to big races. It was a good piece of work. It’s all systems go now. Cirrus des Aigles is enjoying himself and that is what counts,” she stated. “He is as playful as ever. I have always said that he was easy to train because he is willing to do well. Our task is to restrain him rather than anything. Our main concern was to get him back to the stables in full order because the turf course was quite busy today and he is so playful that he could do foolish things when other horses pass by!”

Hong Kong Cup (G1)
Final Field

#	Horse	WT	RATING	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	CIRRUS DES AIGLES	126	128	2	C Soumillon	C Barende-Barbe
2	AMBITIOUS DRAGON	126	122	5	D Whyte	AT Millard
3	BYWORD	126	122	6	M Guyon	A Fabre
4	DURBAN THUNDER	126	118	7	A Starke	T Mundry
5	IRIAN	126	118	10	D Beadman	J Moore
6	CALIFORNIA MEMORY	126	117	1	M Chadwick	AS Cruz
7	ZAZOU	126	117	8	O Peslier	W Hickst
8	RANSOM NOTE	126	116	4	M Hills	C Hills
9	PURE CHAMPION	126	114	3	G Mosse	AS Cruz
10	JACOBEE	126	104	9	T Clark	J Moore

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News