Nathaniel on song for Arc; Snow Fairy, Sea Moon mull BC
options
John Gosden on Thursday issued a positive bulletin on Lady Rothschild and
Newsells Park Stud’s Nathaniel ahead of the October 7 Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe at Longchamp. Despite having won last year’s Group 1 King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth and this season’s Group 1 Eclipse on soft ground, the
four-year-old handled a fast surface when runner-up to Snow Fairy in the Group 1
Irish Champion at Leopardstown September 8, and his conditioner is not on
weather-watch.
“I was pleased with his work on Tuesday and the fact he could go inside the
track record at Leopardstown on good-to-firm indicates to me he can go on
anything,” Gosden said. “He’s a versatile horse and one of those who can go
through soft ground while others struggle in it, but he’ll also go on good.
“He’s done nothing but run great races all year, he has a lot of tactical
speed and can be handy, back in the middle of the pack or anything. It’s a
tremendous race this year and the quality of the field is exceptional.”
Cristina Patino’s Snow Fairy could be rerouted from the Arc to run in the
Grade 1 E.P. Taylor one week later, trainer Ed Dunlop said Thursday. With the
going currently soft in Paris, the seven-time Group 1 winner could be headed to
Woodbine as her conditioner is keen to options open.
“We caused a bit of a storm in a tea cup by saying we’d put her in the E.P.
Taylor, but I thought it was foolish not to have her in that just in case things
change,” Dunlop said. “She’s in that race as a precaution and no more than that
and could go to Canada hypothetically and then on to the Breeders’ Cup. I don’t
want to be boring, but with a filly who’s had such a significant injury we have
to take every day as we go.”
The Arc remains the five-year-old’s main target, according to Dunlop.
“She has a couple more bits of work to do before Paris, where we are hoping
to have Ryan (Moore) unless Sea Moon runs,” he said. “Soft ground will make it
more of a stamina test and favor others more than us, as she loves fast ground,
but it can change very quickly so there are lots of things to chew over. We’ll
see, as it’s a very open Arc.
“The owner has booked her tickets to the Breeders’ Cup and we know the ground
will suit,” Dunlop added. “We haven’t ruled out either the Turf or Filly & Mare
Turf.”
Trainer Sir Michael Stoute is keeping an eye on the weather for Khalid
Abdullah’s Sea Moon, with a tilt at the Arc becoming more likely. Not seen since
finishing fifth in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Ascot July
21, the four-year-old who had previously won that track’s Group 2 Hardwicke at
the Royal meeting, also has the options of the Grade 1 Canadian International
and Breeders’ Cup Turf.
“We will wait and see what the ground conditions are like, as although he’s
impervious to ground he really does love to get his toe in and would be
advantaged by that,” his conditioner said Thursday. “If we think the ground has
enough moisture in it, we’ll have a crack. We only had one behind us turning for
home in the King George and he was impressive in the Hardwicke, so he’s a fair
sort of horse.”
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