On a day at Longchamp which sees the strongest assembly of runners for the
Arc trials in recent memory, the Group 1 Prix Vermeille takes center stage of
the trio of preps, and the prestigious affair in its own right has a leading
lady to match in Treve. Bought by Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani after her
scintillating Prix de Diane triumph at Chantilly in June, the unbeaten talent
received a significant subsequent boost when the four-lengths runner-up
Chicquita took the Irish Oaks.
“Everything has gone well since the Prix de Diane, she worked very well with
Frankie Dettori on board two weeks ago,” trainer Criquette Head-Maarek told PA
Sport. “He liked her and said she has got a great turn of foot. If she wins, or
runs well, we might then go for the Arc.
“It is raining here, but I don’t like to make excuses as I think a horse can
win on every ground if they are good enough. She won on soft ground as a
two-year-old and I don’t think it will be too bad. She has a good draw in stall
three. She’s a very easy filly to train, she’s like a little bicycle — you can
put her anywhere you want.”
Heading the older brigade is Romantica, who captured the Prix Jean Romanet
over 10 furlongs at Deauville August 18, but whose only finish out of the frame
was when ninth in this race 12 months ago. Also from the Andre Fabre stable is
Tasaday, who built on third- and fourth-placings in the Poule d’Essai des
Pouliches and Prix de Diane, respectively, when scoring decisively over 10
furlongs at Deauville in both the Prix de Psyche and Prix de la Nonette.
Third in the Diane, Silasol reserves her best for this circuit, as she showed
when winning the Prix Marcel Boussac last October and Prix Saint-Alary May 26,
and may have needed her first run off a break when fourth in the Prix Guillaume
d’Ornano at Deauville August 15.
Two overseas raiders who have major claims are Irish and Yorkshire Oaks
runner-up Venus de Milo and Wild Coco, who has looked bound for this level for
some time and flaunted her natural talent when recording an easy comeback win in
Goodwood’s Lillie Langtry Stakes over 14 furlongs at the start of August.
Despite his serious accomplishments already, there is a sense that the major
tests lay ahead for Flintshire and he preps for the Arc in the Group 2 Prix Niel.
Successful in the Grand Prix de Paris over this track and 1 1/2-mile trip July
13, the homebred was impressive in that contest, but the form appears dubious at
present, and that race can be less than competitive for its grade.
Taking him on is Epsom Derby winner Ruler of the World, but he is another who
may be flattered by winning a weak renewal of a prestigious race. He has not
been since trailing in fifth in the Irish Derby at The Curragh June 29, but if
he is back on his best form is closely matched with Flintshire on a line through
Ocovango.
“He’s in good form and is ready, having had a nice break,” trainer Aidan
O’Brien said. “He has handled cut in the ground and we’d like to get him out
provided the ground isn’t bad.”
Ocovango was virtually the same distance behind both colts when fifth at
Epsom and third in the Grand Prix de Paris and met trouble on both occasions,
but it may be that Andre Fabre, whose 10 winners of this longstanding trial for
the autumn showpiece include the subsequent Arc heros Trempolino, Subotica,
Carnegie, Sagamix, Hurricane Run and Rail Link, has something of more interest
in Triple Threat, who seems to have overcome his issues with the stalls and
brushed aside Pilote in the 10-furlong Prix Eugene Adam at Maisons-Laffitte July
21. That form was boosted when the runner-up was second fiddle again behind
another Fabre trainee in Vancouverite in Deauville’s Prix Guillaume d’Ornano
last month.
In an unusually deep renewal of this contest, it is impossible to ignore
Kizuna. Prepared by Shozo Sasaki for this project since winning the May 26 Tokyo
Yushun, he will be fulfilling a personal dream for Yutaka Take if he can better
his sire’s effort in the main event in three weeks’ time.
“He’s where he should be for a trial, I’d say at about 85 percent,” Sasaki
commented. “In the beginning when he first got to France he was pretending to be
meek and quiet, but now that he’s used to things he’s acting up again. In a good
way, he’s the same. I’m looking forward to seeing how well he can do.
“The Arc almost always favors three-year-olds. Kizuna is mentally strong and
can handle all the difficulties that go along with racing overseas. That is why
I asked the owner to enter him in the race.”
Widely considered to be unlucky not to have won last year’s Arc, Orfevre is
back at Longchamp to begin putting matters right as he warms up for his latest
tilt at that feature in the Group 2 Prix Foy. Runner-up in the Japan Cup and
successful in the Sankei Osaka Hai at Hanshin in March, the wildly talented but
wayward performer has not enjoyed a perfect build-up, as he has bled at home and
recently suffered a kick to his nose by his work companion.
“Last year, he acclimatized to his surroundings immediately and this year is
the same,” Yasutoshi Ikee explained. “He remembered it all himself and found the
environment familiar. He’s a year older and he’s more powerful.
“After the Osaka Hai, things weren’t easy but I see his movement and how his
heart and lungs are now and there are no problems. We had a lot of trouble this
year but, going into a trial, I’d say he’s in relatively good shape.”
One interesting rival to overcome as he bids for back-to-back renewals is
Camelot, who was almost retired after his second straight defeat in 2013 when
fourth in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. The colt, who almost
landed an English Triple Crown on this weekend 12 months ago, has been given
another chance to redeem his reputation, which was dented initially by a
seventh-placing in the Arc, which preceded a serious bout of colic.
Having reportedly taken a long time to recover from that life-threatening
attack, he has a clean sheet to work from now but it remains to be seen whether
his three-year-old exploits took place against a crop of limited ability.
“The plan is to run, but we’re not going to run him in bad ground,” trainer
Aidan O’Brien warned Saturday. “We’re going to go over and walk it first and
make the decision.”
The reliable Dunaden returns from a holiday, having chased home the
subsequent King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Grosser Preis von Baden
hero Novellist in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
“It was a good run last time, especially with the way Novellist won at
Ascot, and I’m hoping he can run well on Sunday,” trainer Mikel Delzangles told
PA Sport. “After that, we will know which way we go next, if we go to the Arc or
if we go back to Australia.”
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