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

THE WAR IS OVER, BUT THE WAR IS ON

Click above to watch the 2012 Dubai World Cup TVC..
(Image and Footage : Dubai Media)

DUBAI WORLD CUP
“We’re all in for a helluva night.”

Racing fans around the world must’ve been bewildered when, about eight years ago, Dubai’s Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed announced through his deputies that he and his brothers would no longer be patronising the stallions of their arch rivals, John Magnier’s Coolmore group, nor buying their progeny at the yearling sales. Although no official reasons were given, the grapevine had it (strongly) that the Sheikhs’ noses were out of joint because the Irish seldom, if ever, bought the progeny of their stallions, and especially because they were said to have snubbed (or plainly put, “boycotted”,) the Dubai World Cup meeting by not sending their horses there. And when they did send one, exception was made that it was accompanied only by “the secretary.” If you know Tammy Twoomey, you’d hardly call her “the secretary”.

Of course, it happened when Coolmore were riding high, and sweeping all before them, and whilst their dominance wasn’t quite at the level it is today, (mainly because, at the time, the Arabs still possessed some competitive Coolmore-sired horses in their own armoury,) it was true that you seldom found a horse in the colours of any one of the Coolmore partners, Susan Magnier or Michael Tabor at the World Cup.

If you spoke to the Irish though, they’d proffer a simple explanation. Their horses were programmed for the European and North American seasons, and they needed a break. The winter was the perfect time. The Dubai World Cup, on the other hand, was something of an imposition on the racing programme, as it came late in the day in the traditional affairs of our sport, and we don’t like change, you know. But to be fair, it filled a great gap for racing fans all over the globe, because March happens to be a quiet time, particularly if you’re not European or North American. Besides, it injected a massive flow of funds into the game, to be welcomed no matter where it slots, and the lure of these riches is evident in the fields for this weekend.

There are five Group Ones and two Group Twos in Saturday’s World Cup extravaganza, and Coolmore have come to the party. Aidan O’Brien’s intent is especially evident in the Sheema Classic (Gr.1) ($5 million over 2410m), where he has engaged his two stars, Treasure Beach and St Nicholas Abbey. In the Duty Free, (also for $5 million over 1800m) he has Giant’s Causeway’s capable son, Await The Dawn, while he’s named his number one horse of last year, So You Think, for the $10 million World Cup itself. O’Brien has obviously decided to make a meal of the day with Wrote in the $2 million UAE Derby, and the team has another ticket in Mike de Kock’s Viscount Nelson in the Godolphin Mile.

What is evident though, is that things have either thawed between these two leviathans of the game, and Coolmore have taken the practical route, or it may be a case of “cash in while there is war and we have the cattle.” Of one thing there’s little doubt: the Irish are there for the dough as much as the sport, and we’re all in for a helluva night.

www.dubaiworldcup.com

DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC 2012 : FINAL FIELD

Mike de Kock trained Mahbooba winning the Al Rashidiya Trial
(Photo : The National)

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

FINAL FIELD

#	Horse	Kg	OR	Jockey	Trainer
1	SONGCRAFT (IRE)	56.5	115	Silvestre De Sousa	Saeed bin Suroor
2	BOLD SILVANO (SAF)	57.0	118	Christophe Soumillon	Mike de Kock
3	BEATEN UP (GB)	56.5	119	John Murtagh	William Haggas
4	MAHBOOBA (AUS)	55.0	113	Kevin Shea	Mike de Kock
5	CAVALRYMAN (GB)	57.0	113	Lanfranco Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor
6	TREASURE BEACH (GB)	57.0	120	Jamie Spencer	Aidan O’Brien
7	JAKKALBERRY (IRE)	57.0	117	Ryan Moore	Marco Botti
8	CIRRUS DES AIGLES (FR)	57.0	128	Olivier Peslier	Corine Barande Barbe
9	ST NICHOLAS ABBEY (IRE)	57.0	124	Joseph O’Brien	Aidan O’Brien
10	SHIMRAAN (FR)	57.0	119	Mickael Barzalona	Mahmoud Al Zarooni

Correct as at 29 March 2012

www.dubaiworldcup.com

THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE : NAPOLEON'S PRIDE

So You Think
(Image : Inner Sanctum/Tourism Adventures)

PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Longchamp, Turf, 2400m
2 October 2011

Ask any Frenchman of what the symbol is of France’s greatest era, and he’ll tell you unhesitatingly, the Arc de Triomphe, which sits at the head of the Champs Elysees, and was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806.

There could be no greater celebration of the golden epoch in French imperial history, than by giving its name to a race in the heart of Paris’ Bois de Boulogne at the historic Longchamps racecourse.

Since its inauguration in 1857, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe has been staged on the first Sunday in October, and while for many years it vied with races like England’s King George for the title of the middle distance championship of Europe, in more recent decades, it’s become the undisputed champion of this cause.

While there’ve been “hotter” renewals of the Arc, this weekend’s is intriguing, not only for the fact that it brings together several of the younger generation whose credentials may be even greater than they’ve already displayed, but also because the betting is headed by an Australian in So You Think. The Wallabies form at the Rugby World Cup has left a lot of our Aussie mates looking to the Arc to provide some consolation for what could end up a William Webb Ellis dream unfulfilled, and if Aidan O’Brien’s esteem of the son of High Chaparral should finally materialize in a run as good as the word-slingers would have him be, So You Think could finally bring glory to Australia.

He won’t have it all his own way though, as he has last year’s hero, Workforce as an opponent as well as the Aga Khan’s outstanding filly, Sarafina, to contend with. The Wertheimer brothers have Goldikova’s high class half sister, Galikova (by Galileo, who else?), representing the three-year-old fillies, while Coolmore’s St Nicholas Abbey and the 2009 English Oaks winner, Snow Fairy, bring current Group One form to the table, and are also not without a squeak.

Finally, one of the younger brigade is the King George ace, Nathaniel (another by Galileo), whose possible defection because of the firmness of the ground, could detract from what could be the performance of the season, if this horse has progressed since his mid-summer exertions at Ascot.

Riveting stuff, and it’s bound to be featured on Tellytrack (Channel 232) at around 5pm Sunday.

GALILEO AND A.P. INDY RUNAWAY TRAIN

Click above to watch It’s Tricky winning the TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (G1)…
(Image : NY Daily News - Footage : Saratoga)

“NATHANIEL AND IT’S TRICKY”

Galileo’s relentless march to yet another European Sires’ Championship is unstoppable. It’s one hell of a statement, but it seems his dominance of racing in that part of the world, exceeds even that of his own illustrious sire, Sadler’s Wells. If there’s a racing certainty for South African Horse Of The Year, it’s his daughter, Igugu, and on Saturday, Galileo hammered another nail into the coffin of his stallion opponents, when the John Gosden-trained Nathaniel, ran his elders off their feet in the £1million Ascot showpiece, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1). It’s tempting to think that a victory by 2,75 lengths over the best mile-and-a-half horses in Europe, could point to a sub-par year, but that is most decidedly not the case. His closest pursuer was Workforce, last season’s hero of both the English Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, followed by the 2011 Coronation Cup ace, St. Nicholas Abbey. Nathaniel looks the improving type, and if there’s more to come, the Brits and the Europeans are in for some fireworks this autumn. You can light the touchpaper!

Across the Atlantic, Mineshaft ensured that the “A.P. Indy” magic continued to weave itself into America’s most celebrated races, when It’s Tricky ran away with the winner’s share of the loot in the TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), on the opening weekend of Saratoga’s storied festival. This victory reminded us of the potency of A.P. Indy and his tribe, and especially of his sire sons from Mr Prospector-line mares.

(Go to www.summerhill.co.za and click  AP Arrow for one of A.P. Indy’s best racing sons, bred on the same lines).